Comparing Mike Vs Joy's Newsletter: My Experience After 6 Months

[wadesgirl]

I do love Mike's design and service. The only thing is that sometimes I do fear it is too long. I cut out some of the info I don't feel is necessary, or swap out a photo or something some times. I do LOVE Joy's work though, and am actually looking into subscribing to hers as well. I'm doing her 15 day free trial.

The thing I like about Mike's:
-- one click for iContact, super easy
-- he also does a mid-month shorter newsletter plus an outlet one (shows the current items the moment you retrieve it before you distribute to your customers)
-- very professional looking
-- great customer service

Joy's
--a lot of the same positives as Mike's
--I also love that she's a consultant and so she KNOWS right away the news and excitement of announcements and is quick to put stuff together and share with us

It really is so hard to decide. That's why I'm doing the trial period thing. I'm willing to pay another subscription fee to use hers if I decide I like it better.

Joy also does a few different newsletters a month plus other fliers and postcards to print. I like Tasty Tidbits because instead of waiting for an email to be sent out, you can log on any time and pull up any newsletter. No more searching your inbox for the last newsletter.

 

[babywings76]

Joy also does a few different newsletters a month plus other fliers and postcards to print. I like Tasty Tidbits because instead of waiting for an email to be sent out, you can log on any time and pull up any newsletter. No more searching your inbox for the last newsletter.

You can go online anytime and log in and retrieve Mike's newsletters as well.

 

[Nanisu]

I use both--Mike one month, Joy the next. Mike's is VERY easy to use and very professional, Joy's is lots of good info. I honestly prefer Mike's--I get lots of good feedback from it from my customers. I was one of his first subscribers and he's very good. But Joy is one of us....

 

[caraighan]

I love Mike's, but I have never used Joy's. I'm sure either one is good, but my preference is Mike's. He has the easy one click option for icontact, that makes it so easy.

I used to use Joy's and now I use Mike's. I like Mike's a lot better.

I just signed up with iContact through Mike's. I've only used iContact a couple of times. The jury's still out on iContact!!! LOL I think I just have to get used to it!

 

[caraighan]

Joy gives you free subscriptions when you sign up for iContact through her website.

Mike does too! He gives you 3 free months. Plus, right now there's a $10 discount when you upgrade to a paid iContact account. I'm not sure if it's from Mike or from iContact. I know that I got it in the email from Mike, though.

 

[caraighan]

Joy also does a few different newsletters a month plus other fliers and postcards to print. I like Tasty Tidbits because instead of waiting for an email to be sent out, you can log on any time and pull up any newsletter. No more searching your inbox for the last newsletter.

You can do that with Mike's too. I just go to the website and log in.

 

[babywings76]

hijack...And then there's always the times you send these newsletters out and you get people to unsubscribe. (Just sent out my outlet e-mail and had someone unsub. just now)

 

[pamperedlinda]

wow - this is starting to get rather competative here - anyone keeping score?

 

[Liquid Sky]

wow - this is starting to get rather competative here - anyone keeping score?

LOL! Both newsletter subscriptions are a major asset to our businesses and it really does come down to preference.

 

[lauradahl]

LOL! Both newsletter subscriptions are a major asset to our businesses and it really does come down to preference.

I agree! It's good to have a choice and all of us will have different reasons why we prefer one over the other. Until now, I did not know about Mike's. I have used Joy's and had TREMENDOUS response and sales so I am sticking with it. Why mess with a good thing? I suggest checking both of them out and then deciding for yourself which you like best. I do use Joy's flyers and the newsletters and I appreciate the fact that I can go there anytime and get what I want...my mailbox is not all jammed with stuff I may not want/use.
Joy is also easily accessible. She is here so much and hears about our needs...she's so on top of it....like I saw here before...she is one of us as a consultant.

 

[cookingwith_tara]

I use Mike's and love love love it. I, too, have taken away or added to the newsletter as needed. I've not tried Joy's since I was satisfied with Mike's.

But, I agree with others. We all have a difference in preferences and our opinion in professionalism.

I'm glad there are 'options' and we're not stuck with only one 'type' of newsletter that we can't change or make our own. So, I'm thankful for both.

 

[kam]

Yes, I also use Mike's and I LOVE it too! It is just a matter of preference.

I just delete out the sections of Mike's I don't want to use before I forward it.

I just subscribe to the regular newsletter and send it myself through my email.

 

[tlag1986]

I do believe it is all just a preference. I understand each consultants loyalty to their newsletter service, but like it has already been said we have more than one option to choose from. For that I am grateful.
We hear a great deal about Joy's since she is a consultant and uses this site, and from what I've seen she does a great job. We all need to be grateful to our newsletter originators for all the work they do for us, and for a nominal fee.

 

[whiteyteresa]

Joy gives you free subscriptions when you sign up for iContact through her website.

I wish I would have known this yesterday or even looked more at her website because I just resigned up for her newsletter last night because

I JUST LOVE JOYS NEWSLETTER

I could have gotten something free - RATS

:chef:

 

[pcchefjane]

I clicked on the link to Mike's once and it was so complicated (and I am pretty computer-savvy) that I just closed it. I love Joy's and as everyone has said, it is a preference... If Joy is out there, I think she could answer about her prices... I think whatever you sign up for (6 months or a year) through iContact gives you that much time free on her site. I was told by someone at my church that LONG newsletters don't get people to read them. I did take the recipes off Joy's last month and put them on my website. Haven't heard from anyone that they noticed them, so who knows? I know her Outlet QuickBites have netted me sales! She is the bomb as far as I'm concerned!Just to answer the comment that Mike's is "authorized by HO", when Joy was going through all the mess with HO, they told her there was not an "authorized newsletter service" so if he is claiming that, he isn't telling the truth. Don't you know HO would tell us that information if he was the "only authorized person"?

 

[PampChefJoy]

I wish I would have known this yesterday or even looked more at her website because I just resigned up for her newsletter last night because

I JUST LOVE JOYS NEWSLETTER

I could have gotten something free - RATS

:chef:

I can refund you -- shoot me an email with your iContact info if you signed up through my link.

 

[PampChefJoy]

Hey all - I'm trying SO hard to stay out of this thread because I have a vested interest (haha) in what's being said... but I did want to say thank you to everyone for the kind words.It's nice to see everyone (on all sides) so passionate about the service providers they choose. I guess we're doing something right, huh?

 

[crissy11]

Hello Joy, I like you both. I started this thread and have paid for 6 months of your newsletter and since I had trouble exporting my addresses into icontact they are giving me a couple of months free of Mikes newsletter. I think I will just use both. I can't decide. I will switch up monthly newsletters and outlet newsletter with you both. Thank you soo much for all that you do.

 

[whiteyteresa]

I can refund you -- shoot me an email with your iContact info if you signed up through my link.

Thanks Joy, I will try it tonight or tomorrow morning - I am having a few personal problems here at home - I kicked my husband out last night and my thinking isn't good and I don't want mess up when trying this.

Thanks again Joy

:chef:

 

[babywings76]

I clicked on the link to Mike's once and it was so complicated (and I am pretty computer-savvy) that I just closed it. I love Joy's and as everyone has said, it is a preference... If Joy is out there, I think she could answer about her prices... I think whatever you sign up for (6 months or a year) through iContact gives you that much time free on her site. I was told by someone at my church that LONG newsletters don't get people to read them. I did take the recipes off Joy's last month and put them on my website. Haven't heard from anyone that they noticed them, so who knows? I know her Outlet QuickBites have netted me sales! She is the bomb as far as I'm concerned!

Just to answer the comment that Mike's is "authorized by HO", when Joy was going through all the mess with HO, they told her there was not an "authorized newsletter service" so if he is claiming that, he isn't telling the truth. Don't you know HO would tell us that information if he was the "only authorized person"?

No, he does not claim that. Someone posted that their director said he was, but that's not true. No one has their official approval.

 

[whiteyteresa]

I can refund you -- shoot me an email with your iContact info if you signed up through my link.

Not to sound stupid but where’s the link located on Joy’s website for icontact ? ? ?

:chef:

 

[PampChefJoy]

Not to sound stupid but where’s the link located on Joy’s website for icontact ? ? ?

:chef:

It's under the info pulldown menu: http://www.tastytidbits.net/?page_id=232

Direct link to the sign up form: Email Marketing & Surveying Software - iContact

 

[c00p]

Ok, I'm still debating/struggling with the expense of iContact and newsletters. I mentioned previously that I seriously don't have to time to see who opens what/when, etc., but for only 500 contacts it's $60/6 months???? That's INSANE to me!!!! I've got waaaaay more contacts that than.......and I understand that if you subscribe to Joy's newsletter (which I really do like) and do iContact through her that you get her newsletter for free, but it's really not free because you are paying that HORRIBLE iContact fee. I'm sorry - I don't want to start a war....but I think that's crazy to pay that much. I do think Joy's newsletter fee WITHOUT iContact is okay.....just that 123by request is still cheaper.

 

[PamperedK]

The reason I like iContact is not because I can look at who opened, but because I can send over 1500 emails at one time. With most email servers, you can only send in groups of 50 or 100. It was a huge waste of my time sitting there and sending emails every 2 minutes. iContact also has cute templates that I use for my team e-news, and the ability to schedule emails to be sent, so if you're going to be on vacation, you can set it up to send your newsletter while you're gone.

 

[c00p]

The reason I like iContact is not because I can look at who opened, but because I can send over 1500 emails at one time. With most email servers, you can only send in groups of 50 or 100. It was a huge waste of my time sitting there and sending emails every 2 minutes. iContact also has cute templates that I use for my team e-news, and the ability to schedule emails to be sent, so if you're going to be on vacation, you can set it up to send your newsletter while you're gone.

Ah, I see. I'm fortunate I guess because my internet provider doesn't limit me and I can send all of mine at once with no problems!! I can also use great templates too and the vaca thingy and send things later as well. So....I guess I don't really need it afterall!!!! Thanks for letting me know what all the big "hooey" was about!!

 

[babywings76]

The other thing with iContact is that it gets through the spam filters. A lot of providers that people use will block e-mails that are sent in mass amounts. I've heard that you should send them in batches of 10 so it doesn't raise the red flag. Having iContact avoids that problem.

 

[wadesgirl]

The other thing with iContact is that it gets through the spam filters. A lot of providers that people use will block e-mails that are sent in mass amounts. I've heard that you should send them in batches of 10 so it doesn't raise the red flag. Having iContact avoids that problem.

This is one of the biggest reasons I love iContact plus Yahoo mail doesn't allow you to send all at once, I was spending sometimes a couple evenings sending out my newsletter. Another thing I like is that you can schedule it to send out in the future. Now when ever Joy posts the newsletter I can get it ready and schedule it for a later date. Plus if you consider it's about $10 a month, it's not that bad to help save time.

 

[c00p]

I am soooooo glad that my email/internet provider doesn't cause problems like this or I would be looking elsewhere!!

 

[pcchefjane]

I am soooooo glad that my email/internet provider doesn't cause problems like this or I would be looking elsewhere!!

You're lucky Andrea! AT&T did not limit either but when someone got the bright idea (NOT) to migrate to Yahoo, it only lets me send out to groups of 75 or less once an HOUR! So if I have my newsletter to go out, I have to send out 3 "batches" to do it. In the meantime, I can't send out any other emails that hour except replies.... It is a real pain! I hate the set-up of Yahoo and it lost 3/4 of my contacts that I am still trying to reconstruct! On AT&T, the main account had a contact list that "floated" to my other 4 accounts... Now I have one account with all the contacts and my PC one with just my PC contacts then one with miscellaneous contacts but still not the whole list I used to have! ARGH! I don't have enough to justify iContact however and definitely don't have the time or patience to check out who opened what and how many times!

 

[PamperedK]

I am soooooo glad that my email/internet provider doesn't cause problems like this or I would be looking elsewhere!!

I'm not trying to argue with you or anything, but do you KNOW that everyone is receiving your email? A lot of times, it will send just fine from your end, but it will end up being marked SPAM by the customer's ISP and they'll never see it and you'll never know.