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

[crystalscookingnow]

I think the best thing about iContact is KNOWING without a doubt how many people are actually reading my newsletter. Even if I don't get an order, I can see who is looking at the host special, multiple opens, etc. For the one I sent in March, I'm going to contact those that looked at the April host special for my 24 in 24 booking calls. It helps me to gain some courage as to who I will call.

Even if you can send out multiple e-mails at once, you don't know if the recipient is actually receiving your newsletter or if it's being blocked by their provider.

 

[PamperedK]

And let's say someone looks at recruiting info over and over - you can call and do a 'customer care call' just to touch base.

 

[c00p]

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.

Nope - I don't know. But that's okay, because I get enough response from those that do receive it, so I'm good with it! Besides, $10 a month to know whether or not people are receiving it is still insane to me AND I wouldn't have the time to check on it either!!

 

[PCMelissa]

Nope - I don't know. But that's okay, because I get enough response from those that do receive it, so I'm good with it! Besides, $10 a month to know whether or not people are receiving it is still insane to me AND I wouldn't have the time to check on it either!!

Wow, imagine the response you would have if your newsletters were getting through all thos spam filters!!! You should just try it one month to see, you might get an additional $75 in commission each month (or $65 minus the $10) Wouldn't that make it worth it?

 

[SNC1981]

Wow, Mike's April newsletter design already includes the new Mini-Kit promotion and it was just announced.

 

[redsoxgirl]

I've never looked at Mike's but I love Joy's!!
It's very informative, but to the point!

 

[trps]

How do you get your info from my PC personal site to the icontact?

to send these e-mails.

 

[c00p]

Wow, imagine the response you would have if your newsletters were getting through all thos spam filters!!! You should just try it one month to see, you might get an additional $75 in commission each month (or $65 minus the $10) Wouldn't that make it worth it?

It might be worth it Melissa.....especially when you put it that way! Maybe I will give it a shot.

 

[crissy11]

Ok, I have sent my newsletter out thru icontact. I sent it to 1414 emails addresses. As of right now-three days later only 258 people have opened theirs. What is going on with the other 1100 people???? I have gotten $200 in online orders but I do that anyway when I send out a newsletter so it isn't because of icontact. It seems like it isn't doing any better than my regular way of sending thru my email server.
I had 12 people to unsub, one file a complaint and about 15 to bounce.
I just don't want to pay almost $30 a month and almost 85% are not getting it.
Any suggestions?

 

[PampChefJoy]

Ok, I have sent my newsletter out thru icontact. I sent it to 1414 emails addresses. As of right now-three days later only 258 people have opened theirs. What is going on with the other 1100 people???? I have gotten $200 in online orders but I do that anyway when I send out a newsletter so it isn't because of icontact. It seems like it isn't doing any better than my regular way of sending thru my email server.
I had 12 people to unsub, one file a complaint and about 15 to bounce.
I just don't want to pay almost $30 a month and almost 85% are not getting it.
Any suggestions?

These are actually not uncommon statistics... business average as a whole is 10-30% open rate. Back when I was tracking manually for my Head Chef subscribers, my open rate was between 16-20% on average per month. The click-thru rate is even lower, usually no higher than 5%, usually around 1-2% (that's the % of people actually clicking on a link within the newsletter).

 

[tlag1986]

Crissy you need to understand the 85% you say are not getting it are actually receiving your email just not opening it. What you can do is send those people an email and ask them if they want to continue receiving emails from you or if they would like for you to take them off your list. This may serve as a reminder they wanted your emails. The ones that bounced may have due to their email server or security issue you might send that email to all of them.

 

[crissy11]

But if they gave me their address because they wanted the newsletter than are they not opening it? or are they just not getting it?
That is why I had to stop using Constant Contact. I have soo many addresses it bumps me up to paying $30 a month and most people are not opening it or getting it. I would like to take out those addresses that are consistently not opening it but that is a huge job.
I wish there was a way to filter them out if they don't open for three newsletters in a row or something to that effect. Then I would only pay for those that get it.

 

[crissy11]

Lisa, I sent this before I read your response.

 

[PampChefJoy]

Speaking as a consumer who is on ALOT of mailing lists, there are lots of times I will let a newsletter sit in my inbox for weeks. Especially if I am not interested in buying anything right away...Perhaps the answer is to put a subject line that creates urgency - like "Special Limited Time Offer" or "READ ME NOW before it's too late!" or something like that. Then you would at least get a view...But truly, some of your more devoted customers probably know: 1) that you'll always be there for them and they can contact you anytime and 2) you have great recipes that they'll want to refer to later when they get a chance.Do you send out an Outlet email? I am curious if the open rate is more on the outlet email because people know it's more of a "get them before they're gone" deal.

 

[DebbieJ]

Do you send out an Outlet email? I am curious if the open rate is more on the outlet email because people know it's more of a "get them before they're gone" deal.

My last outlet email title was "MARCH BARGAINS from your PC consultant" and I had a great response.

 

[pamperedlinda]

My last outlet email title was "MARCH BARGAINS from your PC consultant" and I had a great response.

me too - over $300 in sales so far

 

[crystalscookingnow]

It might be worth it Melissa.....especially when you put it that way! Maybe I will give it a shot.

I sent out my 24 in 24 e-mail tonight using iContact. Within 1/2 hour of sending it, my phone was ringing with a lady wanting to book a party with me. I chose to send it to just the people that I knew had looked at my newsletter host special links. B/C I knew that she was looking at the host specials, I included her. I probably wouldn't have included her on my 24 in 24 e-mail if I hadn't had those statistics to look at.

 

[trps]

How do you get your info from my PC personal site to the icontact?

to send these e-mails.

How Do you get the e-mails to icontact? I can only figure to send out from PC list of e-mails. HELP please

 

[babywings76]

How Do you get the e-mails to icontact? I can only figure to send out from PC list of e-mails. HELP please

My director was able to copy and paste the whole page of the PC e-mail into iContact. She just pasted it into a new message, in the HTML box. It came through beautifully for her. But I was unable to get it to work for me. Don't know if it's because I have a Mac or what. I was thinking of calling iContact and seeing if they have any advice. It was someone there, Donna I think it was, who helped my Director.

 

[crissy11]

This is how Donna had me do it.
Address book
Export
Other Address Book
click on Text File, comma seperated value
Save as: name it so you can find it and save it to the desktop
Select fields to export
go to icontact and import from the icon on desktop

 

[jenniferm]

I sent out my 24 in 24 e-mail tonight using iContact. Within 1/2 hour of sending it, my phone was ringing with a lady wanting to book a party with me.

What did your 24 in 24 email say?

 

[PamperedChefLayla]

where can I see Mike's newsletter?

 

[elijahstrust]

I'd love to see the 24 in 24 email too...

 

[caraighan]

DITTO... I'd love to see it too!!!

thanks!

 

[Stampaholic1961]

I started out with Joy's. Then I switched to Mike's because his had direct links to my website & Joy's didn't. Then I saw that Joy's does that now too so I am getting ready to switch back to her. I have never gotten one order from using Mike's. I've felt like it was too long too & have deleted sections before. I am planning on switching very soon. It is definitely a matter of taste & each service keeps improving all the time.

 

[tabailey]

Related to the icontact monthly charges:

To help keep your subsriber numbers down, you can get view each contact's view history. About once a quarter, I goto my contacts and then choose browse contacts. Sort them by date added and work up from the oldest. You clikc on the email address for someone and then click on "Contact history".

If someone has not opened my emails in 12 months, I delete their email from the database. This has really helped keep my subscriber numbers down (and thus the monthly chage) and also helps improve my open percentage since I like to think that only those interested in the info are receiving it.

Tara

 

[PamperedK]

Related to the icontact monthly charges:

To help keep your subsriber numbers down, you can get view each contact's view history. About once a quarter, I goto my contacts and then choose browse contacts. Sort them by date added and work up from the oldest. You clikc on the email address for someone and then click on "Contact history".

If someone has not opened my emails in 12 months, I delete their email from the database. This has really helped keep my subscriber numbers down (and thus the monthly chage) and also helps improve my open percentage since I like to think that only those interested in the info are receiving it.

Tara

Good idea, thanks! I was thinking of doing that but I kind of like the idea of someone seeing my name each month just in case they need something in the future...but 12 months seems like long enough...

 

[PampChefJoy]

Related to the icontact monthly charges:

To help keep your subsriber numbers down, you can get view each contact's view history. About once a quarter, I goto my contacts and then choose browse contacts. Sort them by date added and work up from the oldest. You clikc on the email address for someone and then click on "Contact history".

If someone has not opened my emails in 12 months, I delete their email from the database. This has really helped keep my subscriber numbers down (and thus the monthly chage) and also helps improve my open percentage since I like to think that only those interested in the info are receiving it.

Tara

Along those lines, you could also segment those "non-readers" into their own contact list and make the subject line "Read this for a free gift" and offer them a Season's Best or something for responding/reading to the end... Would be worth the S/B and postage to get someone reading again.

 

[PampChefJoy]

I started out with Joy's. Then I switched to Mike's because his had direct links to my website & Joy's didn't. Then I saw that Joy's does that now too so I am getting ready to switch back to her. I have never gotten one order from using Mike's. I've felt like it was too long too & have deleted sections before. I am planning on switching very soon. It is definitely a matter of taste & each service keeps improving all the time.

Just wanted to clarify that I do NOT direct link to any pages within your PWS... only to the main PWS page itself (.biz/xxx). I have tried to link directly to product pages before and it has redirected people to the wrong consultant's website. I'm not 100% certain this was an error on my part coding, but I'd rather not take the chance that one of my subscribers loses a sale. HO asks that we only direct the main page of our PWS so that's what I do.

 

[jenniferm]

. I have tried to link directly to product pages before and it has redirected people to the wrong consultant's website. I'm not 100% certain this was an error on my part coding, but I'd rather not take the chance that one of my subscribers loses a sale. HO asks that we only direct the main page of our PWS so that's what I do.

It was not an error...that is what has happened with other consultants I talked to. That is why home office asks that the links only go to the main page.