How Do You Send Your Newsletters?

[PChefRenee]

I would really like to start sending out a regular newsletter to my customers, but
I am not sure how I should do it. I don't have a problem as to what to put in it, it is really how. I use Outlook and would prefer not sending it as attachment, I would like it to display as the email is viewed (by imbedding??) - seems more professional to me. Even if I included an attachment, I guess it would have to be a PDF, because not everyone has Word. I also don't want it dumped in junk mail. So what do you all find to work best for you?

 

[jrstephens]

I copy and paste mine into an Outlook email and send it out that way. I do not send attachments b/c so many people do not like opening attachments.

 

[chefann]

If you're using Outlook, you can compose your newsletter in Word and use mail merge to create the message, with formatting just like the Word document. That also creates one note per address, so your contacts can't see the addresses of the other people you include.

 

[PChefRenee]

I was afraid making the newsletter in Word would be a problem for people that don't have Microsoft products (Mac users). Also, I wanted to have hyperlinks to my website and the PC Outlet, etc. I did one up and used a Word newsletter template to create it, it looked pretty sweet when I sent it to myself (with all the links and images), but I don't know what it would look like to other people. I am just afraid of someone getting it and only seeing "a box with a red X" IF it even gets past their spam blocker.

 

[chefann]

Sending it via Outlook, even though you composed it in Word, sends a formatted email, which any HTML-enabled email program can read. The only people who may have a problem are those who have HTML formatting disabled, and there's an equal chance of them being Windows users as Mac users. I run a Mac, and I did the mail merge thing for my newsletter (Word and Entourage since there's no Outlook for Mac) for a couple of years, and never had any reports of problems. One of the things to watch out for is photo size - use a photo editor to do your resizing, rather than Word, as Word will attach the original, even when you resized the picture. That will result in larger emails. Resizing the pics before you include them in the note will result in smaller emails that people are more likely to get, download, and open.

 

[PChefRenee]

Thanks Ann, that is a lot of good info. I didn't even think about the photo size, I will be sure to watch for that.

 

[pamperedthorpe]

The email address we use for PC is an AOL UK one, so I just use their webmail service and create the newsletter in the "new message" window. I write the text in Word first, but copy and paste it.

 

[PChefRenee]

If you're using Outlook, you can compose your newsletter in Word and use mail merge to create the message, with formatting just like the Word document. That also creates one note per address, so your contacts can't see the addresses of the other people you include.

I have been playing with this all night. I tried putting the email address in Bcc...went to spam. I did a mail merge as you suggested...went to spam. I copied and pasted exactly what was in the mail merge and just put the email address in the "to" field and it went through fine. Why would it be OK that way, but mail merge sends it to spam? SO frustrating. Maybe I shouldn't care and just have everyone's email address displayed in the "to" field, but I really hate to do that. Boy, those spammers really ruined it for all of us, they have so many filters out there... I even found a website listing all of the words & phrases that these filters look for; it's amazing that anything gets through!! It's almost midnight...I have to stop for today:indif: , and back at it tomorrow.

 

[chefann]

I don't know why the mail merge went to spam for you. It worked for me. Don't forget that everyone's system is different, so just because it went into your spam folder that doesn't mean that it will happen to you customers' copies.

 

[PChefRenee]

Well, OK, I did a mail merge. I had myself on the list and so far I haven't received anything (not even in spam). Makes me wonder if it was successful or not. I'll have to check with a few close friends & relatives to see if they got theirs. We'll see what happens. I hoped it worked. I figured not every one would go to spam so I think maybe half will get them...hopefully.