I Just Have to Say I'm Loving Icontact!

[NooraK]

I decided I was going to try out iContact. I was sending out my newsletter in batches of 10-30 recipients at a time (depending on how lazy I was feeling) to try to avoid them getting marked as spam, and I was getting tired of all the work.

So, my open percentage is about 21%, but I don't care. Why? Because I got an email almost immediately from someone saying she's a huge PC fan, and she'd love to have a party! From the sound of the email, she has never received my newsletter before, even though I know this email address has been on my list for a couple of months.

I also noticed that she is not listed as one of the "opens" in my report. So I did a test. I sent a copy of the email to my gmail, as well as here to work. iContact registered the gmail version being opened, but not the one here at work, because Outlook did not download any of the pictures in the email. This means many more people than what iContact shows may have seen my email.

I also no longer have to hassle with updating my contacts when someone unsubscribes or their email bounces. I did get a "complaint" which I found in their glossary to mean that the recipient had marked it spam. No biggie. But when I upload new contacts, iContact will only update new contacts (I think)

One thing I didn't really understand though. Although I only opened it once, it shows that the gmail copy has been opened 7 times. It actually went from 3 to 7 while I was logged out of gmail all together.

But all in all, I'm happy with it, and I think it'll be worth signing up for the paid version.

 

[tlag1986]

Noora I use Icontact, and myemaildesigns for my newsletters. The newsletters are $2 a month and you buy a year at a time. I love it. I have 3 different mailings each month to send. I'm glad you think you will get the paid version.

 

[sk8rgrrl99]

I decided I was going to try out iContact. I was sending out my newsletter in batches of 10-30 recipients at a time (depending on how lazy I was feeling) to try to avoid them getting marked as spam, and I was getting tired of all the work.

So, my open percentage is about 21%, but I don't care. Why? Because I got an email almost immediately from someone saying she's a huge PC fan, and she'd love to have a party! From the sound of the email, she has never received my newsletter before, even though I know this email address has been on my list for a couple of months.

I also noticed that she is not listed as one of the "opens" in my report. So I did a test. I sent a copy of the email to my gmail, as well as here to work. iContact registered the gmail version being opened, but not the one here at work, because Outlook did not download any of the pictures in the email. This means many more people than what iContact shows may have seen my email.

I also no longer have to hassle with updating my contacts when someone unsubscribes or their email bounces. I did get a "complaint" which I found in their glossary to mean that the recipient had marked it spam. No biggie. But when I upload new contacts, iContact will only update new contacts (I think)

One thing I didn't really understand though. Although I only opened it once, it shows that the gmail copy has been opened 7 times. It actually went from 3 to 7 while I was logged out of gmail all together.

But all in all, I'm happy with it, and I think it'll be worth signing up for the paid version.

That might not even have been marked as spam by the person, it might have been their email server that did so.

 

[pamperedpals]

I did a trial version with iContact and wasn't able to receive the test emails here at work or at my email at home, so I didn't continue with the service.

 

[NooraK]

That might not even have been marked as spam by the person, it might have been their email server that did so.

The way the glossary entry was worded, I understood it to mean that they had to actually click the button. And condsidering that this "complaint" didn't come in until today (I sent the newsletter on Tuesday), it seems to support the thought that the customer had to click something.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

How much is it for icontact? Is it a monthly fee?

 

[tlag1986]

How much is it for icontact? Is it a monthly fee?

Less than $10 a month. You pay it on a credit card or debit card. It has been more than worth it form me. It paid for it's self after the second month with online orders.

 

[PamperedK]

Less than $10 a month. You pay it on a credit card or debit card. It has been more than worth it form me. It paid for it's self after the second month with online orders.

Isn't that only for 250 contacts though?I have about 700 contacts so I'm looking at $20 / month. I have to think about it. I do like what I've seen with the trial so far.

 

[peachey]

I have been looking into icontact or constant contacts because I want to make sure my newsletter is sent and not flagged as spam. Does anyone know if the emails sent out by PWS are flagged as spam? I haven't loaded all me emails into my PWS, and wanted to see how this has worked for others. Any information on this is appreciated.

 

[tlag1986]

Isn't that only for 250 contacts though?

I have about 700 contacts so I'm looking at $20 / month. I have to think about it.

I do like what I've seen with the trial so far.

To be honest I'm not certain on the amount for that number of contacts.

 

[DebbieJ]

I have been looking into icontact or constant contacts because I want to make sure my newsletter is sent and not flagged as spam. Does anyone know if the emails sent out by PWS are flagged as spam? I haven't loaded all me emails into my PWS, and wanted to see how this has worked for others. Any information on this is appreciated.

Yes, MANY ISPs flag the PWS emails as spam.

 

[amy07]

I'm loving iContact too! Well worth the money!

 

[Koolotus]

SO far I LOVE IT

 

[otisbg]

I finally took the leap of faith and subscribed to both iContact & myemaildesigns. In less than 1 hour I had everything sent and am now tracking the openings and entries. Mike had a mid-month newsletter ready for me in that same time frame. If you forward Mike@myemaildesigns the paid receipt from just one month of iContact, you can get 3 months of Myemialdesigns for free (3 issues a month).
Please feel free to use my name as a referral........WOW-as I am writing this, I just got an outlet order!!:sing:

Linda Ulaszewski -
heading for directorship in 2009!!

 

[KellyRedHead]

Does anyone know if any emails of your newsletters does go out as spam to email servers like yahoo, hotmail etc..??
Also, are icontact and constant contact the same company??
Does anyone like one more then the other if they are different companies?

Has anyone tried to put a newsletter they have gotten from someone else in one of these? The person I purchase my newsletter from thought I would loose some of the format she uses and it would look to "text book" look?? Any suggestions??
I really want to reach people I haven't reached in a while, want to grap them with something that is WOW!
I like the fact that you can see how many are being opened. Is it how many or can you see who actually opens them?

Thanks,
Kelly V.

 

[NooraK]

I'm not totally familiar with how ISPs flag email as spam, but I understand that some of them go by the domain of your email (the .biz from our websites) and the number of recipients on a given email (the more recipients, the more likely it's flagged).

iContact and Constant Contact are competing companies. I have not tried Constant Contact, so I cannot compare.

I use Tasty Tidbits for my newsletter service. The new TTConnect set up allows me to get HTML code to copy and paste into iContact so that my newsletter shows up just like Joy made it. I'd suggest checking with the creator of your newsletter if she can provide you with HTML code, it might depend on how she creates it.

With iContact I can see both how many as well as who. But as I mentioned in my original post, apparently if someone receives the email in something like Outlook and doesn't download the pictures, it doesn't register.

 

[babywings76]

If someone who uses Outlook then clicks on the e-mail to open it officially, and the pictures appear to them, will it then register? Can i-contact tell the difference? I know a ton of people who use outlook, so I'm curious.

 

[NooraK]

If their settings are so that Outlook downloads the pictures when opened, then yes. My understanding of the system is that these programs (iContact, Constant Contact etc) are able to track when the pictures within the email are accessed from the server they're hosted in. If Outlook doesn't download the images, the pictures are never accessed, and iContact doesn't get anything to indicate the message was opened. For my Outlook, I have to either right click on the pictures or click a gray bar at the top of the email and choose "Download Pictures." And I know of several people that I work with that don't know how to get the pictures to come up, even though it says "Right click to download pictures" right next to the red box.

 

[otisbg]

As a follow up to my new iContact and MyEmailDesigns subscription:
as of this morning (Monday), with a send out date of 1/24/09, I have a 30% opening rate and more than 5 with multiple clicks, as well as 4 forwards.
I love, love, love this!:love:

 

[babywings76]

How long is the free trial period? I want to try it out, but don't plan on sending out my newsletter til next week.***ETA: I just found the fine print, it says the trial period is 15 days.

 

[Veevahchef]

I was trying to figure it all out lastnight as I JUST signed up for a free trial yesterday.

It said something about sending out a message that people have to register to recieve your e-mails. Am I reading this correctly? Or was I looking at the wrong instructions?

Did anyone here have to have their contacts "register" with your i-contact account before you could send them your things?

Kari V

 

[NooraK]

What I saw on mine was an option to check a box that would send an email to my list asking them to opt-in to the list. I didn't check the box, because I don't think the majority of my customers would even open the email.

 

[Veevahchef]

Does it still work properly if you don't send them the Opt in?

 

[PampChefJoy]

When you first set up your list, it will automatically give you "double opt-in" or "confirmation email" coverage... BUT when you actually import the email addresses, the box to make people opt-in at the bottom is defaulted to unchecked and you have to manually check the box to send them a confirming email before adding to your list.

In other words, it defaults to NOT making them confirm... but all the wording and whatnot make it seem like it's a bigger deal in iContact than it is. They just want to avoid people who have less conscience when it comes to spamming.

 

[pamperedalf]

What's the price for Icontact (I'm a dork & couldn't find it, I saw $9.95), I am seriously considering this, but I need to know how much I would be paying. I love Joy's newsletter (thank you Joy), but I am trying to stay to a strict budget. I could go book one more show a month to pay for it.

 

[Veevahchef]

Well, thanks for that.

I am thinking if I send an e-mail to my customers asking them to opt in... I would end up with nothing!! LOL.
People can't be bothered with that stuff, i am usually afraid to "Opt In" to things even if it is csomeone I know.. i just think it is wierd.. LOL.

 

[NooraK]

It's $9.95 for 250 contacts. $14 for 500, $19 for 1,000, $29 for 2,500. I couldn't get the numbers until I had signed up. I also just found out today that Joy is offering a free year of TT if you sign up for iContact using her referral link! I wonder if I can still get in on that...

 

[pamperedalf]

Thanks NooraK!!!I saw that too, but I want to make sure I can afford it before I sign up!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

It's $9.95 for 250 contacts. $14 for 500, $19 for 1,000, $29 for 2,500. I couldn't get the numbers until I had signed up. I also just found out today that Joy is offering a free year of TT if you sign up for iContact using her referral link! I wonder if I can still get in on that...

Is that $9.95 a month?

And where is the referral link w/ Joy? This is the first I've heard of it!

 

[pamperedalf]

Is that $9.95 a month?

And where is the referral link w/ Joy? This is the first I've heard of it!

It's on Joy's hompage. That's one reason I was thinking about it, plus everyones feedback.