Trouble with iContact Formatting? Vent Here and Find Solutions!

[PChefPEI]

Does anyone use iContact to send their newsletter? I'm getting really ticked with it!! The last few times I've done a newsletter, I've had formatting trouble.

I usually prepare my newsletter in Word and then copy and paste. Each time I click on Quick Save or Save, the spacing/formatting all goes out of wack! It's freakin' annoying! :grumpy:

For instance, I prepared my September newsletter and sent a sample to my email....well, the entire newsletter is centered!! What the $*%&#!!! It's not even that way in the working window in the program!!!

Anyone else having that problem?

The reason I like iContact is because I can track opens/clicks/bounces. Maybe there's a better solution out there??

Oh, and I did contact them, just waiting on a reply. Hopefully, it's something simple. But, in the meantime, I needed to vent!

 

[Liquid Sky]

I use it and I don't have issues...but then again my newsletters are created for me and I copy the HTML code and paste it into i-contact.

Now, I have had where I create my own message and yes the formatting does go crazy and I have to edit it again. I would put a call into tech-support and see if there's a solution. They are wonderful and helpful on the phone! HTH!

 

[PChefPEI]

I use it and I don't have issues...but then again my newsletters are created for me and I copy the HTML code and paste it into i-contact.

Now, I have had where I create my own message and yes the formatting does go crazy and I have to edit it again. I would put a call into tech-support and see if there's a solution. They are wonderful and helpful on the phone! HTH!

That's interesting....wish I knew how to do that!!

 

[Liquid Sky]

YOu make your own newsletter in Word?

I subscribe to myemaildesigns.com and they create the newsletters. I copy the HTML code that is provided and paste it into I-contact and send my newsletter from there.

 

[PChefPEI]

Actually, you just got me thinkin'....maybe I can convert my Word doc into HTML....will check that out!

And, yes, I do my own newsletter. The purpose of mine is to just give them a little taste of what's going on and direct them to my website for more info.

 

[Jess_K]

I use it and I don't have issues...but then again my newsletters are created for me and I copy the HTML code and paste it into i-contact.

Now, I have had where I create my own message and yes the formatting does go crazy and I have to edit it again. I would put a call into tech-support and see if there's a solution. They are wonderful and helpful on the phone! HTH!

do you use it with Tasty tidbits? I was considering it ....... seems I have no idea who opens or if they get my emails it might be worth it.

 

[Liquid Sky]

do you use it with Tasty tidbits? I was considering it ....... seems I have no idea who opens or if they get my emails it might be worth it.

I use it i-contact w/ myemaildesigns.com. :love:

 

[PChefPEI]

Just got a sample letter from myemaildesigns and it does look nice. Will have to give it some thought. I am getting so frustrated with icontact, that I am getting ready to unsubscribe from their site and start using oprius (the site I use for my contact management).

Just one question though...are the newsletters from myemaildesigns timely? I like to send mine out about a week or so before. And, can you make slight changes to them?

 

[Humble Beginnings]

what is icontact, is this a service you sign up for?

 

[SNC1981]

MyEmailDesigns.com is very timely. The customer service is outstanding. If you sign up for iContact through their website, you can even get three months of their newsletters for free. Every month Mike keeps adding more features. I just love it.iContact is an Email Service Provider. They keep your email list for you. You schedule when to send out your email. You can track who opened it and who unsubscribed, etc.

 

[lgray247]

I am interested in getting a newsletter started. I have been checking out the websites everyone has been posting about. I can't decide if I want to pay or do my own. PChefPEI .. would you send me a copy of your newsletter? I would love to see how you do yours. Just to get some ideas ... Also, do you have a problem with moving PC pictures? I have always used Publisher to do my newsletters but my sister borrowed my CD and of course, can't find it. So, I am going to try to us Word, just havent' done that before. Thanks ladies for all of your input and information.

 

[jenniferm]

I tried icontact and did not like it...I use constant contact. It is a little more expensive but I love using it.

 

[PChefPEI]

I am interested in getting a newsletter started. I have been checking out the websites everyone has been posting about. I can't decide if I want to pay or do my own. PChefPEI .. would you send me a copy of your newsletter? I would love to see how you do yours. Just to get some ideas ... Also, do you have a problem with moving PC pictures? I have always used Publisher to do my newsletters but my sister borrowed my CD and of course, can't find it. So, I am going to try to us Word, just havent' done that before. Thanks ladies for all of your input and information.

Here's my September newsletter, adapted from Raebates' paper newsletter (Thanks, Rae! ). I don't mind doing my own, because I just give people a little bit of info and direct them to my website for more details. I don't put pictures in mine, because they tend to be seen as spam more. I figure my PWS will give them all the pics they want! The way I deliver it is my trouble right now.

 

[PaulaP]

Just a reminder, to get the 50% rebate they have to sign by Aug. 31st and hold at least 1K in their first 30 days.

 

[PChefPEI]

Just a reminder, to get the 50% rebate they have to sign by Aug. 31st and hold at least 1K in their first 30 days.

The promo is actually different in Canada...they must sign by Sept 30 and do $1,250 in their first 30 days.

 

[missmindym]

I use iContact and Tasty Tidbits. I copy and past the html and it still gets out of wack with the spacing and I have to go back and fix it, but the guy didn't seem to know why. I do like how it tracks the email, but still not sure that I want to pay the $10 a month for it.

 

[PChefPEI]

I'm with you missmindym on the $10 a month. I sent my September newsletter, but have decided to start using Oprius to send my newsletters. It's nicer too, because all my contact info is in there already, so I don't have to make sure it's in two places AND I don't have to pay for 2 services a month. I'm still going to do my own newsletter though.

The tracking is what I really like about iContact, but it's just not worth the headache!! I shouldn't be completely relying on the newsletter anyway, I should be making calls....right??

 

[PampChefJoy]

I have to chime in a bit here on the tracking, and I'm probably shooting myself in the foot here because it is my business... but you really do need to weigh how valuable the tracking info is to you. I know some people (myself included) absolutely are crazy "need-to-know" this kind of stuff just because of sheer curiosity. I can tell you, however, with a few exceptions, that nearly every one of my subscribers to my head/exec chef services in the past 8 months that I've been doing this had about the same, average open and click stats are the "average"... nothing more nothing less... so you really CAN be assured that xxx% of people are opening your newsletter (I need to go look it up, but it's around 20-25%, I think) and 2-5% is the average click through rate - that means how many people click on a link. So even though it could be valuable to know who is opening and clicking your newsletter, you have to be prepared with how you're going to follow through with that information (i.e. are you going to call up that person who clicked on the host special flyer for next month and ask them to host?) -- because if you aren't going to do anything with the info except mentally digest it, then you very well might be better off putting your $10/month into something that will grow your business.

As I said, I might have just sold myself out of business, but I wanted to give my honest opinion too... why do I offer it, then? Because people want it, for one reason or another, and I'm in a service business so I do it... but would I personally purchase it? Out of sheer curiosity, give it a try, but then really ask yourself what your long term goals would be with the info.

Okay, hope I didn't babble too much.

 

[PChefPEI]

Thanks for your input, Joy! I have been using iContact for the past 5 months or so, but have never thought about it the way you describe it...following through with the people who click on my link. Interesting point!

And, I really don't think you are "shooting yourself in the foot" with your advice! I have read nothing but good things about your newsletter and be assured that if I ever decide to get my newsletter from an outside source, you'll be the first person I contact!

 

[PampChefJoy]

LOL, I thought about what I wrote last night and thought I should probably add that iContact (or other mailing services) ARE still very valuable in that you are pretty much doing the "one-click send" thing... and your time is valuable and it does save you the effort of sending emails in small batches and hoping it doesn't go to spam folders.

But in answer to your original question, I don't think Word is a very good HTML editor so the code is probably going to be a bit wonky when you try to import into iContact. Have you tried to create one within iContact itself or using one of their preformatted templates?

 

[PChefPEI]

I actually use the templates from iContact and only cut and paste the wording. I could try typing it all right into iContact and see what happens. Thanks Joy!

 

[Nanisu]

Ok, I have a question about Icontact. I too subscribe to Myemaildesigns, love Mike, love him love him love him. But last month when he sent us the info about how to subscribe/setup/and then use it for his newsletter it looked WAY too cumbersome to me--I still am using benchmark even though he doesn't recommend them anymore, because they are fairly easy. Was IContact as hard to set up and then use as it looked when he emailed us the directions? I would like to switch just becaue he recommends it.

 

[PChefPEI]

I have to agree Nancy....I found that iContact was hard to use too and it took me a while to catch on. I think if you had someone on the phone maybe walking you through it it wouldn't be as bad.