Vertical Response vs. Mailchimp: Which is Better for Small Email Lists?

[Chrishsm2]

I am looking into an e-mail service. I think iContact is too expensive for me (atleast right now). I really like the option that Vertical Response gives me. Pay as you go plan at 1.5cents per e-mail. I only have about 250 address to add so that would be about $3.75 a month, that's not bad.
Mailchimp says that if you have less than 500 subscribers)e-mails) its FREE! Is that really true?

Anyone that is using or has used any of these two service, can you give me your input please? I am not happy with the results I am getting with me sending the Newsletter, I just don't know who is actually opening it, etc. Now PC is totally messing up with the personal website newsletter and I don't want to send out another one if PC has already done that.
Thanks everyone!

 

[bridedream]

I use Mail Chimp and it is free for under 500 subscribers. I use in conjunction with Tasty Tidbits. I just copy and paste. The reports are very easy to read, too.I signed up for the PWS newsletter, and as of now, I don't think it's been sent! I'm sticking with TT and Mail Chimp!

 

[Jewel]

I used vertical response and I really like the tracking reports. I have used it for a couple years now. I signed up for the PC newsletter and had more than half returned "undeliverable" even my own email address, so I will probably go back to vertical.

 

[Chrishsm2]

Thank you ladies for the input! Atleast now I feel more comfortable using either of them. I too have a PWS and it looks like nothing has been sent. I usually send my TT newsletter through my personal e-mail, but there is no way of knowing who is opening it. I will try the Mailchimp and see how it goes. Anything is better than the PWS newsletter that has not been sent!

 

[Chrishsm2]

I use Mail Chimp and it is free for under 500 subscribers. I use in conjunction with Tasty Tidbits. I just copy and paste. The reports are very easy to read, too.

I signed up for the PWS newsletter, and as of now, I don't think it's been sent! I'm sticking with TT and Mail Chimp!

Hi Bridedream,
I am trying to copy and paste the Tasty Tidbits newsletter but it's not coming out right. I might not be doing something right. Can you explain to me how you do this?
Thanks!

 

[NooraK]

I use MailChimp, too. What you would want to do is go to the iContact Templates tab in TT, click on the option to copy HTML. Copy the HTML that comes up, and in MailChimp look for the option to paste HTML code.

The only thing I would like to see in MailChimp is a WYSIWYG editor. It's a bit cumbersome to change out anything, like removing the Twitter link, or changing an article. It's not hard, just annoying.

 

[PampChefJoy]

Try this: Online-HTML-Editor.org - The free online WYSIWYG Editor!You should be able to paste your html code in, make your edits, and then copy it back out to Mail Chimp. I wasn't aware they didn't have their own built-in editor So sorry it's a pain... I always put in more because it's generally easier to delete what's not wanted than to try to add in something that's coded.

 

[NooraK]

Thanks for the link Joy! I don't fault you at all for their lack of editing options. It's not that hard, sometimes I just delete a bit too much, which screws up everything... but this should really help.

 

[Chrishsm2]

Try this: Online-HTML-Editor.org - The free online WYSIWYG Editor!

You should be able to paste your html code in, make your edits, and then copy it back out to Mail Chimp. I wasn't aware they didn't have their own built-in editor So sorry it's a pain... I always put in more because it's generally easier to delete what's not wanted than to try to add in something that's coded.

I'm having a hard time copying out to Mailchimp and pasting after I have made the changes. How do you copy and paste it? Sounds like a dumb question but it's not your normal copy and paste with a html code.
THanks!

 

[PampChefJoy]

Make sure you click "html" and get the pop up with the raw code in it, and copy/paste THAT, not the edited view that you see.

 

[skaugchef]

I've been using icontact for almost a year now. I love it. Previously I've been doing my own e-mails. I'd like more information about free newsletters that do the tracking just like icontact.

 

[PampChefJoy]

Thanks for the link Joy! I don't fault you at all for their lack of editing options. It's not that hard, sometimes I just delete a bit too much, which screws up everything... but this should really help.

Hey Noora (and everyone who is interested)... I asked my programmer to build in an editor into TTConnect so that you can edit your newsletter *before* sending it to yourself or retrieving the code. So you should be able to get the newsletter looking like you want it, then get the code to paste into MailChimp without any need for further editing!

Now if I can only get MailChimp to affiliate with me so I can offer TT for free when you sign up with them, like I do with iContact.... (that's on the to-do list!).

 

[NooraK]

Hey Noora (and everyone who is interested)... I asked my programmer to build in an editor into TTConnect so that you can edit your newsletter *before* sending it to yourself or retrieving the code. So you should be able to get the newsletter looking like you want it, then get the code to paste into MailChimp without any need for further editing!

Now if I can only get MailChimp to affiliate with me so I can offer TT for free when you sign up with them, like I do with iContact.... (that's on the to-do list!).

That is fabulous!