We would like to send out a solicited e-mail blast to a little over 300 people.
We dont have an exchange server or SQL database or anything (offsite pop3 email hosting) - so we will have to do this via a third party, right?
The e-mail blast is nothing too complicated or fancy, just a update sent to some regular patrons of our restaurant.
If someone can inform me how this works so I can relay this info, it would be great!
Is there software used for doing email blasts or do we have to find a third party?
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I guess I just overlooked your simplest option. If this is only a list of a few hundred people you may just be able to create a distribution list within your mail client and use your mail server to send them. It would depend on the restrictions on the server this would be the easiest and most cost effective way.
I don't have a recommendation for a Windows based mail list software. I am sure that they are available, just not an area that I have experience. Once you get the Exchange server you should be all set since you will have control of the server parameters. You will just be able to create a distribution list and blast the messages out.
The only reason I could think that you would still want the software after getting exchange would be for the ease of management. The mailing list softwares allow users to opt in, and more importantly opt out whenever they would like. You don't need to manage the list yourself. Many of them also can build in the feature to create an archive of previous mailings that you can allow to be accessed and searchable.
After a little digging this software looks pretty good for a Windows platform. I haven't used it before but I think that I may download the evaluation copy and see what it is like. I know that I am generally more comfortable administrating Windows boxes.
http://www.lsoft.com/downl
I use some Windows desktop email software called GroupMail for small distributions. It's much more flexible than something like Outlook, and might be less expensive to manage as than an ongoing service. It might work well for you if you don't want to configure server software like Listserv.
Cheers!
I used to send such small campaigns with Microsoft Word built-in mail merge tool.
Ingredients:
A PC with internet connection
An email program - preferably outlook or outlook express
MS Word
A list of recipients - excel, or a text file, or even have them in the address book of outlook
Create a new word document with the mail message you want to send.
From the menu, select Tools, Letters and mailings, Mail merge
Follow the wizard :)
I suggest that you send a test campaign to a small test sample list first.
ShalomC
Business Accounts
Answer for Membership
by: techzterPosted on 2009-06-01 at 10:04:38ID: 24519513
There are plenty of third party offers out there for a mass mail campaign. Here is one as an example.
http://search.constantcont
You could run it yourself but it would take a little technical skilll to setup the mail server and a software to handle the mail list. Do you have any experience with Linux? If so you could use a program such as Majordomo, or Mailman to handle the list.