Visual Email Messages Are Cheap and Effective

The hardest thing about blogging is developing a loyal group of readers. At first, I felt like I was talking to the wall. No one was leaving comments—which I thought was a sign that no one was reading. (It was only later I learned that most people have no idea how to leave a comment!) I was sending out regular emails with the address to my blog, but realized they weren't inspiring people to leave their email program and go to my blog. I needed something catchier with pretty visuals.

Email Marketing Companies
I reviewed a half dozen companies that specialize in email marketing campaigns including constantcontact.com, icontact.com and delivra.com. Most of them are geared for mid- to large-size companies that send out lots of emails to lots of different groups of people. They typically charge by the month for service. Trouble is, I didn't want to pay their monthly rates. Then I found VerticalResponse.com. They charge by the number of emails sent, a mere $15.00 per 1,000 email addresses per email sent. For the few hundred I have on my list, it costs less than 4 bucks each time I do a mailing. Also, everyone's email address remains private. And, on the off chance someone no longer wants to be included on your email list, they can unsubscribe, so you don’t feel like an intruder or spammer.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Create a Visual Email
First thing's first. Open an account (save that password in your little black book). That part is free. If you decide not to go forward, it won't cost you a dime.

Upload your Mailing List
Create a simple database of your email contacts. I use excel for this and have 3 bits of info: first name, last name and email address. VerticalResponse needs a .csv file which you can export right from excel.

1. In the Lists menu or in the Lists box on your home page, select New List.

2. IMPORTANT: You have to read and agree to VerticalResponse's rules about spamming. You cannot use a purchased mail list. The names have to be ones you've gathered yourself.

3. Since you've made a .csv file, select the Create a new list from an external file button.

4. Name your list.

5. Browse to the list on your computer.

6. Match the title in the drop down menu at the top of each column to the categories in your file (i.e., first name lines up with the first names column, email address, etc.).

Ready-Made Designs and Templates
Once you have an account, navigate to your home page and you'll see several boxes: Emails, Reports, Postcards, Lists, Surveys, The Buzz, Quick Links and Segments. To create a visual email message, click on the New Email link in the upper righthand corner of the Emails box.

2. Enter a name for your campaign—April blog say—and then you have several layout options to choose from. The simplest method of creation is the Email Wizard. There are dozens of premade designs to choose from.

3. If you're like me and want something that matches the look of your blog and website instead of choosing the Email Wizard option, choose the second option: Email Canvas.You will see a window titled 1. HTML Content. Below that, click on the "Choose Layout" option to see various preformatted layouts. Once you select a format—I use the 1-column design—return to the first window. Now all you have to do is replace the text and images (they tell you what size to make the images). The dummy text even offers you tips of what kind of information you should include in each area. If you're daring, you can change fonts, colors and all sorts of stuff.

4. To insert an image, click on the tree icon in the menu bar. A popup window will appear. Click on 1. Select Image, and browse to the desired image on your computer. Give the image a web-friendly name.

5. To create a link, select some text or an image, click on the chain icon in the menu bar and type in the address in the popup window.

6. To personalize each email, you can insert the recipient's first name if it was in your .csv file. In other words, you can begin by saying "Hi Molly." People love to read their own name!

Launch Your Campaign
After you've designed your email and set up a mailing list, follow the next step buttons to get you all the way through to campaign launch.

Keep Track of What Your Readers Like
One of the coolest things about using an email marketing service is that you can track the results from sent emails. In other words, you know exactly how many people (not who) opened the email and what links they selected. This has helped me a lot. It's shown me that people like to look at my work, but they also enjoy reading other posts on my blog. The most popular story to date has been My Website Sucked. The most popular photos were the Desert Storm parade in lower Manhattan and Spitzer, Are You Kidding Me?.

Other Marketing Possibilities
Just this week, VerticalResponse added a survey feature. I breathed a sigh of relief, because I'll be able to use it in November to get people to vote on the photo contest on my website.