Sending Newsletters: How to Do It Right

[ChefJoyJ]

When you send out your newsletters, how do you do it? Do you send it as an attachment, embed it in the email, or what? I know many of you use constant contact, tasty tidbits, or another service, but I'm interested in how those who send homemade newsletters send them. I'm "borrowing" some of Rema's newsletter, personalizing it and changing it to fit me, and need to know how to send it.

Thanks!!
Joy

 

[Gina M]

Hi Joy,

I just write my own each month - nothing too fancy and include a recipe at the end. Then I blind carbon copy and send them out (grouped in about 50 at a time) - I have compliments on my newsletter - I don't include pictures and make it relatively short. I figure as long as it's getting out each month - that's a good way to keep our names out there. And I've started including dates that I'm not available so people know I have a life too (in case they are looking to book a show!) Good luck!

 

[chefann]

When I sent mine from my own email, I used Word to create the newsletter, and Mail Merge (it's in the Tools menu in Word) to create email messages from the document. It uses the document as the body of the email, and creates 1 message for each person on your list, so everyone gets their own copy. Then I sent them in groups of 10 (more than that, and my ISP (Comcast) would throw up).

 

[ChefJoyJ]

Ann, does it BCC when you do that?

 

[KateD]

Ann, that is the most clever idea! I use Word and merging all the time, but never thought of doing the email merge! Arigato!

 

[wadesgirl]

When I did my own, I just type everything up right in the email. Included guest special, host special, host of the month, upcoming special, etc. Then I BCC in groups so that it wouldn't come up as spam in some people emails and so Yahoo would actually send them out.

 

[JAE]

I'll have to try what Ann does. Thanks, Ann. You are soooo helpful soooo often. My brain throws up with too much information in it, so it's good to have people like you.

 

[lacychef]

Hi Joy,

I just write my own each month - nothing too fancy and include a recipe at the end. Then I blind carbon copy and send them out (grouped in about 50 at a time) - I have compliments on my newsletter - I don't include pictures and make it relatively short. I figure as long as it's getting out each month - that's a good way to keep our names out there. And I've started including dates that I'm not available so people know I have a life too (in case they are looking to book a show!) Good luck!

This is exactly what I do! I find that with myself, I sometimes can't open attachments people send me--& I don't want that happening with my newsletter I've had people compliment me on mine, and they look forward to a new recipe each month.

 

[chefann]

Ann, does it BCC when you do that?

No need for BCC - everyone gets their own copy that is sent only to them. It's kinda neat to hit the "merge" button in Word and see over 200 messages appear in the outbox in the email program.