Jump to content

Mailchimp or CampaignMonitor or Dot.mailer for newsletter campaign?


Recommended Posts

I've offered to help a colleague's small firm produce a newsletter as they are having lots of trouble getting their hyperlinks to work on one dot.mailer.

I haven't done one before either so am looking for a basic, free version of something like Mailchimp.

any recommendations?

Mailchimp's fine though finessing formatting can be a bit of a pain if you're used to systems where you have more control. From memory you can't set a precise delivery time as the system decides; can't remember the exact reason for that.

Do not on any account use Your Mailing List Provider.


I now use MailChimp and yes it is challenging. Someone I know gave me a tutorial to start me off, and I have muddled through from there.


I'm getting used to it now, two or three months in.


You get a good number of mailouts free per month, however you cannot send two within 24 hours (this caused me some difficulty recently when I needed to correct an error).


But I have googled reviews of some alternatives, and they seem a lot worse.


There is a very comprehensive "help" section, however there is no additional customer service unless you pay.


ETA: I'd be happy to walk you through what I do if that would be useful, though it may be too basic for you.


I set up an initial template but now I just edit previous newsletters by deleting and adding text and adding, duplicating and moving sections around then editing them.

thanks for all the advice so far, and thanks for your offer of help Sue. I'll let you know how I get on as soon as I have time to try it and will send a PM if I do need help!

If anyone has experience of dot.mailer that would also be helpful as this is what the company in question is trying to use at the moment.

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Mailchimp's fine though finessing formatting can

> be a bit of a pain if you're used to systems where

> you have more control. From memory you can't set a

> precise delivery time as the system decides; can't

> remember the exact reason for that.


I suspect it's just a load balancing thing, so they can control the load on their servers and comms lines.

I've just found a post-it with some figures on ....


For the MailChimp "Forever Free" option you can send up to 12,000 emails per month (I think that is per calendar month)


You can have up to 2,000 people you send them to.


You can send up to 2,000 emails in any 24 hour period.


Helpfully, MailChimp provides a record of how many emails you have sent, and when, broken down by month, on one page in your account.

I use Mailerlite, which is free for 2000 subscribers, you can schedule, auto-schedule, do autoresponder (e.g. automatically send emails based on certain actions) and various other things that Mailchimp does. Interface very similar to MailChimp but less annoying when trying to refine the formatting. I used to use MailChimp and am much happier with Mailerlite!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
    • Another recommendation for Silvano. I echo everything the above post states. I passed first time this week with 3 minors despite not starting to learn until my mid-30s. Given the costs for lessons I have heard, he's also excellent value.
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...