How to send an HTML newsletter via email

February 6, 2005 12:42 PM

I need to send an HTML-newsletter via e-mail. I have it ready as an html file, but need a good program to turn it into an email and send it. It would be nice if I could also insert an alternative plain-text (with links. if that's possible). Not sending it as HTML is not an option (client's wishes, etc.). I only need to send 1 copy of it, so mass sending isn't an issue. I am on XP Pro.
posted by signal to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

Intellicontact.com offers these options, and also offers a two-week free trial for a list of (up to) 250 subscribers. I've used this ASP a few times with my clients with great success. Bundled-in reporting tools such as how many opens, how many clickthroughs, how many unsubs, etc. I have no financial interest in the company, I am only a happy user of their products.
posted by seawallrunner at 12:50 PM on February 6, 2005

Do you have Outlook installed? Provided the list isn't too long that your email server gags, Outlook has had this functionality for quite some time. Just start a new email message, make sure you're in HTML mode, then INSERT FILE and choose your HTML file. The tricky part is when you click INSERT -- the default action isn't what you want. You have to click the down-arrow and select INSERT AS TEXT.

For the plain-text equivalent, you can either try embedding a NOSCRIPT in the HTML, or just ATTACH the text file to the email. I wouldn't attach the file, though, because most people are suspiscious of just about any foriegn attachment these days.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 1:19 PM on February 6, 2005

Response by poster: I'm afraid I don't understand the question. Why can the HTML file not simply be attached to the e-mail? Why can you not just send the HTML code as the message, sans the HEAD and BODY tag?

While I don't know much about the topic (hence the question), I don't think it's as simple as that, there al lsorts of MIME-type issues, etc.

Do you have Outlook installed?
Nope, and I can't install Outlook Express, sa the installers says "you already have a newer version..", whereas I don't have it installed at all. I'll see if I can get my hands on Outlook.

I'll take a look at Intellicontact.com.

Thanks so far, but I'm still hoping for a link to "HTML_Mail -Pro" or something.
posted by signal at 2:02 PM on February 6, 2005

odinsdream, HTML e-mail isn't just e-mail with HTML in the body (even if some clients will "recognize" and parse such mail) - you also have to send the "Content-type: text/html" header.

signal - I would do this with Perl using the MIME::Entity module.
posted by nicwolff at 2:04 PM on February 6, 2005

This may help.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 2:24 PM on February 6, 2005

Best answer: Download this:

GroupMail

There's 2 versions, one is free, the other is $99. The free version is (slightly) crippled. It doesn't have a built in smtp server, so you have to use your ISPs (which is no problem), and you can't send more than 100 messages at once. And don't worry, there's definitely no spyware included.

I use it all the time. I think it's exactly what you need.
posted by derbs at 3:09 PM on February 6, 2005

Response by poster: derbs, you nailed it, that's exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks, everybody.
posted by signal at 4:27 PM on February 6, 2005

If you did have Outlook Express, there is a way to do it, but it's bizarre. What you do is create a new mail and make sure you're in HTML format, then you can go to the source tab and paste in the source of your HTML.. and it works.

Another way, (but it's been a long time since I ever did this) I think might work is if you /drag/ the HTML file onto the folders list in OE while 'HTML' is set as the default format.. I believe that creates a new email based on the HTML too.
posted by wackybrit at 5:51 PM on February 6, 2005

If you want a super-easy, no-hassle hosted solution, I highly recommend MailChimp. Even if you choose not to use them, the MailChimp site has lots of valuable tips for how to do correctly what so so many people do so wrong.
posted by spilon at 7:47 PM on February 6, 2005