Email lists

[topper]

What do you all use to manage your band's email list? Do you just add folks to a list in gmail (or hotmail or whatever)? Do you subscribe to a bulk email service? Is there a way to just do this with my myspace account?

[topper]

bump.

[mambo4]

I just use my local email client program (thunderbird) to make a mailing list under the name of my band.

If you're using a web client (like gmail or hotmail) you will need to search their site for info about how to do that. -but i'd be surprised if they didn't have a similar feature.

[nsmar4211]

Hotmail lets you put addresses in groups. Make up a group called "BANDNAMEHERE FANS" and dump em all in it if you're using hotmail

[topper]

I've done that before. I'm just wondering if anyone does anything more sophisticated.

Does anyone use an email marketing service like Constant Contact, iContact or something else? Are there free alternatives to these programs?

[Chickencha]

My band uses a private Google group to stay in touch. Just get everyone to join the group and you'll only have to send an email to one address for everyone to get it. It also gives you a small amount of storage space for files, but we don't really end up using that too much.

[topper]

Originally Posted by Chickencha

My band uses a private Google group to stay in touch. Just get everyone to join the group and you'll only have to send an email to one address for everyone to get it. It also gives you a small amount of storage space for files, but we don't really end up using that too much.

That sounds pretty good. So when you're at a show you collect emails via a sign up sheet or something, then do you then just send them an invitation to join the google group?

They have to have or create a google account right?

[Chickencha]

Originally Posted by topper

That sounds pretty good. So when you're at a show you collect emails via a sign up sheet or something, then do you then just send them an invitation to join the google group?

They have to have or create a google account right?

We just using for communicating within the band, but you could use it in the way you describe as well. In that case you may want to make it public so that people can join on their own.

I think you can join a group regardless of whether or not you have a Google account, but I'm not sure. I think all you have to have is an email address.

[ElectrAcoustic]

Check out fanbridge.com You can use it free if you've got less than 400 people on your list.. then it's pretty cheap upgrade your account as you add more people to your list.. plus they take offer forms to put on your site so you don't have to manage adding people and they take care of all the anti-spam, unsubscribe stuff..

[topper]

Originally Posted by ElectrAcoustic

Check out fanbridge.com ...

That looks great! Thanks.

[topper]

Anybody ever used Elitemail?
http://www.eliteemail.com/