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Ask HN: Startups, what email marketing software do you use?

2 points by tixocloud ↗ HN
We're using Mailchimp at the moment but we're curious about what others are using it and how much they like it?

Our experience has been that Mailchimp hasn't been that easy to use and integrate for our purposes. Curious what others think.

4 comments

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mrshuptrine
My company uses Mailchimp as well, since it's good for integrating with web forms like AppSumo and SquareSpace's. But what I don't like is how the e-mails look like impersonal e-mail blasts. For that reason I've been using Streak for mail merge and saved e-mail templates (plus the bonus of open tracking), so that I can send e-mails that look like they are 1:1. One thing I'm beginning to get into is also pairing Zapier with Mandrill (Mandrill is actually owned by Mailchimp). Zapier is a neat tool that's basically IFTTT, but more business than consumer focused. So, I can get Zapier to automatically look for new data in a Google Doc and send that to Mandrill, which will send an automated and personalized e-mail. Still playing around with it, though. Hope that's helpful...
tixocloud
Thanks, yes it's great insight. I thought Mailchimp already provides open tracking?

Interesting. So essentially, you're using your Google Docs as a makeshift CRM, monitor it using Zapier and then fire off an email with Mandrill?

mrshuptrine
Pretty much that, except Zapier works in the background, basically a script and no monitoring. I'm sure there are other, easier solutions, but somebody told me about this, so testing it out. But it depends on what you want to use the CRM/e-mail solution for I guess. I for the most part like Mailchimp as a CRM for managing different lists that we have...it's just the e-mail format that I find impersonal. Generally I've just been doing the e-mails manually, but automation is always ideal :)
tixocloud
Yeah. I find that it doesn't give me the preciseness that it wants so we're thinking of building our own.

Manual works - no point automating something that's going to save you 10 seconds :)

Thanks. I'm going to have a look at Zapier.