Just discovered a free autoresponder, IM & affiliate friendly, NOT mailchimp

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So I just received an email, a pretty nice looking one too, from a mailing list I am on with "Powered by Mad Mimi" at the bottom. I thought ooooh an automated email from a business I respect, through an autoresponder I haven't yet heard of.

I checked it out and it looks pretty good! They allow up to 100 contacts without charge, and after that it's only $8 for 500, $10 for 1000 and so on with a sliding scale.

I know everybody mentions MailChimp as a good free provider, which I'm sure they are, but they state clearly they do not allow affiliate marketers or internet marketers. I wouldn't want to get all nice and setup with them only to get the boot when things were going well.

I read through Mad Mimi's information and couldn't find any similar stipulation. The only thing you can't do is "distribute illegal contests, pyramid schemes, chain letters, or multi-level marketing campaigns".

I searched here and found that only two members seem to have mentioned it, and given that they count clients from Squidoo, Microsoft and Virgin amongst their customer base, I thought this might be a stellar find for IMers.

I'll be trying it shortly because those prices are pretty darn attractive up against Aweber. I'll report back on my results when I get around to it.

LINKY: Mad Mimi Email Marketing : Create, send & track emails with Mad Mimi.

Oh and they have a 25% recurring affiliate commission. I suspect that "powered by Mad Mimi" link at the bottom of the email might be an affiliate link. If so, sweet.
#internet marketing product reviews & ratings #affiliate #autoresponder #discovered #free #free autoresponder #friendly #mad mimi #mailchimp #mailing list
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  • Well....leave's me out then...lol
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
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    • Yeah I know huh? There goes my "You just won the lottery!" campaign, pffft....
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  • Mailchimp doesn't allow affiliate or internet marketers... What's the point of a newsletter except to market something...

    I'm not doubting your statement... I'm just kind of shocked.

    I tried them - didn't like them. Didn't like their web form. Didn't like the organization or lack thereof, had some difficulty with their terminology and navigating the site. And, the whole screaming chimp thing was annoying when I was really trying to get something done...

    What would the Mailchimp people expect you to use their autoresponders for, if not some kind of marketing? I'm curious.
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    • Yeah I thought the same thing when I read that in their terms of use. I suppose all email marketing is internet marketing really, but who isn't ever ever ever going to promote an affiliate offering in their emails? They also say NO to a bunch of entire industries. Here's their list:
      • Illegal goods or services
      • Escort and dating services
      • Pharmaceutical products
      • Get-rich-quick or work-at-home schemes
      • Online trading, day trading tips, or stock market related content
      • Gambling services, products or gambling education
      • Multi-level marketing
      • Affiliate marketing
      • Credit repair, get-out-of-debt content
      • Mortgages and/or Loans
      • Real estate prospecting or listing
      • Nutritional Supplements
      • Pornography or nudity in content
      • Adult novelty items or references in content

      After that, what's even left?

      I guess they're more about actual straight up newsletters? Like the bi-monthly roundup of over 70's lawn bowls action, or something...
      • [3] replies
    • Some b*stards write stuff for fun, as a hobby! I don't understand this myself, but this is the internet, and there are a few twisted folk out there who don't just type for coin..

      (I'm shuddering right now)

    • mmmm maybe real businesses selling real products to their customers
    • Absolutely couldn't agree more.

      Loads of iffy ebooks; several assumptive videos etc., and they still don't help the newbie get started!

      No - for that you have to attend one of their 'webinars' (at 3am UK time).

      Pehaps if they spent more time finding out what new clients need, and less programming an irritating ape theme, they'd do better.

      Recently dumped Mailchimp for ListWire. So far so good.
  • I'll give you a couple of freebies... www.freeautobot.com - can't do campaigns, though, only pretty much unlimited serial responders. Don't let those pop-ups bother you, it's not bad once you get past that.

    www.sendfree.com is actually free if you only want to set up one sequential autoresponder and deliver no more than 12 messages. They have other features, but you have to pay for the broadcasting, etc. They have a neat-looking exchange program there...
  • very cool of ya' to share this with me,
    thanks.

    Whatever happened to the "buy me a beer" option?
  • Sounds interesting but let us see how it all works out... Hopefully Kezz
    will keep us informed & updated.
  • Free autoresponders are great I guess but because of the fact that they're free, people abuse them a lot. This means that inbox rates may not be as high as other services such as Aweber and GetResponse.

    Regardless, they're pretty good to get started with but I highly recommend going with a more popular service because they're popular for a reason
  • Well,

    Why not Aweber?

    Cheers,
    iYingHang
    • [1] reply
    • Because I'm a cheapskate.

      I'm with Aweber right now and I don't have any problem with them at all. Their service is excellent. However, if I can find something that meets my needs for half the price, seems like a good idea to use it, yes?
      • [1] reply
  • Why would you go for a free auto responder
    if you have something as good as Aweber. The next
    best thing is infusion soft, but it's 299/month, so I understand
    why most don't go for it.

    But aweber is pretty much affordable for anyone and it's
    also really-really-really easy to use, customize and productive.

    And the fact that you can email unopened the second time
    is the tie braker against any free autoresponder.

    Igor
  • Bear in mind this isn't free as in free for anything. It's free for the first 100 contacts and then extremely competitive after that. It has some solid feedback so if I find it can do what I want, I'll save the $$

    Of course if it's no good, nothing else matters. But, it's a matter of testing it isn't it. You can never find a better option if you're not willing to try things.
  • So, MailChimp is perfect if you have less than 500 subscribers to your glass paperweights list that don't want to buy anything :-p
  • It's possible, but they did list affiliate marketing as a prohibited business / industry type. You could be right. I'm thinking it might be prudent to err on the side of caution though.
  • Right you are. I wasn't very clear - I meant who as in amongst the folks I'm talking to here. Most WF members will want to at least have the option I suspect.
  • I must not have read their TOS very well, at all... So... what if you are promoting your own brand and your own products, but you also have a list to support your own affiliates that is Company X's Affiliates Newsletter.

    Do you suppose that would be okay?

    I have to say, I don't understand all of the anti-affiliate marketing stuff I see. I think affiliate marketing is a good thing... like everything it must be done with integrity, but is essentially a very positive thing. Why would they or anyone else want to discourage fair and honest commerce?
  • If the delivery rate is as good as Aweber, then it will be a really great find.

    Kezz will hopefully keep us updated on this.
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  • I have a totally free service setup at vertuso dot com (cant post links yet - newbie). It is brand new, so a little ragged around the edges, but working on it daily. Give it a shot and let me know what you would like to see fixed/added/whatever.
  • I did preface that with "if I can find something that meets my needs". Cheaper doesn't always mean worse. There can be any number of reasons that a service prices itself lower than its competitors.

    Many of the best services, products and applications I've used have been inexpensive or even free. For example, I first discovered Wordpress and Joomla when I was tasked by a deep pocketed former employer to find the best CMS for the company to use. Despite having a blank check to throw away, I found that purely on their merits these apps were far far far superior as website management tools to some other services that were putting on the extra shmooze to get our business and cost thousands per year to access.

    You can't judge a service either positively or negatively until you actually try it. Now I'm not saying whether these guys are good or not, because I haven't tested them so I don't know. But what I am saying is reserve your judgement until you have more information than just pricing alone.

    Who knows, maybe they'll even meet my needs better than Aweber does. If they don't do what I want, of course I won't use them, but if they do I will. Either way, I'll never know if I don't give them a chance.
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    • Actually try it before you form an opinion based on one tiny bit of information alone?

      I really enjoyed that. As far as I'm concerned cheap is a powerful positive force. The old 'you get what you pay for' bit of garbage has been getting to me lately. A couple of times I've typed 'you're kidding! How much do you spend on oxygen?'

      It will be true sometimes that the best item in a category is the most expensive one, but the old wallet will take the kind of beating given to LA freeway pavement if you just treat that as a blind rule. (Something that you follow without thinking about it.)
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  • I love aweber, and am happy to pay for it each month. The ease and effectiveness of the split test feature it worth it alone.
  • Nice find.

    It's a big internet. Not everybody is building a list or emailing people for the same reasons.

    You can promote your own products and all sorts of things with mail chimp. They just don't want the WF style of internet marketers who do nothing but flood their list with junk after crap after junk. Sending out affiliate links to your list is profitable but it's also bottom feeder marketing.

    Step away from internet marketing forums and websites and take a look at the big picture.
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    • I know lots of people that have been using Mailchimp to promote their own "bricks and Mortar" business and they are doing very well with their subscribers.
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  • I use listwire.com. Had no complaints with it till now.
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  • Hey all,

    The only free autoresponder you need to consider is ListWire.com ...

    It's really free, there are no limitations on the number of contacts, and the delivery rates rival all the paid services out there.

    I really thought this thread was going to be about ListWire.com when I opened it... I guess that means it's time for me to step up the marketing a little bit.

    -Gary Ambrose
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    • Gary, doesn't ListBandit promote Email Aces as the autoresponder they use?
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    • I suppose you can back that statement up with verifiable facts?

      Chris
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    • I'll suport Gary on this (sorry Alexa). He's seen a niche in the AR sector and stepped in - nothing wrong with that at all. The product's pretty good (although I'd like to see some enhancements,updates/evolutions Gary), and IT WORKS!

      I receive a lot of comms from people who REALLY can't afford to fork out month after month before they see a return. People who need to make the little savings which could help set them on the path to success. THIS HELPS THEM.

      I suppose if Mr Ace started a free lifetime domain name registrar and free lifetime domain hosting service which involved a bit of advertising, you wouldn't be interested? (That's not a challenge Gary).

      One problem with ListWire. Fitting the optin on a single blog sidebar! Can't find the answer anywhere.

      T'ra
      Alan
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  • Update: Also just came across this in their TOS http://madmimi.com/legal/terms

    "If at any time your campaign is flagged as SPAM by an AOL recipient, Mad Mimi reserves the right to cancel your account without notice."

    This worries me because quite a few people use the spam button instead of unsubscribing.

    Just came across this one the other day and it looks pretty great: http://www.campaigner.com

    I'm testing it currently, and it is free for 30 days. After which the prices are extremely reasonable.

    James
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    • AOL members are the worst. They hit spam all the time. Stay far away from madmimi. Far, far away. Mail chimp too. Just spend a few bucks on Aweber or GetResponse.
  • 2 problems that I see here:
    Think of all the software programs that many of us buy that somehow only integrate with Aweber or Get Response, etc.
    And-
    Have any of you ever gone through the nightmares of switching ARs?

    How does List Machine, Vertuso, Mail Chimp, or Mad Mimi work with these problems?
  • Yeah, that was what I was wondering. If something "integrates" with aweber ,does that mean it will support aweber easily/natively, and something else more clunkily/manually, or does it mean that somehow these programs don't work with non-aweber autoresponders at all?
  • Gary, just to clear up something. Most of that post wasn't mine, but I can see now that I wasn't very clear about it. The part in the quotes was something that I found in the listwire forums. At least when I was there yesterday, the comment hadn't been shot down and blown to pieces like that

    Just went back and found the post here http://www.listwire.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=372

    Anyway I appreciate your comments and especially since half the work is done already, I'll get this going and give it a try soon. Glad you cleared up a couple of things for me.

    best wishes
  • Hey Lloyd,

    Yeah, I know it's from our forum, but what was missing in most cases were our responses to what some of our members were saying... so, I figured I'd clear it up here since non-members can't see our forum.

    -Gary
  • I've been using MadMimi for a couple years now, no complaints here. I also have a Wordpress Plugin that will sync your users list with your MadMimi audience, and give you the option of having all users leaving a comment on your site opt-in to your mad mimi list.
    Plugins - BigTie! for Wordpress & MadMimi - CodeCanyon
  • I have to say i use listwire and it's pretty good. I would encourage anyone to give it a try within the IM niche.
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    • Me too. ListWire. Specailly if you're strapped for cash.
  • Hi

    I've hears alot of people say that the WP plugin GWA autoresponder is good, my only query is what is the deliverability like, I also take on board that people say you shouldn't be cheap when it comes to managing your lists...what's the best answer here.:confused:
  • depending on the extent of use for the autoresponder...check out wufoo
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  • I signup for mailchamp last week if they are not allowing internet marketers and affiliate then their offer is useless.
    I am using awber at the moment but my subscribers are only my clients who use my graphic and web design service.. and awber is costly to me in that sense as i have no affiliate campaign..
    I was thinking to start IM and thought mailchamp is free and it will work for me..
    well let check out Mad Mimi's then..
    thanks for the usful post kezz
  • Whoever it was that said Getresponse is free... It's not. It's Free for 30 days then #15 a month....
  • I use trafficwave also. I liked the flat rate, multiple lists, and referral program. Mailchimp was good until I went to send an email and it was for a games program, not gaming, but they wouldnt let me send it anyway.
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    • I had a post with the ListWire Detailed setup download link and it was deleted.

      I have been with TrafficWave for over a year.

      Excellent service.

      I use it with my Really Simple Home Business.

      Sincerely,

      Antonios
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  • I just started using ListWire and I think it's great. Thanks Gary and I hope you won't start charging for your service!
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  • Now, I have a problem with ListWire subscription form....it doesn't show up on my page. I think I will switch to Aweber or GetResponse
    • [1] reply
    • Our forms are working just fine...

      Maybe try putting in a support ticket, and find the root of the cause before blaming the system... there are countless threads about problems with forms from all providers, I'd hope everyone else is smart enough to realize that one person having a problem is in no way representative of the experience of the tens of thousands of other clients we support.

      -Gary
      List Wire
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  • The problem is my subscription form doesn't show up on my page...it loads and loads and...nothing!
  • Leaves me out too.. I tried sending an email to a list of 80 people I moved from Aweber. MadMimi told me they couldn't send IM offer like the one I had.

    Aweber allows it, but not Mad Mimi.. The spam score was really low for the email I was sending. The only bad word I used was F-r-e-e which was not bad since I put the - between the letters. They just didn't like the message. Besides, to even get the auto-responder. You need to upgrade anyways.
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    • I tested imnica and in my first and last test the email I sent to my gmail.com address ended up directly in my gmail spam box.

      I contacted imnica who replied after a few days that they were aware of the delivery problem with google.

      That was my last try.
  • Just check out their tos and it says no Affiliate marketers.
  • Is anyone still using Mad Mini?

    Any current reviews?
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  • 133

    Just discovered a free autoresponder, IM & affiliate friendly, NOT mailchimp

    So I just received an email, a pretty nice looking one too, from a mailing list I am on with "Powered by Mad Mimi" at the bottom. I thought ooooh an automated email from a business I respect, through an autoresponder I haven't yet heard of. I checked it out and it looks pretty good! They allow up to 100 contacts without charge, and after that it's only $8 for 500, $10 for 1000 and so on with a sliding scale.