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Thread: Automated Email Marketing

  1. #1

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    Super Moderator dday9's Avatar
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    Automated Email Marketing

    I've been commissioned to create a website that will allow other insurance agency owners to send out automated emails to customers, but I've never done this before. I have the front-end of my website completed and it looks sexy, now I need to complete the back-end.

    For any customers, there needs to be a 'welcome' email sent 3 days, 7 days, and then 14 days out. After the last welcome email is sent, they will then receive regular emails regarding some type of coverage explanation every 30 days. For any prospects or former customers, there needs to be an email sent out once a month. For any centers of influence (like car dealers who refer people to agencies) there needs to be an 'inspriation' type email sent weekly.

    My thought process is to build a database using a schema like this:
    Field Name Data Type Table Name: Profile
    ID AutoNumber
    FirstName Short Text
    Last Name Short Text
    BusinessName Short Text
    Email Short Text
    Street Short Text
    City Short Text
    State Short Text
    Zip Number
    Phone Number
    Fax Number
    Signature Long Text
    Disclaimer Long Text
    Reminder Yes/No
    Field Name Data Type Table Name: Customers, FormerCustomers, Prospects, Centers of Inf
    ID AutoNumber
    ProfileID - FK Number
    FirstName Short Text
    Last Name Short Text
    Email Short Text
    Phone Number
    Street Short Text
    City Short Text
    State Short Text
    Zip Number
    InsertDate Date/Time
    ResponderId - FK Number
    Subscribed Yes/No
    Field Name Data Type Table Name: AutoResponder, Roles
    ID AutoNumber
    Description Short Text
    Field Name Data Type Table Name: Users
    ID AutoNumber
    ProfileID - FK Number
    Username Short Text
    Password Short Text
    RoleID - FK Number

    Any field that has - FK indicates that it is a foriegn key to match the ID of the respective table using the relational database model.

    This is where I'm stuck. Should I use my own PHP file that checks for when the email needs to be sent out, but then how will I know when my PHP file will run? Or should I purchase a third party service to send the emails out for me, but there I don't even know who to look at?
    "Code is like humor. When you have to explain it, it is bad." - Cory House
    VbLessons | Code Tags | Sword of Fury - Jameram

  2. #2
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    Re: Automated Email Marketing

    Email marketing... my best advice is that you're better off contracting it out.
    You could possibly get away with a small email list - but anything substantial and you risk getting your server black listed by ISPs.

    Mail Chimp is the first company that comes to mind, but I know there are a few top contendors that are pretty legit.

    as for how to schedule a php task? I would just use a cron job.

    edit: FYI these marketers use up and throw out large ranges of IPs at a time, and they deal directly with ISPs trying to get the IP ranges of their many mail servers white listed.
    Last edited by DEXWERX; May 5th, 2017 at 02:33 PM.

  3. #3

    Thread Starter
    Super Moderator dday9's Avatar
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    Re: Automated Email Marketing

    I just found out about Mail Gun and from what I understand it looks like it'll send out the emails using a .NET API.

    This is what I'm thinking. I can use the website to update an online database and then use a Windows Form Application through Visual Basic .NET to setup the scheduling and to also send out the emails using Mail Gun's API. Does this sound fesible?
    "Code is like humor. When you have to explain it, it is bad." - Cory House
    VbLessons | Code Tags | Sword of Fury - Jameram

  4. #4
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    Re: Automated Email Marketing

    Quote Originally Posted by dday9 View Post
    I just found out about Mail Gun and from what I understand it looks like it'll send out the emails using a .NET API.

    This is what I'm thinking. I can use the website to update an online database and then use a Windows Form Application through Visual Basic .NET to setup the scheduling and to also send out the emails using Mail Gun's API. Does this sound fesible?
    I prefer linux servers for reliability, but that sounds completely doable. Service's on windows are pretty reliable in that they come back after any crashes.

  5. #5

    Thread Starter
    Super Moderator dday9's Avatar
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    Re: Automated Email Marketing

    Thank you, I'm going to give this a run and see how it works.
    "Code is like humor. When you have to explain it, it is bad." - Cory House
    VbLessons | Code Tags | Sword of Fury - Jameram

  6. #6
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    Re: Automated Email Marketing

    You should definitely post any successes you have with it, for the rest of the .NET community.
    good luck!

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