Mass mailing subscription

• Access to the IRCF bulk email routing servers.
• Base fee of 5,000 emails/month = €12 excl. VAT/month (extensible)
• Access to the web interface for subscriber management, campaigns, and statistics
• SMTP access (on demand)
• Simplified newsletter editor
• Unlimited number of subscribers
• Subscribe/unsubscribe form to add to your website
• GDPR compliance
• Advice on optimizing your deliverability rate.

Frequent questions:

• What is included in the setup during the first year?
  – The configuration of your DNS, SPF records, DKIM, and DMARC (if we have access)
  – SASL account creation and configuration of your sender email on our ad and/or transactional pools.
  – Template design on the newsletter interface (optional).
  – Import of a subscriber list on the newsletter interface (optional)
  – Coaching to get to know the newsletter interface (optional).
• Why do we need routing servers? Can’t I just use my own email server?
  NO. Email servers allow an email inbox to send and receive mail on an average conversational basis. In order to send your emails at a fast pace and without getting blocked, the email server limits the number of emails you can send email inbox; it may vary depending on the hosting server you are using. Going over that limitation bans your account for a while because the host thinks your email account has been hacked. A routing server doesn’t have any sending limitation; however, it delivers the emails at a slower pace, possibly during off-peak hours, to avoid getting banned. It also possesses multiple IPs to alleviate any ban. Finally, the routing servers are subject to monitoring so as not to get their reputation tainted; if something happens, they act quickly to ask for one or multiple IP unbans.
• Can I do mass mailing with my sender email?
  YES. After setting up your mass mailing subscription, we will provide you with the DNS, SPF, and DKIM records to add to your domain, enabling our routing server to send your newsletters while using your sender email.
• How can i sure my newsletters won’t become spam?
  Before sending any newsletter, we advise you to always run tests on a large number of email inboxes (Orange, Gmail, Yahoo, etc.). Tools exist to help you grade the deliverability of your newsletter, like https://www.mail-tester.com/ or https://spamcheck.postmarkapp.com/ . We recommend using one of these tools during your testing period before sending anything; only send your newsletters if they get a good grade. If you have any concerns, don’t forget our team is at your disposal by phone or by email.
• What are the rules to follow for mass mailing?
  Mass mailing is a highly regulated act, under data protection and privacy laws, like the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). So you are only allowed to use listings gained with the consent of the users, remove the invalid emails (*) and allow every user to unsubscribe (*).
  (*) => The newsletter interface that we provide handles by itself the bans of invalid emails and adds an unsubscribe link, but if you send your emails through another tool those features are under your responsibility.
  IRCF reserves the right to suspend any mass mailing subscription that does not comply with best practices and that could reduce the deliverability rate of our bulk routing servers.
• What are the best practices to send a mass marketing email?
  Here is a non-exhaustive list of the best practices to follow before sending your newsletters:
  • Before sending anything, always update your subscriber listing and make sure you have the rights (“GDPR” checkbox)
  • Subject: Avoid capital letters, add an “eye-candy” title, but keep it short (less than 50 characters)
  • HTML content: Divide the email between text + pictures and links; do not only put a huge picture
  • Text content: Copy/paste your texts in this section; this will allow some users to read the email
  • Don’t send, first do multiple tests: test towards different inboxes for example Orange, Gmail, Yahoo, etc.
  • Don’t forget to use the grading tools before sending your emails: mail-tester.com for example
  • Never send a newsletter with a low grade (ex: mail-tester.com grade lower than 8/10)
  • Check the texts and links (when it’s sent, it’s too late to turn back)
  • Check the CTA (Call To Action): the purpose of a newsletter is to engender an action. What is it? Can the link catch your eye right away?
  • Measure the CTA: Add the UTM settings on the links to have access to statistics in Google Analytics.
  • Avoid attachments; prioritize links
• Can I get my own IP to send my mass mailing?
  YES, you just need to check the corresponding setting. If you want to configure multiple dedicated IPs, contact-us.