Greetings,
the #1 best idea from this post: http://groups.drupal.org/node/6943 is the monthly newsletter. Learn more why.
There is already a newsletter page, but we could do it way better: http://drupal.org/newsletter (Note I don't talk about mailing lists, there are very good mailing lists here: http://drupal.org/mailing-lists. I am talking about building an opt-in EMAIL LIST. This means that only Drupal can send emails to all the list members, but no other member can send an email to others. Also only Drupal sees all the members, and the members are unable to see each other.)
Questions:
1) How can we build the email list?
2) Why does it worth building an email list?
3) Who will put together the monthly newsletters?
4) Technical things and cost
1) There are 2 main sources for building a massive email list:
#1 massive source: Drupal core downloads
Drupal core gets downloaded 100 000 times MONTHLY, and counting. Why not place the opt-in form (first name, email) on the download page asking for the downloader's email address? (but make it optional) Example: Visit http://www.netbeans.org/ and click on the "Download Netbeans IDE" buttons, and you will see that they ask your email address (optional).
Okay, but we should "sell" the opt-in, if we place only a "subscribe to our newsletter" button then it won't be enough. We have to create a nice graphic, and EXPLAIN why is it worth to subscribe.
#2 massive source: user registration
Simply, in the registration form, we place a "subscribe to our monthly newletter" checkbox, and check by default. But we have to explain why is it worth to subscribe. 300 new user registration every day, 10 000 monthly.
Let's say that we reach the 15% opt-in rate. This means, that we get 110 000 x 0,15 = 16 500 unique subsribers each month! By the end of 2008, we end up with 200 000 subscribers.
But the numbers are counting, and we can fine tune the opt-in rate. Let's say that in 2008 the average numbers will be 175 000 core downloads and 25 000 registration each month. And we can reach the 20% opt-in rate. This means, that we get 200 000 x 0,2 = 40 000 subscribers monthly. We end up with 500 000 subscribers by the end of 2008.
2) Why does it worth building an email list?
Because 1) for our pleasure, it is a great resource for Drupal users, truly valuable 2) it can generate huge income and it is a great marketing weapon.
Simply we search for sponsors, they can place their promotion article or their banner into the newsletter. If we reach the 100 000 subscribers threshold, then it won't be a problem to find advertisers. A lot of people would KILL for 100 000 subscribers.
Let's say we have 100 000 subscribers. A sponsor comes and says, "I can pay only $0,02 per user, so I would advertise for $2000 if you gurantee that I will reach 100 000 people directly." If 3 sponsors advertise each month, then it generates $6000 / month, $72000/year. (If you advertise on Google Adwords, you will unable to reach 100 000 people for $0,02 each. And it is a fact that thousands of companies advertise on Google Adwords who would more likely advertise on the Drupal Newsletter for much less cost.)
3) Who will put together the monthly newsletters?
This is the real obstacle, but we should try. Only the beginning is hard, then it will become a privilege to write something into the newsletter for 100 000 people and counting.
We could put together a nice PDF monthly with articles, nice images, some graphics, plus video and audio if possible. Example : http://www.adobe.com/newsletters/edge/
Then we can create the newsletter archive.
4) Technical things and cost
Aweber is very reasonable. They have very good delivery rate world-wide. With 100 000 stored subscribers the monthly rate is only $104.50.
It is not worth creating our own autoresponder service IMO.
We could write a 'newsletter writers call to action' story on drupal.org frontpage, and 50-100 people would contribute right away. Then we could launch the first newsletter in January, and start collecting 10-40 000 subscribers each month. What do you think?
I would volunteer searching for sponsors, and putting together the articles (and videos) into a PDF.
Really, sum up the content published on Drupal Planet each month, and do you think that we will be unable to put together a monthly newsletter? We could take the 5% of the Drupal Planet content / month, put together the newsletter and send out.
Comments
first newsletter?
It is a good idea to read up on prior art. The existing newsletter page shows you that it was not a constant effort. You deal least with "Who will put together the monthly newsletters?", while this was the hardest problem so far. Putting up subscriber links or managing a mailing list is not the hard part. It's the sustainability of the newsletter. See also http://groups.drupal.org/drupal-newsletter There were several attempts at front page posts to get people to contribute to such a newsletter but they were not successful in building a sustainable team. Maybe take a bit more time to think around this?
I just recommended a solution
Hello Gábor,
you are right about this problem.
But I recommended a possible solution. If we would start collecting subscribers right away (on Drupal core download page and on user registration), then we would end up with 15-20000 subscribers by the end of January.
And then much more people would contribute. Why? Because if you provide Drupal related services, and you write an article into the newsletter, then you can promote your company, and you can speak to 20 000 people free.
How big is the newsletter email list right now? (I haven't been able to figure this out.)
I think we could start collecting email adresses without having content to send out right now. (But it's not true because the quarterly publication exists.)
If someone subscribes, and receives the first newsletter only in February, then what's wrong with this?
So my point is that we should start building the list right away, and even more people would contribute when they see the massive email list.
And in walked sanity...
Yeah, I did all the newsletters there so far, and it's very hard to get any support from people to write content. (see http://groups.drupal.org/node/4988 for a draft).
A newsletter module is already enabled on drupal.org that send the newsletters, the opt-in is available in the main page banner rotation and on drupal.org/newsletter.
Bence, you seem really interested in the promotion of a newsletter and building a huge list, but I'm more concerned in getting people to commit to writing content on a month to month basis. The email list has 13,710 subscribers currently, past newsletters were also posted on the drupal.org frontpage and received additional (depending on who you ask) hundreds of thousands of views.
Once thing I learned in the 7 issues I pushed for drupal, the 3 I pushed for Mozilla, and the 11 (and counting) I've pushed for http://markup.gmking.org is that people, as a rule, won't volunteer to help write content for the newsletter. Granted they'll be happy to receive it, and send lots of thanks for the hard work, but rarely will anyone volunteer (and commit) to help.
I'm glad to see some interest in the newsletter happening again. If you want to get a newsletter together (perhaps start by finishing up that draft ;o) ) I'd be more than happy to get it on Drupal.org's frontpage and send it for you, just give me a poke.
Robin
It's all about promotion
Hello Robin,
thanks for your post here! It's very good that you make constant effort putting together the newsletter since June 20, 2005.
So the #1 problem is how to create content for the newsletter. My recommendations:
1)
It is not enough! Site admins can tell how many visitors hit the http://drupal.org/newsletter page each month, and how many visitors hit the user registration page and the Drupal core download page. I imagine 30 times more! We could opt-in 13,710 people in 1-2 month with this strategy.
Then we could place a big counter somewhere that how many opt-ins we have. We must promote that we have ton of subscribers, and someone who writes an article gets huge promotion. Authors more likely write for 60 000 active subscribers than for 13000.
2) Also we could set up clear topics and deadline. Compare these: "Write something into the newsletter wiki." or "Someone must urgently write an article with 1855 words about how to setup the X modul to achieve exactly Y. The deadline is 20xx. xx. xx. Just a short draft what to write:......"
The wiki format in not good in my opinion. An issue queue like Drupal bugs is more appropriate... to show the pending tasks.
What is the barrier to place the opt-in form on core download page, and on user reg?
You need the content first
Robin's done a great job trying to generate the content, but like many things in Drupal land, paying customer work takes precedence.
If you want to see a newsletter happen, I'd suggest you focus on actually creating or editing content yourself. A good place to start would be to focus on the stories in http://planet.drupal.org and republish the best of there and other popular topics in the mailing lists, groups, or Drupal.org forums.
This could be done if we found a passionate editor.
Cheers,
Kieran
To seek, to strive, to find, and not to yield
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the barrier
Why opt in for a newsletter without issues?
Actually 'newsletter' is bad name
Actually 'newsletter' is bad name, because it suggests that you will get only news you can find on your RSS. And the existing 'newsletters' aren't only news, but tips, ideas, tutorials. So a 'monthy best practices' or 'Drupal Insider' would be much better name!
There are issues! But random times. We could write something that "subscribe to our email list, we will email you random times.". What's wrong with that? What is the diffence between these: User X subscribes NOW and will get the first issue 2 month later, or user X subscribes 2 month later, and will get the first issue next day.
Or we could write ONCE a followup email series for new subscribers. User X subscribes, and in the next 8 weeks will get 8 followup emails each week. And every subscribers would get the same series.
But in this case we have to retain full copyright, because if the email series are on drupal.org, then why would anyone opt in?
Yes, good idea! I say the same, we should place a big counter somewhere (front page?)
We should put together the 'newsletter' into a nice looking PDF, enhanced with nice graphic. The perceived value of a PDF is better than of a plain text.
And about technical things: how do you make sure that the outgoing emails aren't marked as spam?
nobody is against doing it :)
Nobody is against doing a newsletter! Name it Drupal Insider or whatever. It is pointless to build up a completely new infrastructure and debate on small details, when the content will not be there, an editors will not be there to do nice PDF formatting as you wish, etc. Fortunately, people can follow a step by step approach here:
A newsletter which had great(!) issues some months ago, but no issues for some time is no incentive to subscribe to IMHO. It does not show what value I get out of it.
It is always a good idea to try to work with the people who did this before, and who are also willing to do it. So I tagged your post for the newsletter group also.
Solving the content problem right now
Instead of a monthly newsletter, we could put together a X-week email series. We write X articles, and send out these each week. Every subscribers receive the same emails, but relative to their subscription time.
We have to write these once, and use it for couple of month. See a real example here: http://www.techsmith.com/download/camtasiatrialthx.asp
This solves the content problem, if the followups were ready, we could place the opt-in form on core donwload page and on user reg, because now we have valuable newsletter. And we don't have to push people each month, because the newsletter works now on auto-pilot for at least 4-5 month.
What's your opinion about this?
I don't like to receive a
I don't like to receive a posting from the Drupal community with a link to download commercial trial software.
Don't do something stupid to use these pages for pushing your stuff !!
This should be serious matters only !!
Misunderstood
Hey, I don't care about this software, I only posted this link to show an actual example what I am talking about. I am not associated with the above website in any way. I don't push my stuff, LOL.
Please don't debate on this small thing, and post here something related to the topic.
I agree with Gábor. The
I agree with Gábor. The success with Drupal has surrounded the fact that something of substance was here first, despite the fact that it could be (and was) improved. The community came into being while it was supporting and contributing to that effort. The newsletter should follow that philosophy.
Amazon, I like the idea of using Planet Drupal as an article source and highlighting the best. We're working over in the newsletter group to move things forward that way, so that suggestion could help build some traction.
separate issues
We have a couple issues and I think they are equally important and deserve their own attention. So far the discussion has focused mostly on the fact that we already have a means to send newsletters and that we have historically struggled with content.
I think more important, though, is Bence's proposal to optimize newsletter signups. We should be doing ongoing testing and analysis of various page designs to make sure that when people hit the front page or download page they are as likely as possible to actually download the Drupal tarball. Once we've got that process under way we need to do similar optimization to get downloaders to sign up for the regular newsletter AND the security newsletter. I think some immediate tweaks will provide clear benefits
1) Subscription for both newsletters on registration (but make them opt-in, not opt-out this is respectful to our users)
2) Subscription for both newsletters in a sidebar block on the Project page for Drupal core (i.e. project/drupal)
Separately from this, Bence, please write a proposal to the Drupal Association that they consider sponsors in the newsletter. They are the group to get involved in anything that will move money into the project through something that is hosted on Drupal.org. I don't know what the format of this proposal should be, but Amazon can probably help. I think there might even be a proposal in the queue to improve the proposal process ;)
Greg
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Content first?
Hello Greg,
it seems that you agree with me that we should promote better the newsletter.
But Amazon and Gábor said, we shouldn't place the opt-in form into these pages until we have content (which is reasonable objection). However I think we still can ask for emails, and send out the newsletter when we have the content. And also consider that people would more likely contribute writing the newsletter, if they see the lots of subscribers, the counter of the subscribers.
Or another solution is - no one responded so far - is the email series, see my previous post about this. This would resolve the content issue. What are your opinions about this?