Electronic newsletter format with InDesign?

[paul4ut78006]

Is there a way to create an electronic newsletter for multiple formats (smartphone, tablet, desktop computer) with Adobe?

We use Mailchimp and find it feature-limited, and somewhat awkward. It would be great if there was a way to put it together in Adobe, if possible.

[kevin stohlmeyer]

InDesign has multiple export formats including HTML.

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/export-content-html-cs5-5.html

There are a number of video and blog tutorials on designing an email newsletter via InDesign.

I would still involve a web designer to convert any static design in ID to dynamic if  you intend to make this omnichannel.

An alternative is to export as a PDF format which is readable in all formats.

[BobLevine]

Stick with MailChimp. It's the right tool for the job.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

As long as you're a monkey.

(Sorry, I really hate the "builder" tools designed for secretaries and admin assistants, mostly in that the email tools have all but closed off importation of professionally-designed content. You either battle their limited options or... do without.)

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[paul4ut78006]

I'm not fond either. Do you have a recommendation via Adobe?

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Unfortunately, no. I long did email by doing HTML-based design and then using a mailer tool (like Gammadyne Mailer) to get professional results. Then the windows for doing any mass mailing from any tool or email server closed down, more and more, until the only option is to use one of the established mailers like MailChimp, iContact, etc. But whereas they used to allow the import of pre-designed content, all are now locked down so that you use their crappy build-a-bear methods or nothing at all.

So you can do pro design, but you can't get it out the door. And you can send mass emails in this difficult time, but only what the tools allow you to construct. My solution was to just get out of doing emails.

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[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Not only have they locked down how we bring content into the email, they also control who you can send it to. If MailChimp doesn't have a valid opt-in request from the recipient, their address is flagged when you click the "send" button.

We don't want to spam anyone. Everyone on our list is either a client, student from our classes, or buyer of our books, so everyone has a pre-existing relationship with us.

We also have found a very poor response from email, getting worse every year. I think the novelty and benefits of email have declined. We now use other methods to reach our clients.

[Creamer Training]

I've used Dreamweaver in the past. Copied the HTML code into the mailing service. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

How recently, though? As I said, I used to use all kinds of approaches to pre-designing and then uploading email and newsletters; nearly all of them are closed these days. For whatever reason, along with taking the monopoly on being able to mass-email, the services have eliminated the ability to bring in outside design.

I guess it works for them. But as Bevi noted, email is just a dying, low-return method for anything but your own, controlled, opted-in client list.

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