Send Marketing Emails For Basically Zero Dollars - Mautic + AWS SES

Introduction

In today’s digital age, effective email marketing is crucial for businesses of all sizes. However, the costs associated with sending bulk emails can quickly add up, especially for small businesses or startups. This guide explores a cost-effective solution for sending marketing emails using Mautic, an open-source marketing automation platform, in conjunction with Amazon Simple Email Service (SES).

Dave from Profitable Tools walks us through the process of configuring Mautic to send emails and monitor bounces using Amazon SES. This powerful combination allows businesses to leverage enterprise-level email marketing capabilities at a fraction of the cost of traditional email service providers. By following this guide, you’ll learn how to set up a robust email marketing system that not only saves you money but also ensures high deliverability rates and compliance with email best practices.

Whether you’re a seasoned marketer looking to optimize your email campaigns or a business owner venturing into email marketing for the first time, this comprehensive tutorial will equip you with the knowledge and tools to send professional marketing emails efficiently and affordably.

Setting Up Mautic for Email

Before diving into the configuration process, it’s essential to have Mautic installed on your system. If you haven’t done so already, Dave recommends checking out his full installation guide for Mautic, which he posted about a week prior to this video. Once you have Mautic up and running, you’re ready to begin the email configuration process.

Accessing Email Settings in Mautic

To begin configuring Mautic for email sending, follow these steps:

• Log in to your Mautic dashboard
• Look for the gear icon on the right-hand sidebar
• Click on the gear icon to open the sidebar menu
• Navigate to “Configuration” in the sidebar
• Select “Email Settings” from the left-hand menu

Default Email Service in Mautic

• By default, Mautic is set to use PHP mail as its email service
• PHP mail is not recommended for sending bulk marketing emails
• Using a transactional email provider is crucial for proper email configuration

Importance of Transactional Email Providers

• Transactional email providers offer better deliverability rates
• They provide features like bounce handling and complaint monitoring
• Using a transactional email service helps maintain a good sender reputation
• Dave emphasizes that running WordPress without a transactional email provider is not best practice

Configuring Amazon SES for Mautic

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is a cost-effective and reliable transactional email provider that integrates well with Mautic. In this section, we’ll walk through the process of setting up Amazon SES and connecting it to your Mautic installation.

Creating an Amazon SES Account

• If you don’t have an Amazon Web Services (AWS) account, you’ll need to create one
• A credit card may be required for account creation, but initial usage is often free
• Amazon SES offers 62,000 free emails per month for the first year
• After the free tier, the cost is approximately 10 cents per 1,000 emails

Accessing Amazon SES

• Log in to your Amazon AWS console
• Use the search bar to find “SES” or “Simple Email Service”
• Select “Simple Email Service” from the search results (usually the second option)

Adding Your Domain to Amazon SES

• Navigate to the “Domains” section in Amazon SES
• Click on “Verify a New Domain”
• Enter the domain name you’ll be sending emails from
• Check the box to generate DKIM settings
• Click “Verify This Domain”

Configuring DNS Records

• Amazon SES will provide you with DNS records to add to your domain
• You’ll need to add one TXT record and three CNAME records
• Do not add the MX record if you already have one set up for receiving emails
• Access your DNS provider (e.g., GoDaddy, SiteGround) to add these records
• Paste the provided values into your DNS settings, removing any unnecessary parts

Verifying Domain and DKIM

• After adding DNS records, return to Amazon SES
• Refresh the page to check for verification status
• Domain verification may happen quickly, while DKIM verification might take a few minutes
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication method that improves deliverability

Creating SMTP Credentials

To enable Mautic to send emails through Amazon SES, you need to create SMTP credentials. This section covers the process of generating and securely storing these credentials.

Generating SMTP Credentials

• In Amazon SES, navigate to the “SMTP Settings” section
• Click on “Create My SMTP Credentials”
• Create an IAM (Identity and Access Management) username for your Mautic installation
• Choose a descriptive name, such as “mautic-email-credentials”

Securing Your Credentials

• Amazon will display your SMTP username and password only once
• Copy and securely store these credentials immediately
• If you lose the password, you’ll need to generate new credentials

Choosing the Correct Amazon SES Host

• Mautic offers three options for Amazon SES hosts: West, East 1, or West 2
• Check your current AWS region in the URL or the region dropdown in the AWS console
• Select the matching region in Mautic’s email configuration settings

Testing the Connection

• Enter your SMTP credentials and selected host in Mautic’s email settings
• Use the “Test Connection” button to verify the configuration
• If successful, apply the settings and save your configuration

Handling Bounces and Complaints

Properly managing bounces and complaints is crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation and ensuring the effectiveness of your email campaigns. This section covers how to set up Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) to handle these important email metrics.

Setting Up Amazon SNS

• Access the Amazon SNS dashboard from the AWS console
• Create a new topic for handling bounces and complaints
• Name the topic something descriptive, like “BNC-yourdomain”
• Create a subscription for the new topic

Configuring the Subscription

• Choose HTTPS as the protocol for the subscription
• Set the endpoint to your Mautic installation URL
• Add the webhook “/mailer/amazon/callback” to the end of your Mautic URL
• Ensure the subscription status shows as “Confirmed”

Linking SES to SNS

• Return to Amazon SES and navigate to your domain settings
• Go to the “Notifications” section
• Edit the configuration to use your newly created SNS topic for bounces, complaints, and deliveries
• Disable email feedback forwarding if you’re not receiving emails through SES

Requesting Sending Limit Increase

New Amazon SES accounts start in “sandbox mode,” which limits your ability to send emails. To fully utilize SES for your marketing campaigns, you’ll need to request an increase in your sending limits.

Submitting a Limit Increase Request

• In Amazon SES, go to “Sending Statistics”
• Choose “Request Increase” for sending limits
• Fill out the form, selecting “Marketing Emails” as the mail type
• Provide detailed information about your email practices

Answering Key Questions

Be prepared to answer the following questions in your request:

• How do you plan to acquire your mailing list?
• How will you handle bounces and complaints?
• What methods will you provide for recipients to opt out?
• How did you determine the new sending rate or quota you’re requesting?

Ensuring Compliance

• Follow Amazon’s rules and best practices for email marketing
• Be specific and honest in your responses to increase your chances of approval
• Understand that Amazon’s strict policies contribute to SES’s high deliverability rates

Key Takeaways

Implementing Mautic with Amazon SES for your email marketing needs offers several significant advantages:

1. Cost-Effectiveness: By leveraging Amazon SES, you can send large volumes of emails at a fraction of the cost of many other email service providers. With 62,000 free emails per month for the first year and a low rate of $0.10 per 1,000 emails thereafter, it’s an incredibly budget-friendly solution for businesses of all sizes.
2. High Deliverability: Amazon SES is known for its excellent deliverability rates. By following best practices and properly configuring your setup, you can ensure that your emails reach your subscribers’ inboxes consistently.
3. Scalability: As your email list grows, Amazon SES can easily accommodate your increasing sending needs. The ability to request sending limit increases allows you to scale your email marketing efforts alongside your business growth.
4. Robust Bounce and Complaint Handling: By integrating Amazon SNS with your Mautic installation, you can automatically process bounces and complaints. This helps maintain a clean email list and protects your sender reputation.
5. Compliance and Best Practices: The process of setting up Amazon SES encourages adherence to email marketing best practices. From proper authentication (SPF and DKIM) to handling unsubscribes, this setup helps ensure that your email marketing efforts remain compliant with industry standards.
6. Integration with Open-Source Marketing Automation: By using Mautic, an open-source marketing automation platform, you retain full control over your data and marketing processes. This integration allows you to leverage powerful marketing automation features without the high costs associated with proprietary platforms.
7. Detailed Analytics: Both Mautic and Amazon SES provide comprehensive analytics on your email campaigns. This data can help you refine your strategies and improve the effectiveness of your email marketing efforts over time.
8. Flexibility: The combination of Mautic and Amazon SES allows for great flexibility in your email marketing approach. You can easily segment your audience, create personalized campaigns, and automate various aspects of your email marketing process.
9. Learning Opportunity: Setting up this system provides valuable insights into email infrastructure, DNS configuration, and marketing automation. This knowledge can be beneficial for other aspects of your digital marketing efforts.
10. Future-Proofing: By investing time in setting up a robust, scalable email marketing system, you’re future-proofing your marketing efforts. This setup can grow with your business, accommodating increasing complexity in your email campaigns as your needs evolve.

In conclusion, the combination of Mautic and Amazon SES offers a powerful, cost-effective solution for businesses looking to implement or upgrade their email marketing efforts. While the initial setup process may seem complex, the long-term benefits in terms of cost savings, deliverability, and marketing capabilities make it a worthwhile investment for businesses of all sizes. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a professional-grade email marketing system that rivals expensive, proprietary solutions, all while maintaining control over your data and processes.

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