RSS Feed for archives and sequential delivery.

[Noel Springer]

Some suggestions - requests:

Since it is possible to save messages it would also be possible to archive messages in the database. This would be especially useful for  newsletter.

Since that is possible to be done then those archived letters could be used in an RSS feed. This would give the best of both worlds (RSS and email) for message delivery. Additionally the RSS feed could be used for syndication: display on your own site and also display on other people's sites.

Another extension of this would be for an autoresponder sequence to be delivered sequentially by RSS.

Cheers,

Noel

[DW]

Great idea, Noel.  Keep 'em coming!

[richardwing]

I love that idea.

[DW]

Me too.  One of the main reasons I haven't implemented any archiving is that I want to keep all HTML completely customizable.  I'm still figuring out the best way to do this for user profile pages and an archive feature.

An RSS feed is much simpler, would require no Custom HTML, and would be just as functional.

[richardwing]

I was thinking that the archive pages would be templated and the rss feeds could display on the templated page in the archives area or the rss feeds could be syndicated to other webmasters to allow them to display on their sites.

[richardwing]

If you do do some kind of rss feed syndication feature. Please build into it syndication management.... For instance.....

Allow the subscribed users to subscribe to email or rss feed or both.

if they subscribe to the rss feed then they would login into their user area to get the code that they use to display it on their websites (javascript) or the raw feed to use in the rss feed news readers programs.

I personally would like to see a email program have built in payper view type of options where we can charge for the user to subscribe to our newsletters or rss feed for syndication.

I have been looking for this for a long time. it would be all that hard to set up and with paypals IPN and subscriptions features. we could allow a user to pay for a subscription and upon sucessful completion of payment their added to the mailing list. since paypal handles re-occuring subscriptions then if the payment was not collected after so many tries they would be suspended from the mailings. then after a certain amount of tries more they would be deleted from the system for non payment. They would then need to re-subscribe. Which we may have a small setup fee in place that they would have to pay for again.

The set up is to discourage starting and stopping the subscription and helps to keep them subscribed ongoing to avoid another setup the next time they start up again.

Anyway. I have alot of uses for a system like that and Im sure others can think of creative ways to use it too.

I have some content and digital files that I would like to sell but on a subscription basis through email.

I also have ideas for the rss to syndicate content to webmasters.

Some of which include personalised for that webmaster. If we use the personalization features and lets say a webmaster subscribes to our newsletter feed. We could conceivably create affiliate code tags for use in the newsletter content of products that we sell from our site. So that when they display/use the rss that was personalized to them it would fill in their affiliate ids within the right spots in the newsletter so that when they display this article or newsletter on their site it would have their affiliate link code in it so they get credit when their members or site visitors click through to us.

I hope I explained it so you understand.

The idea is that each member has his own personalised feed for the same newsletter. that when displayed includes that subscribers personal data within the output. Just like it does for an email that gets delivered to them in their box. The only difference is that they will be displaying it so that others can see it and the webmaster gets credit for sales made as a result of referrals from their site.

The newsletter might say:

"Issue 24 specifically for the members of %websitename%"

Blah Blah Blah

This is a great product to check out http://www.url-to-product.com/?1234=%affiliateid%

This article is copyright 2005 and licensed for
use on %websitename% by %subscribername%



Anyway. Not to beat a dead horse but I have some creative uses with the rss and a way to manage paid subscriptin model.

I hate to give up my ideas but I reap the rewards if they get implimented.

If you dont do a paid subscription feature could you contact me and quote me on customization charges to have this feature?

Thanks

[toma]

To add my two cents. RSS would make listmail stand out from the competition. Its also forward-looking, with the anticipated dominance of rss over email.

Richard--great ideas. I use a subscription management program that ties into listmail. This allows me to have a list for paid and free subscribers. When a subscription expires they email is moved to the free list. Some of your ideas might be helped with this software--its called amember. I bought listmail because of this integration.
Tom

[richardwing]

Thanks toma.

Im in AZ IM me maybe we are in the same area. Im in Phoenix area.

[BGSWebDesign]

Hi Richard,Tom,

I have been looking for this for a long time. it would be all that hard to set up and with paypals IPN and subscriptions features. we could allow a user to pay for a subscription and upon sucessful completion of payment their added to the mailing list. since paypal handles re-occuring subscriptions then if the payment was not collected after so many tries they would be suspended from the mailings. then after a certain amount of tries more they would be deleted from the system for non payment. They would then need to re-subscribe. Which we may have a small setup fee in place that they would have to pay for again.

This is brilliant and would not be that hard to implement (DW are you listening - maybe for your 1.9x future upgrade?)  I'd love to see something like this and especially if it was integrated into LMP.

Anyway. I have alot of uses for a system like that and Im sure others can think of creative ways to use it too.

I have some content and digital files that I would like to sell but on a subscription basis through email.

I also have ideas for the rss to syndicate content to webmasters.

All of this sounds great, but it has to tie into LMP with tight integration, it wouldn't be that hard.  There is a LIST software that does RSS feeds right now, it's called PHPList (have you seen it DW?), look it up, it does Automatic PDF conversion and also RSS Feeds built in, it also handles auto de-duping between databases (which LMP does now), unfortunately the last time I tested it, it was lacking in a few features, (bounce capability was a problem), and it was very difficult to setup, but if DW you could look at that, maybe get ideas on implementing RSS Feeds, and then maybe work with Amember Pro for integration into an Affiliate Program, that would be a great feature set - for content publishers looking for reoccurring sales and RSS feed setup for affiliate usage.

This allows me to have a list for paid and free subscribers. When a subscription expires they email is moved to the free list. Some of your ideas might be helped with this software--its called amember. I bought listmail because of this integration.

Tom, how's Amember working for you?  I had a look at the website many months ago and it looks promising, the only thing I wonder about is automated PayPal integration, does Amember do it, and does it do AUTO removal from paid list if the user fails to make payment?  This could probably be handled fairly easily with a CRON job looking up payment via PayPal (webscrn?)?  Not sure if it's possible or can work that way, Tom, can you please fill us in on the details on how Amember works for you?

All of these issues are important and I would love to see them available in the future - has anyone else heard of similar software to handle the subscription end, what is it, and how much, how does it integrate with LMP?

[toma]

Brett, amember does monthly subscription rebilling for me. You're right a cron job is at the heart of it. I presently accept paypal, credit cards and money order. The money order memberships aren't valid until activated upon receipt of the $$. I sell 30 day and one year memberships. Amember also has free trial membership options. You can download a 30 day trial version at their site.

Amember integrates with listmail, message boards and cms systems by working with user permission groups.

I have two public types of information on my site--free and for pay content. Certain areas and features are also available on thes two user levels.

Example: My message board has a paid group and a free group. And so on the message board there is an exclusive area available only to our paying members.
-If you purchase a membership you can access  the paid group area till your membership expires.
-If you join the messageboard as a free member first, then later on,  if you join, your existing account automatically upgrades to paid staus for as long as you keep paying.

The integration with listmail follows the same two group permissions. I have a paid and a free list. A paid member is automatically on the paid member mail list until they stop paying. Then they are moved to the free list.
Tom
PS, richardwing, I'm in N Phoenix, off Thunderbird and I-17. I'm hoping to move closer to downtown in a few weeks.

[richardwing]

Cool. I just moved from mesa to 85th Ave and Mcdowell in November. Maybe we can hook up sometime for a drink at the bar.

Richard

[BGSWebDesign]

Hi Tom,

Brett, amember does monthly subscription rebilling for me. You're right a cron job is at the heart of it. I presently accept paypal, credit cards and money order.

That sounds great, can you please tell me how well the integration is with LMP?  For example, you say amember does monthly re-billing, can you tell me how well that works, do you mean that it 'reminds' everyone that billing is coming up, and that if PAYPAL is the payment type then PayPal automatically 'REBILLS' - I think you can setup reoccurring billing at PayPal, is that right?   However with Credit Cards, how does that work, it reminds them, and then they have to revisit a payment website on your end to pay again every month, is that correct?

I guess I'm wondering how much AUTOMATION there is, and how much of your personal time is involved with managing the memberships?

you join, your existing account automatically upgrades to paid staus for as long as you keep paying.

The integration with listmail follows the same two group permissions. I have a paid and a free list. A paid member is automatically on the paid member mail list until they stop paying. Then they are moved to the free list.

Does this mean that if they are upgraded that the customer handles all of the payment updating and that Amember does the movement to the LMP list automatically without any action on your part?

Also, if they stop paying, HOW does LMP know that the customer no longer pays?  Does Amember automatically check PayPal for payment every month and if it's not found it automatically deletes the user, or does this require some maintenance on your part?

Also, if you are able to share the URL of your site I'd be curious to see how it all fits together...  even the front end of it... and how you tie that in to stepping the user UP from Free Content to Paid Subscription - that's something I'm going to have to go through and I wonder if you've found some good methods for it?   You can also email me personally at webshaman@yahoo.com if you like.

[toma]

Its all automated. Customers with 30 day subscriptions are billed every 30 days via credit card or paypal until they cancel. I have many cancel links so no one is ever trapped. In fact upon activating the subscription I offer a link to cancel now which would mean they get 30 days as they paid for, but the rebilling won't happen. Alternatively you can set an account to expire in X days and require the customer to resubmit payment.

The listmail aspect is autmated too. When they pay the $ they are added to the paid list. When they stop paying they go to the free list. No intervention is needed--its automated.

Amember handles the integration. It collects the money and submits rebilling. It lets the integtated software like listmail know who is paid and who is free. You could just sit back watch tv and collect fees if you want.

The site is crimescene.com. I sell memberships and detective supplies there.

Tom

[DW]

There was an interesting post made recently.  Thoughts?