We’ve just released a new add-on module that integrates with Google Docs – letting you import list data directly into CakeMail from your Google Docs spreadsheets. If you’re already using Google Docs to store data in spreadsheets, or capturing data through their easy forms capability, you can skip creating .csv files of contact lists and just import them directly to CakeMail online.

Sign me up! How do I start using it?

This new feature is available to all CakeMail users and just needs to be activated by your account admin before it’s available as a contact list import option. When you’re creating a new list or adding to an existing one, simply click the Google Docs button displayed as part of the Import/Upload A List page. Grant permission for CakeMail and your Google Docs account to connect and you’re ready to go. As an added bonus, you can also opt to send an automatic (and customizable) “Welcome” email to your newly-imported list.

We know that not everyone keeps their contacts neatly organized in a spreadsheet – but importing contacts to a CakeMail contact list should be easy no matter how you keep track of them. With new support for importing Yahoo! Contacts, all of your contacts can be imported in a snap.

To use the Yahoo! Contacts add-on, your account administrator just needs to enable the Yahoo! Contacts add-on for your account with a few technical details – including your API (Consumer) Key, API (Consumer) Secret, and a URL for a redirection file (where applicable). Once that’s done, you’ll see Yahoo! Contacts as an import option when you create a new contact list or add members to an existing list. Click on the Yahoo! Contacts logo and you’ll be able to import your contacts into one easy-to-manage mailing list.

But What About Permission?

It goes without saying that the contacts you’re importing should have (or will need to) give you permission to email them this way and should be expecting your emails. Email marketing best practices include always making sure that your contacts, even if they are colleagues or have a prior business relationship with you, have always opted-in to any of your mailing lists. If you haven’t obtained their ok yet, you can set this new contact list up as a double opt-in list. When you import your Yahoo! Contacts, this means that they will automatically be notified (with an email you can customize) and have the chance to say “Yes – include me!”

If you’re planning an event, Eventbrite is the tool that helps to make it happen. A leading provider of online event management and ticketing services, Eventbrite makes it easy to hold events of any type and size – free or paid, big or small – and provides you with simple but powerful tools to manage, promote, and sell them out.

And now you can easily import your attendee lists straight from your Eventbrite acount into CakeMail – so you can send attendees event-specific announcements and follow up with them after your event is over.

To use the Eventbrite add-on, your account administrator just needs to enable the add-on for your account. Once that’s done, you’ll see Eventbrite as an import option when you create a new contact list. Click the Eventbrite logo, follow the prompts (which include entering your Eventbrite API User Key and specific Event ID) and you’re ready to go.