Email Marketing
Email Marketing Just Changed Forever
FREE Self-Hosted Email Marketing Setup Guide: https://leadgenjay.com/value/self-hosted-email-stack?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=listmonk-ses-email
I was spending too much on ActiveCampaign and GoHighLevel just to send emails. I replaced all of it with a free open-source app and Amazon SES for about $50/month – and my Claude Code sends every campaign for me.
GoHighLevel uses shared IPs that land you in spam. ActiveCampaign charges a fortune once your list grows. Here’s the full setup I’m using now, and how to get it running yourself.
FREE RESOURCE:
Grab the Self-Hosted Email Stack Guide: https://leadgenjay.com/value/self-hosted-email-stack?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=listmonk-ses-email
JOIN AI AUTOMATION INSIDERS:
https://leadgenjay.com/aia?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=listmonk-ses-email
3,500+ members | Self-hosted infrastructure guides | All my apps, skills & workflows
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https://leadgenjay.com/consult?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=listmonk-ses-email
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Why I Stopped Paying $1,000/Month for Email
1:15 – ActiveCampaign Pricing vs This Setup
2:30 – The New Email Infrastructure (Overview)
3:00 – Listmonk Dashboard Tour (mail.consulti.ai)
7:15 – What Is Listmonk (Free on GitHub, 20K Stars)
8:30 – Two Parts: Listmonk + Amazon SES
10:00 – Amazon SES Pricing ($25 Dedicated IP + Sending)
11:00 – AWS Account and SES Console Setup
13:15 – Sending Email From Claude Code (Live Demo)
14:30 – Domain Setup With Cloudflare Tunnel
15:15 – Managing Bounces and Spam Complaints
16:00 – Download the Full Setup Guide
I walked through my entire self-hosted email marketing infrastructure – from the free open-source software to the delivery system to the Claude Code commands I use to send campaigns without ever touching a dashboard.
GoHighLevel is still great for workflow automations – purchase confirmations, call bookings, drip sequences. But for bulk email campaigns to your full list, shared IPs will put you in spam. ActiveCampaign solves that but charges based on list size. 50,000 subscribers? You’re paying a fortune. And their team plan is $1,000/month for only 3 users.
The replacement: Listmonk (free, open-source, 20K GitHub stars) handles your lists, campaigns, templates, analytics, and subscribers. Amazon SES handles delivery with a dedicated IP address for $25/month plus about $0.10 per 1,000 emails. Total cost for 250,000 emails: roughly $50/month.
The best part – Claude Code manages everything through the Listmonk API. I tell it what to say, which list to send to, and it handles the rest. Creating lists, building templates, sending campaigns – all from the terminal.
TOOLS & RESOURCES MENTIONED:
– Listmonk – https://listmonk.app (free, open-source, 20K GitHub stars)
– Amazon SES – https://aws.amazon.com/ses/ (dedicated IP $25/mo + $0.10 per 1K emails)
– Claude Code (Anthropic) – sends campaigns via Listmonk API
– GoHighLevel – still used for workflow automations
– ActiveCampaign – cancelled (too expensive at scale)
– Cloudflare Tunnel – connect your domain to Listmonk
– Docker – runs Listmonk on any server
CONNECT WITH JAY:
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LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dr-jay-feldman
ABOUT LEAD GEN JAY:
Cold email, AI automation, and lead generation strategies for entrepreneurs. Two 8-figure companies built. 3,500+ community members. 9+ years in the game.
#Listmonk #AmazonSES #EmailMarketing #SelfHosted #GoHighLevel #ActiveCampaign #OpenSource #ClaudeCode #EmailDeliverability #Docker #LeadGenJay #AIAutomation #FreeEmailMarketing #SESSetup
