Getting Started FAQs: Email Marketing

 

If you have an existing database of customers in Word, Excel, or Access, you can easily add them to a mailing list. This is a much faster way of adding members than typing them individually into a new list. You can also use the database to update the records of existing members.

 

Visit the following topics to learn more:

 

Preparing an Existing Database for Uploading

 

Uploading an Existing Database of Members

 

Updating Your Lists Using an Existing Database

 

Correcting Problems with Your Database Upload

 

---

 

The process of creating a message can be simple or fairly complex, depending on how many options and features you choose to take advantage of. As of January 2009, there are two main Message pages and two different workflows for creating and scheduling your new messages: the "classic" workflow using the old EmailLabs interface, and the "new" workflow using the more contemporary Lyris HQ interface. We recommend that you start by reading the topic Which Workflow Should You Use? At the bottom of that topic, there are links to step-by-step tutorials on how to create a message using each workflow.

 

---

 

When you create a message (see the previous question), you are given the option to test a message before you send it out.

 

Testing a message in the classic EmailLabs workflow

 

Testing a message in the new Lyris HQ workflow

 

---

 

Use the Email Test feature to help you correct or prevent a number of deliverability issues.

 

---

 

Segments

 

Segments help you target your message to a specific customer group. When you create a segment and then attach it to a message, the message only goes to the customers who meet the restrictions of the segment. These can include demographic restrictions (for example, the message goes only to customers who match a certain age range, gender, or location) or activity restrictions (for example, the message goes only to customers who opened a previous message). You can combine both types of restrictions in the same segment.

 

To view your segments in the classic EmailLabs interface

    In the left navigation bar under Advanced Features, click Segments.

 

 

You can edit or delete an existing segment, view a report on segment results, or copy a segment to another mailing list.

 

 

Create a demographic segment

 

Create an activity segment

 

Some example segments

 

 

Email Enhancers

 

With Email Enhancers, you can insert commonly used features without having to generate the HTML or text each time. They are a great way to create personalized and interactive newsletters.

 

Email Enhancers are available through the Content Library.

 

Working with Email Enhancers

 

Creating an Email Enhancer

 

There are nine types of email enhancers.

 

Survey

Unsubscribe

Global Unsubscribe

Web Version

Update Profile

Email Admin Center

Email Referral

Custom

Social Media

RSS

 

---

 

In the Reports section, you can access your data and information on your customers and your campaigns. You can gather information on an individual basis through segments that you create based on your demographic information.

 

There are two areas that contain links to the EmailLabs reports:

 

In the Lyris HQ Interface 

In the side navigation bar, click Email Marketing, and then click Reports.

 

 

The Most Recent Mailings report appears.

 

 

To view additional reports

Click the drop-down list in the upper right corner of the panel, and then choose the report you want.

 

 

The choices are:

 

Global Delivery Report

Aggregate Message Reports

Top Domains

Subscriber Report

Most Active Member

Demographic by Segment

Emailed List Reports

Emailed Message Reports

 

To view Message Reports

Click the Message Reports drop-down list

 

 

In the classic EmailLabs Interface

1. In the side navigation bar, click View Reports.

 

 

2. Click View Reports.

 

The following screen appears:

 

 

---

 

You can offer your customers a form on your Web site that lets them opt-in directly to your mailing list or newsletter. Customers who opt-in are added to the active mailing list the form was created in and receive any future messages sent to that list.

 

You can create more than one form and give each one a unique design and color scheme. This can useful if you want to add forms to different sections of your web site or different web sites.

 

You can choose to generate either HTML or XHTML for your form.

 

To go to the Opt-in forms page

In the left navigation bar of the classic EmailLabs interface, click Opt-In Forms.

 

 

To create a new Opt-In Form

Click Create Opt-In Form (learn more).

 

To place an Opt-In form on a web page

1.    In the Actions column, click Get HTML for the form you want.

 

 

2.    Copy the HTML in the Opt-In Form Name section, and then paste it into your web page.

3.    Click BACK TO OPT-IN FORMS.

 

To edit or delete a form

In the Actions column, click Edit or Delete. The steps for editing are the same as those for creating a form.

 

To view pending or confirmed members (for double opt-in forms only)

Click the View Pending Members Confirmation or View Confirmed Members command.

 

---

 

You can set up a trigger to automatically send a message if (or when) certain conditions are met. For example, you can create a trigger that sends a birthday message to each customer a week before their birthday, or sends a follow-up email a specified period of time after a customer clicks a link on a web page.

 

View a tutorial on creating a trigger

 

Learn about trigger logic statements

 

View some trigger examples

 

---

 

There are several things you can do:

 

1) Include a physical address in your emails (required by law)

2) View the Spam Complaints Report

3) Receive an alert when the risk of being considered spam is too high

 

Enabling and Editing a Mailing Address Footer

The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 requires that you include a physical mailing address in your emails. You can turn this feature on or off. (You will probably want it off if, for example, you already have your mailing address incorporated into the message text). You can also edit the footer.

 

To enable the mailing address footer

1.    In the left navigation bar of the classic EmailLabs interface, click List Settings.

 

 

2.    Under Mailing Address Footer, select the Enable by default check box.

 

 

To edit the mailing address footer

Under Mailing Address Footer, select the Enable by default check box.

 

The Spam Complaints Report

 

The Spam Complaints Report shows you a list of users who have complained of Spam.

 

1. In the side navigation bar of the classic EmailLabs interface under Reports, click List Breakdown.

 

 

2. In the List Breakdown section, click Spam Complaints Report.

 

 

3. Choose a Start Date and End Date.

4. Click the GENERATE button.

 

The report appears in a new window and displays the email address of the complainer, the date of the complaint, and the Message ID of the email.

 

Create a Report Alert

You can set up EmailAdvisor to alert you via email when the risk of being considered spam has passed a certain threshold

 

To open the Alert Manager

1. In the side navigation bar, click Email Marketing, and then choose EmailAdvisor Overview.

2. Click the Options button, and then select Report Alert.

 

 

To set a the Deliverability Threshold alert

1. Click the Alert type drop-down list, and then choose Deliverability Threshold.

2. In the Mail to box, type the email address you want the alert sent to.

3. In the Details section, choose a percentage amount that indicates when the alert should be sent. A description of the alert appears under Summary and gives you more information about the Details option.

 

4. When you are finished, click the Save button.

 

To save your changes and exit the Alert Manager

Click the Done button.

 

---