Connect - Email, SMS, Phone, Chat

Advanced Marketing

Advanced marketing replaces previous marketing function and allows for the additional template design, campaign managed and new automation capability for both email and SMS marketing.

(I) Accessing Marketing Screen

Click on 'Connect' on the main navigation bar and select Marketing from the drop down:

Key commands in new marketing window are:

Campaigns
Automation
Templates
Add New button

Other commands are specific to each screen.

(II) Creating Templates

There are several options with creating templates:

Pick one of pre-built templates from the list
Import your own template
Create a new HTML template (note some level of skill is required for this task)
Create SMS template

1. Prebuilt templates

Go to Templates in the side bar, click on Add New button and select Email/SMS option (A). For email templates, ensure that 'Create template from scratch' is switched off (B). Select one of templates from the list below (C).

Ensure that template has Name, Description and Subject line (D):

Then modify selected template as you wish; add own branding, footer, links and default copy text as it suits. Note that copy can be amended in Campaigns and Automations. User editor controls to make desired changes.

Hint: templates used for Automation can be fully completed here and don't need to be amended in Automation section while campaigns are likely to have a different copy text each time.

Send top your send to preview (F) and save template (G):

Email will arrive showing how the template will look in customer inbox:

2. Upload/Import Own template

If you already have a template from another marketing system or designed by a professional, go to Templates, click on 'Add New', add name, description and subject line and turn 'Create template from scratch' to 'On':

Complete Preview and Save as per above.

3. Create template from scratch

See detailed article here. Go to Templates, Add New, add name, description and subject line and switch 'Create template from scratch' to 'On'.

Key controls:

I. Main component section

J. Template canvas

K. Secondary controls/tools

Use Main component section (I) to drag and drop to the canvas (J). For images select or drop images from your computer (L) and double click on selected (M) to add to the image section on canvas. Then adjust image on the canvas to size (N).

Add copy text, Preview and Save as per above.

See this short video walkthrough a HTML template editor:

4. Creating SMS Templates

In Marketing screen, click on Templates and click on 'Add New' button. Click on SMS (O) and type SMS template in the content screen (P). Use dynamic (merge) value inserter to personalise template. Name the template, enter description, test and save.

(III) Sending Campaigns

1. Contact Lists

Under contacts, create Filters to decide which will be your campaign broadcast lists. See this article about contact filter creation.

Note that new filters are advanced and allow equal to and not equal to options as well as advanced lender searches on deals marked as settled.

2. Setting Campaigns

In Marketing screen, click on 'Campaigns' (R) and 'Add New' (S):

Name the Campaign and enter Description. Select contact filter (T), Template (U), and Contact Filter (V). Note that Sender can be Organisation (as set in Settings >> Marketing) or Contact Owner. Edit template Subject and content (X):

Send preview email and then Save or Send campaign:

Note that all sent Campaign and Automation emails are saved under 'Email' tab in Contact view (Y):

To view Sent campaigns, go to Marketing screen, then Campaigns and turn 'Sent campaigns' switch 'On' (Z). Note if the switch is turned to 'Off', unsent saved Campaigns are displayed.

(IV) Setting up Automation

In the Marketing screen. go to 'Automation' (A1) and click on 'Add New' (B1):

Set Automation name and description (C1), sender (D1) and select a template (E1). Edit template subject and content (F1):

Select Automation trigger (G1), Contact Filter (H1) and trigger timing (I1). Note if Automation is to be sent to all contacts in your database, a filter needs to be created to reflect that. See filters article on how to create filters.

Send preview email (J1) and click Save (K1). Note - dynamic fields will not show merge details in preview (e.g. client name is not known).

(V) Marketing Reports

In Marketing screen, under Campaigns or Automation, switch the 'Sent campaigns' button to 'On' and click on View next to the campaign (L1) or automation requiring a report: