Sending your first email campaign is a simple task but requires some initial setup before you can proceed. Follow the simple steps below and you'll be sending your first email campaign in no time.


Step 1. Create a database

A database is a collection of your contacts details. It includes their email address and any optional fields such as Name, Age, Title, etc. that you can create. When sending out an email campaign, you send it to a contact list, which means everyone on that list will receive the email.


Learn how to create a databaseclick here.


Note: Your administrator may have already created a database for you. To check to see if a database already exists, click on the "Manage Databases" link on the home page below the orange icon.


Step 2. Create custom fields (optional)

Custom fields allow you to collect extra information about your contacts, such as product preferences, birthday, district, etc. Custom fields are any fields of data that are not included in Pinpointe's default data fields. You can create as many custom fields as you like and you can use them in the content of your email campaign.


Note: If you use custom fields in a subscription form, they need to be created before you create your subscription form, as they are included as fields that can be filled in by your website visitors along with their email address.


To learn how to create a custom fieldclick here


Step 3. Add/import contacts

Before you can send an email campaign you need recipients to send it to. In step 1 we created a database. In this step we will look at 3 different ways you can add contacts to your contact list:


1) Import contacts from a file: click here to learn how


2) Type in contacts manually

If you only have a handful of contacts to add to your list, you can use the "Add Contact" link to add them in manually. Move your mouse over the "Contacts" tab and click the "Add Contact" menu option:




Choose a contact list to add contacts to and click the "Next >>" button. Fill out the form by typing in their email address and values for any custom fields you've created for the contact list.



When you're done, click "Save" to save the contact to the contact list and add another contact. Click "Save And Exit" to add the contact and return to the main page of the system.


3) Create a subscription form for your website: click here to learn how


Step 4. Create your email campaign

The most important part of your campaign is the email you will send to your database, list or segment. Let's now look at how to create a simple email campaign by choosing a professionally pre-designed email template from those included in the system.


WYSIWYG Editor Instructions

On the Pinpointe home screen click on the 'Create Email' link or icon.




Next click on the 'Classic WYSIWYG Editor' button



Fill out the "Email Campaign Name" and click the "Next >>" button.

Now choose one of the professionally pre-designed email templates from the "Email Template" box. 


Note: You can also start from scratch or import your own campaign design.




Use the preview link to view all of the templates. Select the template you would like to use by clicking the 'Select' button underneath the design.




When the next page loads, type in a subject line for your email campaign. This is the text contacts will see when they look at the emails in their inbox, so make it short and to the point.

 

You can edit any content within the editor using the editor tools on the top and right side of the editor box.




In the editor tools on the right, you will see two links: Insert Custom Fields and Insert Unsubscribe Link. You should always include an unsubscribe link in your email, and if you don't the system will warn you when it saves.


Want to insert custom field in your newsletter? Learn how here.



Before clicking the "Save And Exit" button, run a spam check and send a preview of your email using the buttons below the form in the EMAIL VALIDATION section.


Congratulations, you've just created your first email campaign in the WYSIWYG editor.


Drag & Drop Editor Instructions


On the Pinpointe home screen click on the 'Create Email' link or icon.

 


 

Next click on the 'Drag & Drop Campaign Builder' button

 

 



If you do not want to use a template and want to drag and drop your own elements (using pre-design sections), select the follow block:


To use a template, type the name of the campaign into the template thumbnail box and hit the 'Create' button



Use the drag and drop elements to create your campaign.


Make sure you do a spam check and inbox preview prior to saving your campaign. Once completed, save your campaign - it will be ready to send.




Congratulations, you've just created your first email campaign in the Drag & Drop Campaign Builder.

Let's now move on to send it to your contact list of contacts.



Step 5. Send your email campaign

Sending your email campaign in the system is easy.


Click on the "Send Email' link or icon on the home screen.



When the page loads, choose who you want to send your campaign to.

For this example, I choose the Radio button "All Contacts from Entire Database(s)" and chose my 'Eryn Test' database. 

Then, click "Next >>" to continue.

 


On the next step choose the email campaign you want to send from the drop-down list and leave all pre-selected options as they are (unless you would like to change them) and click "Next >>." The default options of tracking links and notifying the owner by email are fine. You can change any form options if you like.



 

Finally, click the "Schedule My Email Campaign" button to send the email campaign immediately to your contacts.


 

When the window closes, the email will be added to the "View Email Que"
[Menu] Email Campaigns -> View Scheduled Email Campaigns.  


When the campaign is complete, the Activity Status will change from "Waiting" to "Complete."


Congratulations, you've just created and sent your first email campaign!