Welcome, and thanks for choosing a smart yet simple solution for your online marketing. This guide walks you through setting up your account so you can start growing your database and speaking to your contacts sooner.
Your account is a one-stop shop for growing, organising and communicating with every type of contact your business has, whether that is staff, business partners, affiliates, media and PR contacts, suppliers, prospects or customers. The way you speak to each contact should reflect who they are, and your account is built so you can do exactly that. Used well, it helps you grow your database, sharpen your marketing, lift response rates and, in turn, increase revenue.
Work through the five areas below in order. By the end, your account will be set up and you will have a clear plan for getting the most out of your marketing.
Before you dive in, take a moment to think about what you want to achieve. A quick review of how you market today is the best way to spot where things fall short and where to focus first.
Ask yourself:
Once you have answered these, the gaps usually become clear. From there you can start to build your strategy.
A clean, well-kept list of contacts is critical to successful marketing.
If you already have a list, upload it so you can start communicating as soon as possible. If that list has been around for a while, expect some contacts to be unresponsive. People relocate, change jobs, abandon email addresses, swap mobile numbers or simply move on to a new phase of life. This is normal, and it is exactly why ongoing maintenance and fresh growth should be a constant focus.
If you do not have a database yet, building one is your first priority. Start by deciding on your dataset, that is, the information you need from each contact to communicate with them properly. Once you know that, set up your contact fields.
The next step is putting data capture forms in place. These are online forms that collect contact information across your channels. The more forms you have, the more data you capture and the faster your database grows. Use them on your website, on social media, and for feedback, competitions and enquiries.
As a general rule, aim for at least three forms on your website:
Depending on how you run your business, you may need more. Take advantage of every opportunity to capture contact information.
đź’ˇ Tip, Always point people to a form rather than asking them to email you. A form captures clean, structured data straight into your account.
With your forms in place, turn your attention to email templates. Keeping every campaign on brand builds awareness of your business and, over time, loyalty. Setting up templates is the most efficient way to make that happen.
Templates let you promote a consistent brand message and save time on future campaigns. When you build yours, set your company logo, colours and fonts. Use these templates for any automation you plan to send.
We also recommend creating a template for each type of campaign you expect to send, for example:
The final step is setting up automation. This powerful tool uses the information you hold on each contact to engage them with personalised messages at exactly the right time. You can build a complete journey that sends relevant messages automatically, a method proven to drive repeat business and loyalty.
Automation can be as simple or as complex as you like. Using the API, you can push information from external systems straight into your account, so data such as spending habits and visit frequency can drive your journeys. The more information stored in your account, the more creative and personal your journeys can be.
Some examples:
The possibilities are close to endless, especially when you are capturing the right information on your contacts.
đź’ˇ Tip, The richer the data on your contacts, the more personal and effective your automation can be. Revisit your contact fields as your needs grow.
In what order should I set things up? Work through the five areas in order: plan your marketing, build your database, add forms, create templates, then set up automation. Each step builds on the one before it.
I already have a contact list. What should I do first? Upload it so you can start communicating right away. Expect some older contacts to be unresponsive, so make maintenance and fresh growth an ongoing focus.
How many forms should I have? Aim for at least three on your website: newsletter sign-up, enquiries, and contact us. Add more if the way you run your business calls for it.
Do I need a point-of-sale or eCommerce integration to use automation? No. You can build automation such as welcome, birthday and anniversary messages without one. Loyalty, we miss you and abandoned cart messages do rely on a point-of-sale or eCommerce integration.
What should I do once my account is set up?
Create a marketing strategy and schedule so your efforts are consistent and targeted. That is what delivers the best results.
Your account is now set up and you have a plan for getting the most out of your marketing. See the related articles above for the detail on each step.
Any questions? Reach out to our support team and we will be happy to help.