Welcome to the ultimate guide on how to create an email campaign. Whether you're new to email marketing or looking to refine your skills, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process, from setting up your campaign to scheduling your send-out. Let's dive in!
1. Access the Engage Tab
To begin creating your email campaign, you'll need to access the "Engage" tab. This is where all your email campaign tools are located.
Step-by-Step:
- Log into your Fishbowl GRM account.
- Navigate to the Engage tab in the left menu.
- Click on the Email tab if it is not already selected.
2. Create a New Campaign
You have the option to create either a Broadcast or Triggered campaign. For this guide, we’ll focus on a Broadcast campaign, which is sent to your entire database.
Step-by-Step:
- Click on Create Campaign.
- Choose Broadcast Campaign for a full send to your entire audience.
- Name your campaign (e.g., "Test").
3. Select a Campaign Category
Organizing your campaigns into categories allows for more detailed reporting later on. Choose a category that best fits your campaign.
Categories include:
- Welcome
- Birthday
- Holiday
- Anniversary
- Featured Menu Items
- Event
- Transactional
Step-by-Step:
- Select a category that aligns with your campaign’s purpose (e.g., Event).
- Click Create.
4. Define Your Audience
Now that your campaign is set up, it’s time to select the audience you want to reach. You can target your entire database or specific segments.
Step-by-Step:
- In the Audience tab, choose your engagement list (e.g., General Messaging).
- Select All Members with Email if you want to target everyone.
- Optionally, filter by specific stores or segments.
- Click Next.
5. Craft Your Email
The content and design of your email are critical for engagement. You can either create your email from scratch, use a pre-existing template, or upload your own HTML.
Step-by-Step:
- Enter a Subject Line (e.g., "Welcome to the e-club").
- Optional: Add Preview Text (e.g., "Here’s $5 off").
- Choose a template from the library or start from scratch.
- Edit the email content by adding text, images, and links.
- Customize it with your brand’s logo, colors, and fonts.
- If applicable, add an offer code for promotions (e.g., a $5 off code with a QR code).
- Once you're satisfied, Save your email.
6. Test Your Email
Before sending your email out to your audience, it’s crucial to test it to ensure everything looks good and works as intended.
Step-by-Step:
- Send yourself a Test Email.
- Check for design, content, and link functionality.
- Make any necessary adjustments.
- Save this version as a Template for future use if desired.
7. Review and Schedule Your Campaign
The final step is to review all the elements of your campaign and schedule it for sending.
Step-by-Step:
- Review the Details, Audience, and Message Content.
- Toggle between Desktop and Mobile View to check responsiveness.
- Use the URL Checker to ensure all links are valid.
- Choose to either send the email Immediately or schedule it for a specific Date and Time (e.g., tomorrow at 4:00 PM).
- Once ready, click Schedule.
- Your campaign is now set to go out at the chosen time.
8. Managing Scheduled Campaigns
If you need to make changes or cancel a scheduled campaign, you can easily manage it.
Step-by-Step:
- Go back to the Engage tab.
- Locate your scheduled email.
- Click on Unschedule if needed.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you'll be able to create, customize, and schedule effective email campaigns that resonate with your audience. Remember to always test your emails before sending and to categorize your campaigns for better tracking and reporting. Happy emailing!
