HOW TO: Set up an email campaign template in Campaign Enterprise

To save time when setting up new email campaigns with the same or about the same information in each message, there's a feature in Campaign Enterprise that lets administrator users establish a default email campaign, or "template campaign," that can be the basis for subsequent new campaign setups. Using a template campaign automatically populates the message with repeat information that remains the same across multiple campaigns, including the bounce email address, database connection, SMTP server connection, or an email message template.

To set up a template campaign, you should first make a list of which message features need to be carried over. This list may include the same database table, connection string, bounce address and possibly the send settings. Features like the unsubscribe process can also be included to ensure no user forgets to turn that feature on. Features should only be listed if they are carried over when new campaigns are created when using this template. Only the configured features will be carried over to the new campaign.

If each Campaign Enterprise user is accessing a different database for their individual campaigns, then it might be best to leave the datasource connection clear when configuring the template. Items that typically change from campaign to campaign -- like the click through links -- should be disabled in the template since those will need to be configured with each new campaign setup.

When your list is ready, log in as an administrator and create a new campaign. On the Setup tab, ensure that the Template box is checked. (Note that only an administrative user can create a template.) The administrator can also modify an existing campaign to make it a template campaign. If there is already a template enabled, a warning message pops up indicating which campaign it is. There's only one template campaign available at any time, and any previous template will turn into a regular campaign. When a new campaign is created, it's based on the template, and all the items configured in the template are carried over to the new campaign. The user can create a new campaign and bypass the template by un-checking the appropriate box when starting a new campaign.

When a campaign is enabled as the template, it is marked on the main menu for administrator users. In a multi-user environment, where many users might represent different companies or portions of a company, setting up a template campaign is not advisable since there could be vast setup differences between the different campaigns.

Using the campaign template feature in Campaign Enterprise speeds up the configuration process, prevents mistakes, and helps users remember to enable key features that are important to your message. Take a few moments today to set up a campaign template and make creating new campaigns more efficient. -- Arial Software

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