• An introduction to trigger emails
• Creating a welcome trigger
• Creating a date-related trigger
• Creating a trigger based on a clicked link
• Creating a trigger based on a completed survey
• Creating a trigger series

An introduction to autoresponders

Unlike a large-group mailing with a single send-off, autoresponders (or trigger emails) are sent automatically whenever a specific event occurs. There are the four event styles to choose from (with a specific how-to for each): when someone signs up to receive your emails, when someone has a birthday or other date-related event, when someone clicks a link in a previous campaign or when someone completes a survey. You can also create a trigger series, in which, say, someone who joins your list receives a succession of follow-up emails once a week.

Because they're automated, triggers are a great way to stay in touch with your audience regularly without spending a lot of time. And their delivery is personalized - based on people's unique dates, sign-up time, clicking behavior and, if you choose, audience group - so they're more likely to engage and interest your subscribers.

You'll find the option to send a trigger on the Review & Send page of any mailing. (Find the Choose a mailing type at the top of the page.) When you activate a trigger, it'll appear on a tab at the top of your response menu, where you can see tracked results, check how the trigger is set up or cancel the trigger.

Creating a welcome trigger

Unlike a large-group mailing with a single send-off, trigger emails are automatically sent whenever a specific event occurs. With this style of trigger, you can base that event around the moment someone signs up for your emails, automatically welcoming your new subscribers with a special note, a thank-you coupon or a copy of your latest newsletter.

How to set up a trigger email for new subscribers:

1. Start by creating the welcome campaign you want to be sent whenever someone signs up.
2. When your campaign is ready, send a Preview and then click Review & Send.
3. In the Choose a mailing type menu, select Triggers.
4. Since this is likely a brand new trigger, click Create a new trigger. (Or, if you're activating a prior trigger, choose one from the dropdown menu.) In the message window, choose 'signs up to receive my emails' as your style of trigger. Click Create.
5. Choose the signup form(s) with which you'd like to associate the welcome note, and specify the scheduling details (immediately or some hours after).

   

6. Save your trigger. The message box will close, and your new trigger will be selected by default in the dropdown menu.
7. Now, click Activate your trigger now or schedule it to go live at a future day and time.

Once activated, your trigger email will automatically send whenever the designated event occurs. If you decide to make changes to the email's content later, you'll want to cancel the trigger first, make your changes and re-activate.

Creating a date-related trigger

Unlike a large-group mailing with a single send-off, trigger emails are automatically sent whenever a specific event occurs. You can base that event around any date you're storing about the people in your audience, automatically sending an email on someone's birthday or even triggering a reminder email a few days ahead of a seminar registration date.

How to set up a date-related trigger email:

1. Start by creating the campaign you want to be sent whenever the trigger event occurs.
2. After you've proofed your campaign, send a Preview and then click Review & Send.
3. In the Choose a mailing type menu, select Triggers.
4. If this is a brand new trigger, click Create a new trigger. (Or, if you're activating a prior trigger, choose one from the dropdown menu.) In the message window, choose 'has a birthday or other date-related event' as your style of trigger. Click Create.
5. Choose the date-related field you'd like to base your trigger campaign around and follow the instructions to specify scheduling details. (You can create date fields in your audience section.)

   

6. By default, your trigger will send to all audience groups. Click to edit your selection and choose a particular group or groups, if you'd like.
7. Save your trigger. The message window will close, and your new trigger will be selected by default in the dropdown menu.
8. Now, click Activate your trigger now or schedule it to go live at a future day and time.

Once activated, your trigger email will automatically send whenever the designated event occurs. If you decide to make changes to the email's content later, you'll want to cancel the trigger first, make your changes and re-activate.

Creating a trigger based on a clicked link

Unlike a large-group mailing with a single send-off, trigger emails are automatically sent whenever a specific event occurs. One event you can base a trigger on is someone clicking a link in a previous campaign, which automatically sends a second campaign - with follow-up information or more details - as people visit the links you've created.

1. How to set up a link-based trigger email:
2. Start by creating the follow-up campaign you want to be sent after the link in the first email is clicked. (The first email will need to be one that you've already scheduled or sent to your audience.)
3. When your follow-up campaign is ready, send a Preview and then click Review & Send.
4. In the Choose a mailing type menu, select Triggers.
5. If this is a brand new trigger, click Create a new trigger. (Or, if you're activating a prior trigger, choose one from the dropdown menu.)
6. In the message window, choose 'clicks a link in one of my campaigns' as your style of trigger. Click Create.

   

7. Choose the campaign with the link or links you want to base the trigger campaign on and follow the instructions to specify scheduling details. Remember that triggers can only be based off links in campaigns that have been sent or scheduled.
8. By default, your trigger will send to all audience groups. Click to edit your selection and choose a particular group or groups, if you'd like.
9. Save your trigger. The message window will close, and your new trigger will be selected by default in the dropdown menu.
10. Now, click Activate your trigger now or schedule it to go live at a future day and time.

Once activated, your trigger email will automatically send whenever the designated event occurs. If you decide to make changes to the email's content later, you'll want to cancel the trigger first, make your changes and re-activate.

Creating a trigger based on a completed survey

Unlike a large-group mailing with a single send-off, trigger emails are automatically sent to your audience whenever a specific event occurs. With this style of trigger, you can base that event around the completion of a survey, automatically thanking your subscribers with a special note, coupon or details about the event for which they registered (if your survey was utilized as a registration form).

How to set up a survey-based trigger email:

1. Start by creating the follow-up campaign you want to be sent after the survey in the first email is completed. (The first email - the one with the link to the survey - will need to be already scheduled or sent to your audience.)
2. When your follow-up campaign is ready, send a Preview and then click Review & Send.
3. In the Choose a mailing type menu, select Triggers.
4. Click Create a new trigger if this is a brand new trigger event. (Or, if you're activating a prior trigger, choose one from the dropdown menu.) In the message window, choose 'completes one of my surveys' as your style of trigger. Click Create.

   

5. Choose the campaign with the survey you want to base the trigger campaign on and follow the instructions to specify scheduling details. Remember that the trigger can only be based off a campaign that has been sent or scheduled and contains a link to a survey.
6. By default, your trigger will send to all audience groups. Click to edit your selection and choose a particular group or groups, if you'd like.
7. Save your trigger. The message window will close, and your new trigger will be selected by default in the dropdown menu.
8. Now, click Activate your trigger now or schedule it to go live at a future day and time.

Once activated, your trigger email will automatically send whenever the designated event occurs. If you decide to make changes to the email's content later, you'll want to cancel the trigger first, make your changes and re-activate.

Creating a trigger series

With our trigger feature, it's possible to create a series of emails that send on a pre-determined delivery schedule. Let's say you have five marketing tips, and you'd like new people who join your list to receive one tip a week. This is how you'll do it.

How to set up a trigger series:

1. Start by creating the first campaign in the series. When it's ready, send a Preview and then click Review & Send.
2. In the Choose a mailing type menu, select Triggers.
3. Click Create a new trigger, and choose 'signs up to receive my emails' as your style of trigger. You can have this first email in the series send immediately when someone signs up, or a bit later.

   

4. When you're done, click to Save your trigger. The message window will close, and your new trigger will be selected by default in the dropdown menu.
5. Now, click Activate your trigger now or schedule it to go live at a future day and time.
6. Now repeat this process for each campaign in the series. If your series is a weekly series, you'll schedule the second email to send one week after sign up, the third email to arrive two weeks after sign up, and so on and so forth.

• Campaigns
• Creating autoresponders