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Using Voloper eMarketer (VeM) Lesson 05

 

Home Page First Webs Demos
Topics in This Lesson . . .
  • [Placeholders], How Do I Use Them?
  • Loading Our Custom Templates
  • Creating a Simple Campaign
  • Assignment:  Sending Yourself an HTML Message
 

[Placeholders], How Do I Use Them?

Let's assume you wanted to send an announcement about your Christmas party to John Doe, Susie Snoozy, and Dashing Derke.  You go to Outlook and send 3 text messages all of them exactly the same to 3 different addresses.  Or you use the VeM, select a nice Christmas template and then type the following invitation:

Dear [First Name] [Last Name],

We're having a great Christmas party this year.  Blah, blah, blah .....  We'll see you there.

Warmest Holiday Wishes,
Me

The VeM will automatically send the same message to 3, or 10, or 100, or 500 people.  The VeM will automatically insert John Doe's, Susie Snoozy's, and anyone else's name into the message if you have checked them off to receive the Christmas invitation.  Placeholders are used to individually personalize messages that are sent to groups.  To the person receiving the message, it appears as if they know the sender personally.  And perhaps they do!

The VeM offers Placeholders for a number of fields.  Go back to Step 5, Lesson 4 and review the Placeholders available in the last section. 

 
 

Loading Our Custom Templates

In Steps 11, 12, and 13 of Lesson 04 we created custom templates.  These templates are nothing more than copies of some our web pages with the content deleted.  I will now move them to the Templates area so we can use them in email campaigns.  The steps necessary to move and get them ready to use are:

 
I decide to load the template named Lighthouse w Grey Background.

Step 1, L5:  Open the VeM and go to the Admin Details menu.  Click on Edit Template.  The screen at right should appear.

The SCE is now opened and is ready to accept content in either cut-n-paste image/text or in pure HTML. 

Step 2, L5: I go to the source of my program and load my content to the clipboard.  I've used FrontPage 2003 and pure HTML.  I load my html content into the SCE after I have clicked the Source Code option.  I paste my code and click on the HTML option to view the result.

I correct any images that may not display due to incorrect paths.  The result is as displayed at right.

I have left some gray space in the middle of my template.  Here is where I will add my text.  I can put as little or as much text in the gray space as I want.  The vertical length of the file will automatically adjust to follow my content.

Screen Capture Lighthouse With Grey Background
Step 3, L5:  In the same manner, I load the other 2 custom templates to my VeM template section.  When finished, I review my custom templates and the screen at right shows them all.  I can delete them, change them, or add new templates whenever I chose to do so.

Screen Capture of Custom Templates on File
Step 4, L5:  Now when I go back through the Steps 3-5 of Lesson 4, I see that my custom templates as well as the original four (4) VeM templates are available in the Template Drop Down box.
 
 

Creating a Simple Campaign

Let's create a campaign to send the Church Council a notice of an upcoming meeting.

  • 1.  Open the VeM and Click on Create Campaign.

  • 2.  Click on HTML Email Campaign.

  • 3.  Check the Starting With Match checkbox.  Scroll down and Adult Committees and check it.  Note that now all seven (7) committees automatically became check-marked.  I don't want that!  So uncheck Adult Committees and just check the box Church Council.  Our message will now go to just the Church Council members.

  • 4.  Click on Search.  The 15 Council members are displayed as in the image below.  If you wish to NOT send anyone that is listed the message, then you may remove the check-mark from the box at the far right.  The members are displayed as in Step 5, L5.

  • 5.  Click on Create and Send Mail.  Select the Lighthouse with Grey Background Template.

  • 6.  Type in your text message in the gray area of the template.   Note that we are using the [Placeholder] First Name to personalize the message. 

  • 7.  I can preview the message before sending by going to the upper left of the SCE, clicking on the Floppy Disk Icon, and saving the file using the File/Save As menu.  Step 6, L5 shows the pre-viewed message in HTML.  The message has no errors so I click on Send Campaign.  I receive notice that the message has been sent to recipients.

  • 8.I wonder if the message really has been sent.  I go to MANAGE CAMPAIGNS, then List Campaigns.  I find the message in the list and click on it.  The message opens with the Sent Email Report screen showing the recipients, the time and date the message was delivered. 

Step 5, L5:  Open the VeM and go to the Admin Details menu.  Click on Edit Template.  The screen at right should appear.

Screen Capture of Church Council Members
Step 6, L5: I check the message by saving it as an HTML file, and then viewing it my Browser using Windows Explorer.

Screen Capture of Council Meeting Campaign Pre-Viewed
Step 7, L5:  Checking that the message has really been sent.  The confirmation screen is shown at right.

Screen Capture of Confirmation Notice

 
 

Assignment:  Sending Yourself an HTML Message; For FUMC Employees Only

Using the skills you have acquired so far, send yourself an HTML email message.  Use any of the templates you wish.  Include in your distribution at vwwanner@nilsem.com. 

 
 
Congratulations on finishing this lesson.  I encourage you to complete the Lesson Feedback form before moving on. 

Respectfully,
Vernon Wanner
Internet Consultant