Defining and Creating Welcome Emails

Defining Welcome Emails

Welcome Emails allow you to follow up with website visitors that have subscribed to one of your organization’s newsletters. Once a visitor has subscribed to a newsletter, they should receive a double opt-in confirmation email; however, this email typically does not supply any additional information about your destination.

Act-On allows you to create customized Welcome Email templates that present new subscribers with helpful information about your destination. The Welcome Email may include links to travel offers, accommodation and event listings, and social media. The goal is to attract contacts to your website before they receive your newsletter.

Act-On_Welcome_Email_Bermuda.jpg

Automating Welcome Emails

Act-On provides an Automation feature that allows you to create Automated Programs. Leveraging this feature enables you to automate your Welcome Emails, eliminating the need to manually send emails to new subscribers.

Automation offers two methods to auto-generate your Welcome Emails; A single send or a multi-send drip campaign. Utilizing either option ensures that Act-On supplies your organization with detailed program and email performance reporting.

The Simpleview Marketing Automation Team can upload Automation Program Templates directly to your Act-On platform upon request. Once the templates are available, you can customize them to meet your organization’s goals.

If you have questions about Welcome Emails or Automation, please contact your assigned Marketing Automation Specialist or Strategist.

Creating Welcome Email Automated Programs

Setting up an Automation for your Welcome Emails requires the creation of a Form Submission Segment and an Automated Program. Below you will find instructions for doing both.

Form Submission Segments

You must set up a new segment to capture newly subscribed newsletter contacts. This segment acts as the source list for your Automated Program.

Once created, this Form Submission segment will enter all newly subscribed newsletter contacts into your Automated Program. The segment does this by monitoring the Form Submission list for any new contacts according to a relative date value.

Follow the guidelines below to create a Form Submission Segment.

  1. Select the Contacts icon in your navigation sidebar, then click ‘Form Submissions’ from within ‘Other Lists.’

    Act-On_Welcome_Form_Submission_Segment.jpg

  2. You will see a new screen titled ‘Form Submissions.’ Locate the Form Submission lists you intend to segment. Select ‘Create a Segment’ from the dropdown.

    Act-On_Welcome_Create_Segment.jpg

  3. Name your segment and set Method to Query. Select the ‘System’ query method.

    Act-On_Welcome_System_Query.jpg

  4. Combine the following expression values to complete the segment query.
    • Records
    • Equals
    • Relative Date (select this option from the dropdown menu)
    • Current Day (default)
    • MM/DD/YYYY

    Act-On_Welcome_Expression_Values.jpg


  5. Apply your criteria to the segment, and click ‘Save.’ To disregard the changes, select ‘Cancel.’

Automated Program Set Up

Follow the guidelines below to create a basic Automated Program for your Welcome emails.

    1. Select the Automation icon in your navigation sidebar and click Automated Programs.

      Act-On_Welcome_Program_Nav.jpg

    2. You will see a new screen titled ‘Automation Program,’ click the plus icon.

      Act-On_Welcome_Automation_Add.jpg

    3. The next screen will be the ‘General Settings’ tab of the Automated Program. Use the guidelines below to set up each section.

      Basic Information: This section allows you to create a Program Name and enter a brief program Description.

      Act-On_Welcome_Basic_Info.jpg

      Sources: This section allows you to add your Form Submission Segment to your program.

      Click Here for a Demonstration
      Act-On_Welcome_Add_Form_Submission_Segment.gif
      You will need to select an option for how contacts enter your program. The options are Manually, Immediately, and On a Schedule. For more information, review ‘Automated Journey Builder Features: General Settings’ at Act-On Connect

      Act-On_Weclome_Enter_Program_Immediately.jpg


      Best Practice

      The Simpleview Marketing Automation Team recommends selecting the ‘Immediately’ option. This selection ensures that as contacts submit their information via a web form, they immediately enter into the Automated Program.

      Timezone: This section defaults to your organization’s settings. This value interprets your program's scheduled option times and scheduled delay times.

      Act-On_Welcome_Settings_Timezone.jpg

      Options: This section allows you to select from the program options provided. Simpleview recommends selecting your program's ‘Suppress entrants on suppression lists’ option.

      Act-On_Welcome_Settings_Options.jpg

    4. Select the ‘Program Messages’ tab.

      Act-On_Welcome_Program_Messages.jpg

    5. Click the ‘+ Add Message’ option. A pop-up will appear titled ‘Add Message To Program.’ Choose from the available options to add a message to your program.

      Act-On_Welcome_Add_Message.jpg

      Best Practice

      Simpleview recommends copyediting and getting design approval on the Email Template before adding it to your program. Once a program runs, you will need to pause the program in order to make edits to messages.


      Once you have selected a message, it will appear in your program.

      Act-On_Weclome_Message_Added.jpg

    6. Select the ‘Lists & Segments’ tab. This tab displays the source Form Submissions list that you added to your program.
    7. Click ‘Add Lists or Segments’ and select your Form Submission Segment

      Click Here for a Demonstration
      Act-On_Welcome_Add_List_and_Segments.gif
    8. Select the ‘Program Flow’ tab.

      This tab is where you will use the visual workflow tool to build your program steps. All programs begin with Start and Exit steps. Use the 'Plus' Plus_Icon.jpg icon to add steps to your program. Use the guidelines below to build a basic Welcome Email Program Flow.

      Act-On_Welcome_Program_Flow.jpg

    9. Click the 'Plus' Plus_Icon.jpg icon to add the first program step, then select the ‘Wait’ option in the ‘Add New Step’ pop-up.

      Act-On_Welcome_Add_New_Step.jpg

    10. A new pop-up titled ‘Wait’ will appear. Fill in the Step Name field with “Wait Until Contacts Enter Source List Segment,” then select the ‘Wait until a contact meets a condition’ option.

      Act-On_Weclome_Wait_Step_1.jpg

    11. Select ‘If Prospect Is In’ from the first dropdown menu.

      Act-On_Welcome_If_Prospect_Is_In.jpg

    12. Choose your source segment from the ‘Select List of Segment’ dropdown.

      Click Here for a Demonstration
      Act-On_Weclome_A-1_Select_List_and_Segement.gif
    13. Click ‘Submit.’ Your A-1 step will now appear in your Program Flow.

      Act-On_Welcome_Program_Steps_A1.jpg

    14. Click the 'Plus' Plus_Icon.jpg icon below the A-1 step. Then select ‘Wait.’

      Click Here for a Demonstration
      Act-On_Welcome_Adding_Step_A2_.gif
    15. Use the Step Name field to title your step. Select the ‘Wait for a set period of time’ option, then enter a Wait For value.

      Act-On_Welcome_Step_A2_Wait_For.jpg

    16. Click ‘Submit.’ Your A-2 step now appears in your Program Flow.
    17. Click the 'Plus' Plus_Icon.jpg icon below the A-2 step. Then select ‘Send Email.’
    18. Use the Step Name field to title your step. This value defaults to ‘Send Email Message.’
    19. Select your program message from the Select Message dropdown. Then click ‘Submit.’

      Click Here for a Demonstration
      "Act-On_Welcome_Step_A2_Select_Message__1_.gif”

      Your Program Flow is now complete.

      Act-On_Welcome_Program_Flow_Completed.jpg

    20. To complete your Automated Program, click ‘Save.’ To disregard changes, select ‘Cancel.’

Starting An Automated Program

After creating your Form Submission Segment and building your Automated Program, you need to start your program.

Return to the main Automated Program screen, hover over the program you want to start and select the Start icon. Click ‘Confirm.’ Your program will begin running automatically.

Click Here for a Demonstration
"Act-On_Welcome_Start_Program.gif”

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