How to Create an Email Campaign

This guide will walk you through creating and sending an email campaign using your templates and contact groups.

Overview

Email campaigns allow you to send targeted emails to specific contact groups using your pre-designed templates. You can schedule campaigns, track performance, and manage delivery in real-time.

Prerequisites

• At least one email template created
• At least one contact group with email addresses
• Verified email addresses configured in your account
• Contacts in your groups must have valid email addresses and not be opted out

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Navigate to Email Campaigns

1. Go to Email Marketing in the main navigation
2. Click on the Campaigns tab
3. Click the Create Campaign button

Step 2: Campaign Details

Fill in the basic campaign information:

Required Fields

• Campaign Name: A descriptive name for your campaign

  • Example: "Q1 2025 Product Launch", "Monthly Newsletter - January"
  • This name is for your reference and won't be seen by recipients

• Email Template: Select a template from the dropdown

  • Templates show their subject line as a subtitle
  • Only your saved templates are available
  • You can create a new template from here if needed

Optional: Override Settings

You can override template settings for this specific campaign:

• Subject Line Override: Use a different subject than the template default

  • Useful for A/B testing or campaign-specific messaging
  • Leave empty to use the template's subject

• From Email Override: Send from a different verified email address

  • Leave empty to use the template's from email

• From Name Override: Change the sender name for this campaign

  • Leave empty to use the template's from name

Tip: Overrides are useful when you want to reuse a template but change the sender or subject for different campaigns.

Step 3: Select Target Audience

Choose which contact groups will receive this campaign:

1. In the Target Audience section, use the Contact Groups dropdown
2. Select one or more groups (multi-select is enabled)
3. Each selected group shows the number of contacts in parentheses
4. The Estimated Recipients count updates automatically

Important Notes

• Opt-Outs Excluded: Contacts who have opted out are automatically excluded
• Email Required: Only contacts with valid email addresses are included
• Suppression List: Emails on your suppression list are automatically excluded
• Group Counts: The numbers shown are estimates and may change based on suppression rules

Best Practices

• Segment Your Audience: Create separate campaigns for different groups rather than one large campaign
• Test First: Send to a small test group before sending to your full list
• Check Recipient Count: Verify the estimated count matches your expectations

Step 4: Add Labels (Optional)

Labels help organize and share campaigns:

1. In the Labels section, type or select labels
2. Labels can be shared with CSR users for collaboration
3. Examples: "promotional", "newsletter", "seasonal", "product-launch"

Step 5: Preview Your Campaign

Before saving, review your campaign:

1. The Template Preview section shows how the email will look
2. Toggle between Desktop and Mobile views
3. Verify:
   • Subject line is correct
   • Content looks good on both desktop and mobile
   • Images load properly
   • Personalization variables will work (they show as placeholders in preview)

Step 6: Save Your Campaign

1. Click Create Campaign (or Save Changes if editing)
2. You'll be redirected to the Campaigns list
3. Your campaign status will be Draft

Step 7: Review Before Sending

Before sending, double-check:

• ✅ Campaign name is correct
• ✅ Correct template is selected
• ✅ Right contact groups are selected
• ✅ Subject line is appropriate
• ✅ From email/name are correct
• ✅ Estimated recipient count is expected

Step 8: Send Your Campaign

Option A: Send Immediately

1. From the Campaigns list, find your campaign
2. Click the Send button (or action menu)
3. Confirm the send action
4. The campaign status changes to Sending
5. Emails are queued and sent in batches

Option B: Schedule for Later

1. Edit your campaign
2. Set a scheduled send time (if scheduling is available)
3. Save the campaign
4. Status changes to Scheduled
5. Campaign sends automatically at the scheduled time

Sending Process

• Batch Processing: Large campaigns are sent in batches to ensure reliable delivery
• Progress Tracking: Monitor sending progress in the campaign details
• Automatic Suppression: Emails on your suppression list are automatically excluded
• Rate Limiting: Sending respects email service rate limits

Step 9: Monitor Campaign Progress

After sending, monitor your campaign:

1. Click on the campaign name to view Campaign Analytics

2. Track real-time metrics:

   • Sent: Total emails sent
   • Delivered: Successfully delivered emails
   • Opened: Recipients who opened the email
   • Clicked: Recipients who clicked links
   • Bounced: Failed deliveries
   • Complained: Spam complaints
   • Unsubscribed: Recipients who unsubscribed

3. View the Delivery Funnel chart to see conversion rates

4. Check the Issues panel for any problems

Step 10: Pause or Cancel (If Needed)

If you need to stop a campaign:

1. For campaigns with status Sending:

   • Click Pause Campaign button
   • This stops sending new emails
   • Already queued emails may still be sent

2. For campaigns with status Draft or Scheduled:

   • You can edit or delete the campaign
   • Scheduled campaigns can be cancelled before their send time

Campaign Statuses

Understanding campaign statuses:

• Draft: Created but not sent
• Scheduled: Set to send at a future time
• Sending: Currently being sent (in progress)
• Sent: Sending completed
• Paused: Sending was paused (can be resumed)
• Cancelled: Campaign was cancelled before sending

Best Practices

Before Sending

1. Test First: Always send a test email to yourself first
2. Check Suppression List: Review your suppression list before sending
3. Verify Groups: Confirm the right groups are selected
4. Review Content: Double-check subject line and content
5. Check Timing: Consider time zones and optimal send times

Campaign Management

1. Name Clearly: Use descriptive campaign names for easy identification
2. Use Labels: Tag campaigns for organization
3. Monitor Early: Check metrics shortly after sending starts
4. Review Issues: Address any bounce or complaint issues promptly
5. Learn from Data: Use analytics to improve future campaigns

Content Tips

1. Personalize: Use personalization variables ({{first}}, {{surname}}, etc.)
2. Clear CTA: Include a clear call-to-action button or link
3. Mobile-Friendly: Ensure your template works well on mobile devices
4. Subject Lines: Keep subject lines concise and compelling
5. Test Variables: Verify personalization works with real contact data

Troubleshooting

"No contacts found" Error

Problem: Campaign shows "No contacts found in the selected groups"

Solutions:

• Verify contacts in the selected groups have email addresses
• Check that contacts haven't opted out
• Ensure contacts aren't on your suppression list
• Verify groups aren't empty

Campaign Stuck in "Sending" Status

Problem: Campaign shows "Sending" but no progress

Solutions:

• Check your email service status
• Review the Issues panel for error messages
• Verify your verified email addresses are still valid
• Check AWS SES sending limits (if applicable)
• Contact support if the issue persists

Low Delivery Rate

Problem: Many emails show as "Sent" but not "Delivered"

Solutions:

• Check your suppression list for hard bounces
• Verify email addresses in your contact groups are valid
• Review bounce messages in the Issues panel
• Ensure your sending domain is properly configured
• Check spam complaint rates

High Unsubscribe Rate

Problem: Many recipients are unsubscribing

Solutions:

• Review your email content and frequency
• Ensure unsubscribe links are working
• Check that you're sending to engaged audiences
• Consider segmenting your list more carefully
• Review subject lines and content relevance

Template Not Found Error

Problem: "Template not found" when creating campaign

Solutions:

• Verify the template still exists in your Templates list
• Check that you have permission to use the template
• Try refreshing the page and selecting again
• Create a new template if the original was deleted

Campaign Analytics

After sending, use the Campaign Analytics page to:

View Metrics

• Sent: Total emails queued for sending
• Delivered: Successfully delivered (not bounced)
• Opened: Unique opens (one per recipient)
• Clicked: Unique clicks (excluding unsubscribe clicks)
• Bounced: Hard and soft bounces
• Complained: Spam complaints
• Unsubscribed: Recipients who unsubscribed

Delivery Funnel

The Delivery Funnel chart visualizes:

• How many emails progressed through each stage
• Conversion rates between stages
• Toggle between count and percentage views

Issues Panel

Shows:

• Bounce details (hard bounces, soft bounces)
• Complaint information
• Unsubscribe events
• Other delivery issues

Next Steps

After creating and sending a campaign:

1. Monitor Performance: Check analytics regularly
2. Review Suppression List: New bounces/complaints are automatically added
3. Learn and Improve: Use metrics to refine future campaigns
4. Create Variations: Duplicate successful campaigns for similar sends

Related Guides

• How to Create an Email Template
• How to Use the Suppression List