| |
Getting Started with ListManager 6.x
Part 12: Adding your members
The extensive section below covers all aspects of adding members to your email list. Please read it carefully!
Adding members live in real-time
Your list will only be successful if people can "opt-in" easily, so you need to help new members join. We recommend you do this by adding a subscription form to your website.
Creating a subscription form for your Web site
- Click on Utilities: Other: Subscribe Forms:
- Select whether you'd like the form to ask for just the email address, or the email address and name.
- Select "Send One Confirmation Message" for Confirmation, so your list is double opt-in.
- Enter the URL you'd like new members to be taken to after they fill out your form.
- Select the lists you'd like members to be able to subscribe to on this form next to Lists.
- Select additional demographics fields if you'd like to gather information about for your new members.
- Click on Refresh.
- Review your subscribe form. If it contains all the information you'd like, select Get HTML.
- Copy and paste the HTML form generated into a page on your website. The HTML may be modified, if desired (for instance, you want to change the field lengths, or the descriptions for the demographic information).
- Test your form before going live!
How we import your members
- Prepare a plain text (.txt) file of your members' information.
The file should NOT use commas or tabs, and your members' names and email addresses should be in one of the following formats:
"John Smith" <jsmith@yourcompany.com>
John Smith <jsmith@yourcompany.com>
jsmith@yourcompany.com (John Smith)
jsmith@yourcompany.com John Smith
jsmith@yourcompany.com
- Send the plain text file to us by using our technical support form, and be sure to include the following additional information:
- A notification that this is your initial member import
- The name of your list
- The server on which your list resides (e.g., @comet.sparklist.com)
We will import your membership list within 48 hours of receipt, so please plan accordingly if you have a deadline for your first mailing.
After we add your list members, you'll be ready to start using your list for "live" mailings.
Importing your members with additional demographic information
You can also import your membership yourself with additional demographic information.
- Click on Utilities: Members
- Select Import Members from File from the drop down box
- Select CSV File with First Row Column Names
- Select Import as Unconfirmed Members, and Send Confirmation Request
- Select the CSV file to upload. A CSV file has the information you would like imported in a csv (comma separated values) format. The first row of the file tells ListManager which field the data in each column should be imported into. For example:
EmailAddr_,FullName_,Company,Phone
bob@shelby.com,Bob Shelby,Shelby Corp.,510-549-4350
In this example, EmailAddr_ and FullName_ correspond to the default database fields in for email addresses and full names.
Additional fields called "Company" and "Phone" have been added to this Members_ table, so this information can also be imported into each member's record. Consult with your account representative about what fields are available to you. The default fields are:
Additional_
Placeholder for any information you want to store associated with this member.
Comment_
Holds whatever comments you wish to put in. Useful as a user-defined 'additional info' field.
EmailAddr_
The email address of this person (required).
FullName_
Full name of this person.
MailFormat_
What mail format does the user prefer, (T)ext, (M)ultipart, or (H)TML.
UserID_
Holds the user-definable 'user id' information, such as a key back to another table.
The sections that follow this page cover topics you may find useful, but they are not required to get started. If you're comfortable with the material in Parts 1-12, you're ready to manage your list.
What's next?
|
|
