How to create email campaign using HTML

In this article, you will learn how to create, test and send a campaign from the very beginning, by simply uploading a zip file containing the HTML file you would like to use as your email template along with the relevant image files.

In order to create and send a new campaign, you will have to do the following:

•         HTML template with referenced image files packaged in a zip file
•         Contact list of your target recipients

Ready, Set, Go!

Create an HTML Campaign

Step 1.  From the left side menu options, select  Campaigns > New Campaign.

Step 2. Enter the campaign subject line, sender name & email, and internal name for the campaign.

1. Subject line - This is the first text your recipient will see, so make it appealing. To personalize your email subject with the recipient's first, last name or email, select the corresponding option from "Insert personalization" drop down.
2. Sender name and email - How the sender name will appear to your recipients. The email address is the default one based on your account profile. To add additional sender email addresses, send a request to help@contactpigeon.com.
3. Internal name - Descriptive name for the campaign for internal reference. Since this will not be visible to your recipients, you can use this field to indicate the various versions of the email (e.g., for A/B testing) or log any other information.
4. Campaign folder - The campaign folder is used for grouping campaigns. By indicating a specific folder name here, this campaign will be automatically categorized there after you send it. If you don't indicate a Campaign folder, it will be added to a generic default folder.
5. Google UTM - When this option is enabled, ContactPigeon will append descriptive UTM parameter to all links in your campaign. If you have Google Analytics configured for your website, you will then be able to track click-through activity from your campaign in Google Analytics

Step 3. Click "Yes, go to next step" to move to Content. In this section now you will have to click on the “HTML code” tab. Once you are there you will see 3 options, Rich text HTML editor, Import Custom HTML and Upload zip. See sections below for each of the 3 options.

Rich Text HTML Editor - This provides an "MS word" like editor interface for you to start adding or formatting content for your email. You can enter HTML source code directly here by using the "</> Source" button function, which will bring up an HTML template where you write or paste your codes. Once you are finished with HTML code, you will be able to preview the email and make any necessary changes using the Rich editor.

Import Custom HTML - This option takes you directly to an HTML source page for you to start customizing your own HTML template. This section is for the people who have knowledge of HTML, CSS & maybe Java language. Here you can create your own HTML coded mailer directly on our platform. After you complete the HTML template, you can preview the result before sending the campaign.

Upload ZIP - If you already have a ready-made HTML template and image files, you can package all of them within a zip folder, and upload the entire zip file directly onto ContactPigeon. Click on "Choose File" to select the zip file from your PC directory, and hit "+ Convert" to add the templates to ContactPigeon. The ZIP file will be converted magically to the email for you to preview and send ready.

Once you are done with adding the HTML template using any of the 3 options, you can proceed to the next step of selecting target recipients.

Step 4.  Select recipients for your campaign by checking the corresponding contact lists. 

1. Select one or more contact lists as email recipients.
2. If multiple lists are selected, you can indicate whether if a contact needs to be in all selected list in order to receive the campaign (YES) or the contact can be on either  list  (NO).
3. Check to receive a copy of the campaign when it's sent.
4. If there are contacts you'd wish to exclude for the campaign (e.g., those who indicated not to be contacted), you can select the list within Negative lists
5. Verify the total number of campaign recipients after all selection.
6. Move to next step - Delivery.

Step 5. Review your campaign one more time before delivery. 

• Verify the subject, sender info, and recipients. 
• To send a test email, enter your email under the "Single recipient's email" and click "Sent a test". You will receive the test email in a few minutes.
• Click on "Schedule Delivery" to move to the final step.

Step 6. Set the date and time for when you would like the campaign to be delivered. The default selection is "Send it now" which delivers the campaign as soon as you hit "Send". 

To schedule your campaign for a future time, check "Schedule it for the following time" option. This enables a date and time fields for you to set exactly when the email will be delivered. Select the day, month, year, hour and minute. 

Finally, click "SEND" to confirm your campaign delivery, and the campaign will be on its way.