To send out an email campaign using SugarCRM’s Campaigns module, first create one or more target lists to identify the recipients of your message. Then, within the Campaigns module, use either the wizard or classic create method to create a new Campaign. (The wizard will walk you step by step through the process, while classic create will allow you to move through the process at your own pace and order.)
When creating your campaign, use the type “Email” for a one-time
campaign, or “Newsletter” for an ongoing campaign such as a monthly
newsletter. You can track objectives and budget information to help you
organize and analyze your campaigns. You will also need to link the
Target List(s) you created to the Campaign.
Next, plan the content of your email message, if you have not already
done so. Identify the hyperlinks that will be included in your message.
Create a Tracker URL for each link, so that you will be able to track
who clicks them once your message has been sent. The “name” you enter
when creating your hyperlink will become the default hyperlink text when
you insert it into your email, but it can be updated later as needed.
Then, create the email template for your message. Make sure that you
create it from within the Campaigns module so that you have access to
the full Campaigns functionality. Within your email template, you can
insert fields from your database, so that you can personalize your
message for each recipient. You can also insert images, such as your
company logo, although they must be stored on your web server as you can
only insert via URL. SugarCRM also supports HTML templates.
After creating your message, you will want to test it to make sure it
looks like you planned. Create a test-type target list and add yourself
to the list. Link the test list to the campaign, and then use the
action button to “Send Test.” You may want to use several email
addresses to check how your message displays in common email clients,
such as Exchange, Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, et cetera, ensuring that your
message displays consistently for all recipients. You can also check
that the hyperlinks are tracking correctly by clicking one or more links
in the test email(s). Your clicks should be shown in the results of the
Campaign.
You can revise your message and resend your test as many times as
necessary. When you are satisfied with your message, go to the results
view of your campaign and clear the test results so that you can start
fresh. Then, use the action button to send your email. Please note that
the email messages may not be sent immediately; the timing depends on
two factors. First, the messages will not be sent prior to the date and
time that you selected when creating your marketing message. Once that
time is passed, the messages will be sent by a Scheduler process, which
may be set to run overnight. Your SugarCRM administrator can configure
the Scheduler process, so check with him/her to verify that when the
process will run.
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