AWeber Tutorial ebook Page 1
Table of Contents Copyright Notices 3 Legal Notices 3 Reach more customers, faster with AWeber Autoresponder 4 Features 4 Benefits 4 Getting Started With AWeber E-mail Marketing 6 Configuring List Settings 6 Configuring the Confirmation Message 9 Configuring the Welcome E-mail 12 Creating a Web Form 14 Sending Email Newsletters 22 Building an Effective Follow Up Campaign 28 Sharing a Follow Up Campaign 32 Adding an Opt-in Web Form to Your Website 34 Page 2
Copyright Notices Copyright 2010 by 1 for All Software GmbH, Switzerland All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission or further information should be addressed to 1 for All Software GmbH Industriestrasse 31 6300 Zug, Switzerland www.1forallsoftware.com Legal Notices While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the Publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the subject matter. This publication is not intended for use as a source of legal or accounting advice. The Publisher wants to stress that the information contained herein may be subject to varying state and/or local laws or regulations. All users are advised to retain competent counsel to determine what state and/or local laws or regulations may apply to the user's particular business. The purchaser or reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and information. Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, both federal and state and local, governing professional licensing, business practices, advertising and all other aspects of doing business in the United States or any other jurisdiction is the sole responsibility of the purchaser or reader. The author and Publisher assume no responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of these materials. Page 3
Reach more customers, faster with AWeber Autoresponder AWeber Autoresponder helps you use your website and e-mail more effectively to grow your business s client base. The AWeber tools guide you through the process of creating fullfeatured, structured marketing campaigns, quickly and easily. This web-based solution uses a simple, four-step process to gather e-mail subscriber information. You can then turn those e-mail prospects into revenue by sending targeted e-mail newsletters and regularly scheduled messages to your subscriber lists. These messages drive website traffic, turning your communications into real business leads. The tools also provide tips for how to use e-mail and web forms more effectively, including how to phrase subject lines and body text, to ensure maximum response feedback. AWeber Autoresponder also links to popular social media sites so you can reach even more people, faster. Features Gathers and stores subscriber lists using easy-to-use, web-based tools Links your subscriber lists to Facebook and Twitter, so you can harness the power of social media Aids in the creation of web-based opt-in forms using Javascript or HTML Includes web form templates and provides the ability to choose color schemes, making it easy to match just about any web site design Provides for customizable web form data fields, so you can capture more subscriber data to suit your needs Configures HTML or plain text e-mail for all subscriber correspondence Includes built-in confirmation e-mail capability (opt-in is fully compliant with commonly accepted anti-spam practices) Configures thank you/welcome e-mails Schedules follow up messages, based on subscription date Generates broadcast newsletters using HTML or plain text Provides audio and video support on welcoming web pages Manages multiple subscriber list campaigns with the ability to share follow-up and broadcast messages between campaigns Complies with all anti-spam laws and provides recommendations for how to follow the law Benefits Increase your subscriber base reach more people, faster Save time and effort setting up your e-mail campaign Drive website traffic Quickly determine the effectiveness of your web and e-mail promotions Reach potential customers in multiple ways (increase your reach) and turn prospects into business Page 4
For more information, visit www.aweber.com. Page 5
Getting Started With AWeber E-mail Marketing AWeber e-mail marketing enables users to provide a website form for subscription to an e-mail list by website visitors. The following items must be configured to create a subscription list: List settings subscriber name and e-mail address list Confirmation message e-mail confirmation sent to each subscriber with a prompt to activate the subscription Welcome e-mail e-mail sent to each subscriber after subscription confirmation thanking the subscriber for joining Web form subscriber name and e-mail address entry form for use on your website The AWeber home page (see Figure 1) displays subscriber statistics and provides access to the setup wizard, which guides users through the configuration process. Do This Step button. Click to configure list settings. Setup Wizard. Displays list setup status. Figure 1: AWeber Home Page. The setup wizard displays progress in the lower right corner of the screen. Configuring List Settings The subscriber list is where AWeber saves the names and e-mail addresses of website visitors who opt to receive future e-mail messages. Page 6
To configure the subscriber list: 1. To configure list settings, click Do This Step. The setup wizard displays the List Settings screen (see Figure 2). Figure 2: Configuring List Settings. 2. Enter the mailing list name in the List Name field. Each list must have a unique name within the AWeber system. If the list name is currently being used, the setup wizard displays an error message prompting for entry of a new list name. 3. Enter a description for the campaign in the Description field. AWeber displays this description on the Unsubscribe page for the campaign. 4. Enter the e-mail sender s name in the From Name field. 5. Enter the sender s e-mail address Address field. AWeber displays the address in the From line of all e-mail correspondence with subscribers. AWeber recommends using an e-mail address hosted by your domain, so the e-mail is easily recognizable. Page 7
Note: AWeber does not e-mail addresses from free e-mail providers, such as Yahoo! or Google to comply with anti-spam e-mail laws. 6. Add company information in the Company Branding area (see Figure 3), as follows: Figure 3: Configuring Company Branding. Company Name your company s name. Website URL web address of your company website s main page. Logo URL web address for your company s logo file. AWeber recommends GIF or JPG file types. Email Signature branded e-mail signature text. 7. Use the Social Media/Sharing area (see Figure 4) to connect your subscriber list to your social media accounts: Click to connect your subscriber list to your Twitter account. Click to connect your subscriber list to your Facebook account. Figure 4: Configuring Social Media/Sharing. Click the appropriate buttons to connect your subscriber list to a Twitter or Facebook account. Page 8
Click Include a web form to include a web opt-in form or Twitter link on your web archive page. 8. To request an e-mail notification for every new subscription, in the Notifications area, enter the recipient name and e-mail address in the appropriate fields and click ADD (see Figure 5). Save List Settings button. Click to save list configuration to this point. Go to Step 2 button. After saving the list settings, click to configure the confirmation message. 9. Click Save List Settings. Figure 5: Configuring Notifications. Configuring the Confirmation Message The system displays a prompt to set up the confirmation e-mail subscribers receive when they join your list. The confirmation e-mail contains a link for the user to activate their subscription to receive future e-mails. To configure the confirmation message: 1. Click Go To Step 2 (see Figure 5). The setup wizard displays the Confirmed Opt-In screen (see Figure 6). Page 9
Confirmed Optin Status. Click ON or OFF as needed. Figure 6: Configuring Confirmed Opt-In. 2. Click the Confirmed Opt-In Status to change it to ON or OFF, as needed. Note: AWeber recommends always setting the Confirmed Opt-In Status to ON to comply with existing anti-spam laws. 3. To change the subject line, click Edit Subject (see Figure 7). Page 10
Edit Subject. Click to change the subject line. Edit Intro. Click to change the introductory paragraph. Edit Signature. Click to change the closing text. Figure 7: Configuring Your Confirmation Message. 4. Select a subject line from the Choose Pre-Approved Subject drop-down list OR Create a subject line by entering the desired information into the Define a Custom Subject field. Note: AWeber recommends that the subject line clearly identify the message sender and indicate an action is required. 5. To change the introductory paragraph, click Edit Intro and enter the text for the introductory paragraph in the space provided. Text entry is limited to 500 characters, including spaces. Note: AWeber recommends reminding the reader that they must click on the confirmation link at the bottom of the e-mail to subscribe to the list. 6. To change the closing statement, click Edit Signature and entering the closing text into the space provided. Note: AWeber recommends entering a thank you along with the company s name. 7. Click Save List Settings. The system displays a confirmation message indicating your confirmation e-mail has been saved and it will be reviewed within one business day. Page 11
Configuring the Welcome E-mail The welcome e-mail thanks subscribers for joining the e-mail list and sets subscribers expectations for future e-mails. To configure the welcome e-mail: 1. Click Do This Step. The setup wizard displays the Follow Up #1 Edit screen (see Figure 8), which is used to configure the welcome e-mail. Figure 8: Configuring the Follow Up #1 Message. 2. Enter a subject line into the Subject field. 3. To create an HTML message, type or paste your content into the HTML Message area OR To create a plain text message, type or paste your content into the Plain Text Message area. Page 12
Note: Click Wrap Long Lines to display long sentences or paragraphs in a more easily viewable format in plain text messages. 4. Click Attach A File to add a file attachment to the message (see Figure 9). A dialog box prompts for the location of the file (see Figure 10). Click Browse to select the file. Enter a comment in the Comment field. Click Attach File to upload the file to your AWeber account to be included with e-mail. Figure 9: Configuring Follow Up Options. Figure 10: Adding an attachment. 5. Click Track Clicks to enable click-through message tracking. Page 13
6. Click Save Message to save the welcome e-mail. The wizard displays a list of the campaign s current e-mails along with a prompt to create a web form for subscribers to join your e-mail list. 7. Click Add New Follow Up Message to create more messages for the campaign, if needed. Creating a Web Form The web form provides text entry fields for subscribers to join your e-mail list. In this section, users design the web form and indicate a method of placing it on the appropriate website. To create a web form: US Address button. Click to collect mailing address information on the web form. 1. Click Do This Step. The Web Form Design screen displays (see Figure 11). Show/Hide Templates. Click to show or hide web form template thumbnails. Create a New Field button. Click to add a custom field to the web form. Resize. Click and drag to change the width of the web form. Save Web Form button. Click to save the web form configuration. Figure 11: Designing the Web Form. 2. To choose a template for the form, click the Show Templates arrow. The wizard displays thumbnail images of the templates. To select the template that best suits your website s graphic style, click the appropriate thumbnail image. 3. Click Load Template. The wizard displays the form template. All templates contain two fields: Name subscriber s first and last name E-mail subscriber s e-mail address 4. Select how the form is to be displayed from the Type drop-down list: In-line displayed within the body of a web page. Pop-over hovers within a web page. Can be blocked by pop-up blockers. Go To Step 2 button. After saving the web form, click to configure basic settings. Page 14
Lightbox hovers within a web page, but the web page darkens to highlight the form. Pop-up displayed in a new browser window or tab. Can be blocked by pop-up blockers. 5. To collect mailing address information from subscribers, click US Address. A dialog dox provides selections for the information to collect (see Figure 12). Figure 12: Adding US Mailing Address Fields to the Web Form. 5. To add custom fields, click Create a New Field. A dialog box provides a text entry area for naming the field (see Figure 13). Figure 13: Adding Custom Fields to the Web Form. Page 15
6. To add header text to the template, click Edit Header and enter the desired header text in the space provided (see Figure 14). To format the text, use the selections above the text entry area. Click OK to save the text. Figure 14: Editing the Web Form Header Text. 7. To change the width of the form, click the Resize indicator and drag it right to widen the form OR Click the Resize indicator and drag it left to narrow the form 8. Click the Submit button to change its text label. Enter the new name for the button in the Text field (see Figure 15). Figure 15: Configuring the Submit Button. 9. Click Edit Footer and enter the desired footer text into the space provided (see Figure 16). To format the text, use the selections above the text entry area. Click OK to save the text. Page 16
Figure 16: Editing the Web Form Footer Text. 10. To change the look and positioning of the Submit button, click it and select the position from the available Position options. Click Advanced to use your own image for the button. Enter the location of the button graphic file in the Button Image field. 11. Click Save Web Form to save the current web form configuration. 12. Click Go To Step 2. The Basic Settings configuration screen displays (see Figure 17). Figure 17: Configuring Web Form Basic Settings. Page 17
13. Enter a form name into the Form Name field. 14. Select a Thank You page from the Thank You Page drop-down list. Refer to Table 1 for Thank You page options. Option Basic Audio Video Custom Page Stay on Current Page Table 1 Thank You Page Options Description Simple web page customized with your company s logo. Web page with customized logo and an audio player. Web page with customized logo and a video player. Web page located on your company s web site. Enter the address for your website s thank you page in the text field. Click Open in a new window to have the thank you page display in a new web browser window. Do not display a thank you page. 15. Enter a website address for a web page to display if the subscriber is already on your list into the Already Subscribed Page field. 16. Click Save Web Form to save the current web form configuration. 17. Click Go To Step 3. The Who Will Publish This Form To Your Website screen displays (see Figure 18). Page 18
Figure 18: Publishing the Web Form. 18. Place the form on your company s website using one of the following methods: Click I Will Install My Form to place a Javascript snippet or HTML code for the form on your website (see Figure 19). Select the desired code type, copy the web address from the field, and paste it into the web editing software where you would like it to appear on your site. Page 19
Figure 19: Installing Your Own Web Form. Click My Web Designer Will Install My Form to e-mail the HTML to your web designer for placement on your website (see Figure 20). Fill out the fields and click Send to My Designer to send the information to your designer. Figure 20: Sending Web Form Information to a Web Designer. Page 20
Click Have AWeber Host My Form to have your subscription form hosted by AWeber (see Figure 21). Copy the AWeber address from the field and paste it into your web editing software where you would like it to appear on your site. Figure 21: Having AWeber Host the Web Form. 19. When the form s HTML has been added to the website s code, refresh the page to display the form. Page 21
Sending Email Newsletters Use the broadcast tool to send e-mail newsletters to a subscriber list on a set schedule. The tool enables quick entry of message content, as well as scheduling the day and time when the message is to be sent. To configure an e-mail newsletter: 1. Select Broadcast from the Messages tab. AWeber displays the Broadcast Messages page (see Figure 22). Create Broadcast Message button. Click to configure a new e-mail newsletter. Setup Wizard. Displays list setup status. Figure 22: Broadcast Messages Page. 2. Click Create Broadcast Message to configure the message. The Broadcast Edit screen displays (see Figure 23). Page 22
Figure 23: Editing a Broadcast Message. 3. Enter the subject line in the Subject field. 4. To create an HTML message, type or paste your content into the HTML Message area OR To create a plain text message, type or paste your content into the Plain Text Message area. Note: Click Wrap Long Lines to display long sentences or paragraphs in a more easily viewable format in plain text messages. 5. Click Attach A File to add a file attachment to the message (see Figure 24). A dialog box prompts for the location of the file. Click Browse to select the file. Enter a comment in the Comment field. Click Attach File to upload the file to your AWeber account to be included with e-mail. Page 23
Figure 24: Configuring Broadcast Message Options. 6. To send the message immediately, slick Send Immediately OR Click Send Later to schedule the broadcast for a later date and time. Enter the date into the date field using the calendar (see Figure 25). Select the time and am/pm from the drop-down lists. Page 24
Date field. Click in the field to display the calendar. Select the transmission date from the calendar. Figure 25: Setting the Transmission Date Using the Calendar. 7. To send the newsletter to all or a portion of the subscriber list, select the desired segment from the Send to Segment drop-down list. 8. To include multiple e-mail lists in the broadcast, click Include or Exclude Other Lists. AWeber displays all available subscriber lists. Click Include or Exclude as needed. 9. Click Track Clicks to enable click through tracking of website links within the e-mail. 10. Click Save Message to save the message content and transmission configuration. To send a preview version of the broadcast message: 1. Click the Test link associated with the desired message on the Pending Broadcasts list (see Figure 26). AWeber displays a dialog box prompting for e-mail address where the message should be sent (see Figure 27). Test link. Click to send a preview message to your e-mail address. Queue button. Click to send the broadcast message. Figure 26: Broadcast Messages List with Message Ready for Preview. Page 25
Figure 27: Sending a Test Message. 2. Enter the e-mail address in the Email Address field. 3. Click Send Test. AWeber sends the preview message to the specified e-mail address. 4. Verify the message formatting and links. Modify the message as needed and retest until the message formatting and links work properly. To send the broadcast message: 1. Click Queue to schedule the broadcast transmission for the desired message on the Pending Broadcasts list (see Figure 26). AWeber displays a confirmation dialog box (see Figure 28). Figure 28: Sending the Broadcast Message. 2. Click OK to confirm the transmission. AWeber automatically sends the message at the scheduled date and time. To cancel a scheduled broadcast message: 1. To change the message prior to broadcast, click Don t Send (see Figure 29). Page 26
Figure 29: Cancelling Transmission of a Broadcast Message. Don t Send button. Click to cancel transmission of the broadcast message. 2. Click the Subject link to edit the content or transmission date and time. 3. Save the changes to the message and queue it again. Page 27
Building an Effective Follow Up Campaign Use AWeber to create follow up messages that are sent to the subscriber list generated by the opt-in form on your web site. Refer to Getting Started With AWeber Email Marketing for more information about how to configure a subscriber list and the associated e-mails and web form. AWeber enables users to create as many follow up messages as needed. Users may create a sequence of messages ahead of time, so all subscribers receive the same information in the same timeframes after joining the list. To configure follow up messages: 1. Select Follow Up from the Messages tab. The Follow Up Messages page displays (see Figure 30). Add New Follow Up Message button. Click to configure a new follow up message. Setup Wizard. Displays setup status. Figure 30: Follow Up Messages Page. 2. Click Add New Follow Up Message. The Follow Up Edit page displays (see Figure 31). Page 28
Figure 31: Editing the Follow Up Message. 3. Enter a subject line in the Subject field. 4. To create an HTML message, type or paste your content into the HTML Message area OR To create a plain text message, type or paste your content into the Plain Text Message area. Note: Click Wrap Long Lines to display long sentences or paragraphs in a more easily viewable format in plain text messages. 5. Click Attach A File to add a file attachment to the message (see Figure 32). A dialog box prompts for the location of the file (see Figure 33). Click Browse to select the file. Enter a comment in the Comment field. Click Attach File to upload the file to your AWeber account to be included with e-mail. Page 29
Figure 32: Configuring Follow Up Options. Figure 33: Adding an Attachment. 6. Enter the number of days between message transmissions to the subscriber list in the Interval field. Note: If this is the first follow up message for the subscriber list, the message is sent immediately after subscribers join the list. 7. Click Track Clicks to enable click-through message tracking. 8. Click Save Message to save the message configuration. The Page 30
To send a preview version of the follow up message: 1. Click the Test link associated with the desired message on the Follow Up messages list (see Figure 34). AWeber displays a dialog box prompting for e-mail address where the message should be sent (see Figure 35). Test link. Click to send a preview of the Follow Up message. Figure 34: Follow Up Messages List with Message Ready for Preview. Page 31
Figure 35: Sending a Test Message. 2. Enter the e-mail address in the Email Address field. 3. Click Send Test. AWeber sends the preview message to the specified e-mail address. 4. Verify the message formatting and links. Modify the message as needed and retest until the message formatting and links work properly. Sharing a Follow Up Campaign AWeber e-mail campaigns may be shared amongst subscriber lists or accounts, so users can copy successful broadcast and follow up messages to save time. To share campaign messages: Page 32
Figure 36: Sharing Messages Between Campaigns. 1. From the Follow Up Messages page (see Figure 36), select the messages to share between campaigns from the Enable campaign sharing for authorized users dropdown list: Campaign Sharing Off do not share messages between campaigns. Follow Up Messages Only only share follow up messages between campaigns. Broadcast Messages Only only share broadcast e-mail newsletters between campaigns. Follow Ups and Broadcasts share Follow Up and Broadcast messages between campaigns. 2. Enter the campaign from which the messages are shared in the Use a pre-defined campaign by entering the campaign code field. AWeber retrieves the selected messages from the campaign. Note: AWeber replaces all currently configured Follow Up messages with the messages retrieved from the source campaign. Page 33
Adding an Opt-in Web Form to Your Website Create a web form that can be placed on your website. Subscribers use the web form to join an e-mail list. Web forms may be built into existing pages on your website or displayed as popups. To create a web form: 1. Click the Web Forms tab. The Web Forms page displays (see Figure 37). Figure 37: Web Forms Page. Page 34
US Address button. Click to collect mailing address information on the web form. Create a New Field button. Click to add a custom field to the web form. 2. Click Create Web Form. The Web Form Design screen displays (see Figure 38). Figure 38: Designing the Web Form. 3. To choose a template for the form, click the Show Templates arrow. The wizard displays thumbnail images of the templates. To select the template that best suits your website s graphic style, click the appropriate thumbnail image. 4. Click Load Template. The wizard displays the form template. All templates contain two fields: 1. Name subscriber s first and last name 2. E-mail subscriber s e-mail address 5. Select how the form is to be displayed from the Type drop-down list: In-line displayed within the body of a web page. Pop-over hovers within a web page. Can be blocked by pop-up blockers. Lightbox hovers within a web page, but the web page darkens to highlight the form. Pop-up displayed in a new browser window or tab. Can be blocked by pop-up blockers. Show/Hide Templates. Click to show or hide web form template thumbnails. Resize. Click and drag to change the width of the web form. Save Web Form button. Click to save the web form configuration. Go To Step 2 button. After saving the web form, click to configure basic settings. Page 35
6. To collect mailing address information from subscribers, click US Address. A dialog box provides selections for the information to collect (see Figure 39). Figure 39: Adding US Mailing Address Fields to the Web Form. 7. To add custom fields, click Create a New Field. A dialog box provides a text entry area for naming the field (see Figure 40). Figure 40: Adding Custom Fields to the Web Form. Page 36
8. To add header text to the template, click Edit Header and enter the desired header text into the space provided (see Figure 41). To format the text, use the selections above the text entry area. Click OK to save the text. Figure 41: Editing the Web Form Header Text. 9. To change the width of the form, click the Resize indicator and drag it right to widen the form OR Click the Resize indicator and drag it left to narrow the form 10. Click the Submit button to change its text label. Enter the new name for the button in the Text field (see Figure 42). Figure 42: Configuring the Submit Button. 11. Click Edit Footer and enter the desired footer text in the space provided (see Figure 43). To format the text, use the selections above the text entry area. Page 37
Figure 43: Editing the Web Form Footer Text. 12. Click Save Web Form to save the current web form configuration. 13. Click Go To Step 2. The Basic Settings configuration screen displays (see Figure 44). Figure 44: Configuring Web Form Basic Settings. 14. Enter a form name into the Form Name field. Page 38
15. Select a Thank You page from the Thank You Page drop-down list. Refer to Table 1 for Thank You page options. Option Basic Audio Video Custom Page Stay on Current Page Table 1 Thank You Page Options Description Simple web page customized with your company s logo. Web page with customized logo and an audio player. Web page with customized logo and a video player. Web page located on your company s web site. Enter the address for your website s thank you page in the text field. Click Open in a new window to have the thank you page display in a new web browser window. Do not display a thank you page. 16. Enter a website address for a web page to display if the subscriber is already on your list into the Already Subscribed Page field. 17. Click Save Web Form to save the web form configuration. 18. Click Go To Step 3. The Who Will Publish This Form To Your Website screen displays (see Figure 45). Figure 45: Publishing the Web Form. Page 39
19. Place the form on your company s website using one of the following methods: Click I Will Install My Form to place a Javascript snippet or HTML code for the form on your website (see Figure 46). Select the desired code type, copy the web address from the field, and paste it into the web editing software where you would like it to appear on your site. Figure 46: Installing Your Own Web Form. Click My Web Designer Will Install My Form to e-mail the HTML to your web designer for placement on your website (see Figure 47). Fill out the fields and click Send to My Designer to send the information to your designer. Page 40
Figure 47: Sending Web Form Information to a Web Designer. Click Have AWeber Host My Form to have your subscription form hosted by AWeber (see Figure 48). Copy the AWeber address from the field and paste it into your web editing software where you would like it to appear on your site. Figure 48: Having AWeber Host the Web Form. 20. When the form s HTML has been added to the website s code, refresh the page to display the form. Page 41