Advocacy Campaign and Email Setup Checklist One of the most important benefits for REALTOR Associations using the shared Convio platform is the ability to use standard templates and formatting options on call for action advocacy campaigns. By using the same layout and formatting for all campaigns, regardless of which center creates and launches the campaign, we can make it easier for members to take action on our important issues. As members become familiar with the standard layout they will immediately know where to find important summaries and information, as well as what steps to take to actually participate in the campaign. The more standardized our campaigns, and the more members understand the steps through habit and repetition, the higher participation numbers we will have across all associations. This checklist highlights the required steps so your advocacy campaign and related email message has consistent formatting with campaigns and messages sent by the National Association and other state and local boards. For a complete video walkthrough of these steps, please refer to this online tutorial: http://convio.na4.acrobat.com/p45324014/ Advocacy Campaign Setup Checklist Begin by creating a new Advocacy Action Alert. Step 1: Identify Alert a. Give the campaign an appropriate name and description. b. Set the campaign as a "One Step" type of alert. Step 2: Advanced Options a. Make sure that none of the boxes are checked for "Delivery Method Selection" or any "Delivery Rollover" options. Checking these boxes may allow faxes to be sent to legislators, incurring charges for your association. Step 3: Alert Message a. Enter all required fields to build the letter that will be sent to elected representatives. Be sure to use a relevant subject line, and keep the text of your message concise. Step 4: Select Targets a. Click the "Add Targets" button to select elected representatives for your campaign. The elected representatives (targets) of your campaign will receive the letter you created in the previous step.
b. Convio will automatically restrict participation by zipcode so that a member can only take action on the alert if their elected representative is targeted in your campaign. c. If you need to target someone not already included in Convio's database of representatives you can create them as a custom target using the "Create Custom Target" button and then add them to the target list with the "Add Targets" button. d. Be sure to select a delivery method for your campaign by clicking the "Email/Webform" checkbox at the top of the target list. Step 5: Select Contact Fields a. Try to use as few required fields as possible so members do not need to fill in additional information to participate in your campaign. Step 6: Include Questions a. It is not recommended to add additional questions to a campaign. Any additional fields that a constituent must fill out will decrease your participation numbers. Step 7: Configure Autoresponder a. An automatic message can be sent to a constituent after they take action on your campaign. Adjust the content of the default autoresponder if you wish. b. You can also choose to *not* send an autoresponder by changing the drop-down at the top of the page from "Send the version editable below" to "Do not send any version". Step 8: Thank You Page Options a. It is recommended to use the "Thank You + Tell-a-Friend, then Tell-a-Friend confirmation" option. This will provide you with viral marketing opportunities as constituents may pass the campaign along to their own friends, further increasing participation. b. Adjust the Tell-a-Friend instructions, Message Subject and Message Body to make it more relevant to your current campaign. Step 9: Design Alert a. Adjust the page wrapper if you wish to use something other than your center default. Some associations may choose to use a wrapper that is specific to the campaign, but this is optional Step 10: Configure Pages a. Click the "Customize Page" link next to the Take Action Page b. Select the far right layout called "REALTOR CFA Template". This will format all the elements of your campaign page in the same way as other associations c. In the "Edit Description" box, enter the relevant information for your campaign that. This is the information seen by constituents when they visit your campaign to take
action. It should speak to their concerns, state why the campaign is important, and encourage them to participate. d. In the section for "Customize Section heading and Display Options", use the following values i. Contact Information section heading: TAKE ACTION NOW ii. Target section heading: Send this message to: iii. Message section heading: <erase text and use nothing in this field> iv. Next button label: Send This Message v. Send button label: Send This Message e. Be sure to check the box to "Display an additional Send button" f. Click the button to "Search the Image Library". Use the search field for the image library and look for the keyword "advocacy". This will pull up a "Send This Message" button that has been pre-loaded into your center. Click the "Select" link to the right of the button to add it to your campaign page. Step 11: Preview Alert a. Enter your email address in the "Preview Email" field. b. Click the green "Preview Alert" button to check your formatting and content. c. Take action on the alert as if you were a constituent and you will receive the letter you created for elected representatives at the email address you entered in the "Preview Email" field. Step 12: Publish Alert a. Change the button to "Publish Now". You could also schedule it to be published at a later date and time. b. Click the "Finish" button c. Your advocacy alert is ready! Advocacy Email Setup Checklist Now that your alert is live on the Internet you must still promote it to your members with an email message. Begin by navigating to the Email Campaigns section, and then the green tab to view your list of campaigns. Copy the existing " Template Advocacy Campaign" and rename it to match your advocacy call for action. Now "Manage" the new campaign and edit the existing message. Step 1: Message Information a. Update the name of your email message so it is more relevant to your campaign. If you plan to send multiple messages about this advocacy alert, consider numbering or dating the message names.
Step 2: Envelope a. Update the message "Sender" name or email address, if desired. Keep in mind that changing the email address the message comes from could affect deliverability. b. Update the message subject. Make it concise and relevant to the campaign. Do not use excessive punctuation such as exclamation points as spam filters will count that will count that against you. Step 3: Stationary a. Update the message stationary, if desired. it is recommended to have a consistent look between your email message and your campaign's take action page. If you created a special page wrapper for your campaign, be sure to create a special stationary for the related email message. Step 4: HTML Content a. Update the default content in the template message layout. Add the campaign title, the description you crafted for the alert's take action page, and add short "What's at Stake" talking points to the right column. b. Now create the links to your campaign. i. Highlight the text for " Click here to take action on this issue" ii. Click the link icon in the WYSIWYG toolbar iii. Click the button to "Browse Convio Links" iv. Select the "Action Alert" type of links v. Find your campaign in the list and click on it to select it. If you do not see your campaign listed you probably did not publish it. vi. Update the "Link to This Page" drop-down to "Take Action Page" vii. Check the box to " Automatically log the user in when this link is clicked." viii. Click the "Select" button, then click the blue "Insert" button ix. Repeat for any other links to the campaign you want to create in your email message. It is recommended to do this for the two "Take Action" checkmark buttons in the left column of the message. c. Insert a preview of the letter that will go to the elected representative. i. In the left column of the message, find the "Action Alert Reply" box and delete it. This is just a placeholder so you know where to insert your actual letter preview. Keeping the flashing cursor between the two checkmark take action buttons, click the Convio Components icon in the WYSIWYG toolbar. ii. Select the Advocacy Component Type iii. Select an Alert Info component iv. Select your alert from the list.
v. Leave the option for "Action Alert Message" selected and click the blue "Insert" button vi. Now preview your email to check formatting and content. Step 5: Plain Text Email a. Click the "convert to Plain Text" button. b. Double check the formatting of your plain text email version Step 6: Send Review Email a. You can test the message by entering one or more email addresses in the "Message Testing" field. These test messages, when you click on the link to your campaign, will NOT autopopulate the form fields on the campaign page. b. To test the autologin links you must use the "Reviewer Group" functionality. A reviewer group is any group of people, such as staff, placed in the "Reviewer Group" section, under the green "Audience" tab, of your email campaign. Step 7: Approve a. Approve your message b. Click the "Set up Delivery" button c. Configuring Message Delivery i. Select the recipients for your email message. You can choose any combination of groups you have created, or select from the system-generated groups based on political district. ii. Select any Do Not Email groups. If you are doing supportive messaging for an existing campaign, such as a National CFA, you should add the advocacy participants group for that campaign to your Do Not Email list. This will prevent constituents from receiving the email if they have already taken action on the campaign. d. When ready, click the blue "Next" button to go to the final confirmation page, then click the green "Send" message to launch your message to your recipients. e. You are done! Please contact us if you have any questions about this material. You can reach us at cmcdonough@realtors.org.