Overview:

BlueLena Guide: This process will cover the key action items for launching a newsletter. It lists the action items for both the registration/monetization platform and ActiveCampaign.

Checklist for setting up and launching a new newsletter:

  1. Note that if you utilize the Manage Preferences automation, you’ll need to follow Steps 6 and 7, otherwise you can skip these steps.
  2. Once this automation has been setup, you’ll create the new newsletter within your registration tech platform (Newspack, Wisepops, etc.).
  3. Add this new newsletter to all landing pages and popups. Some registration platforms will automatically do this for you, whereas others you’ll need to go in and add that preference for each popup.
  4. If this newsletter should be pre-checked for registrants, ensure this on the registration tech side.
    • If this is a paid newsletter, then you’ll instead want to make sure this is only available on the monetization popups/landing pages, or linked directly to the subscription/donation product(s).
    • Alternatively, if you’re unable to link a newsletter to a product in your monetization platform, you can setup an automation within AC that looks for the product name/membership status to match. The automation will then append the newsletter tag to the subscriber/donor and effectively make this pre-checked.
  5. Confirm if your registration tech platform syncs newsletters directly to lists or via tags.
    • If these sync directly to lists, map this sync within your registration tech platform.
    • If these initially sync to tags, you’ll need to first create a newsletter list in your account and then set up an automation that says “When tag *Insert Newsletter Name* is added, subscribe contact to corresponding newsletter list.
  6. Then, navigate to the contacts tab, and select Fields from the left navigation bar. Find the Newsletter Preferences field that was used in the aforementioned Manage Preferences automation and select the pen icon to the far right. Once the modal loads, add the new newsletter name and, at the bottom, specify whether it should be pre-checked (a default preference).
  7. Next, go into your Manage Preferences automation and add this newsletter to the process using the same documentation listed up above in Step 1.
  8. Finally, test the data flow by signing up on your website and making sure to select the new newsletter. Wait a few minutes and then go check your contact in ActiveCampaign to make sure they’re in the correct place to receive these newsletter communications going forward.
  9. ***Note if this is a paid newsletter, you’ll also want to set up an additional condition within the Manage Preferences automation that not only looks for if Newsletter Preferences contains the new newsletter, but also looks for an active membership status. This way, the only time contacts can select and receive the paid newsletter is if they choose it within preferences and are also a current paid member.