Add Call to Action

Modules>Marketing>Calls to Action> Add Call to Action

A Call To Action (CTA) is a marketing message or campaign that requests an action from the recipients of the messages such as membership renewal. This function in NetForum combines templates with mailings lists in preparation for a mass mailing. You may also assign a CTA to a Messaging Campaign to keep track of your campaign goals.

Note: You can also use the Call to Action Wizard to add a call to action.

To add a Call to Action:

  1. Go to Modules>Marketing.
  2. In the Calls To Action group item, click the Add Call To Action group item link. The Add Call To Action page displays.
  3. Complete the following fields as needed:
    Field Name Required? Description
    messaging campaign Optional To include this CTA as part of a messaging campaign, select the campaign in the drop-down.
    promotional code Optional Enter the promotional code for this CTA. This will help your business track your CTAs.
    external list Optional Click the external list check box if the recipients of this CTA are being populated from an external list. Choosing this option will disable several of the fields on the form that are no longer needed.
    hide on correspondence profile Optional Click this check box if you do not wish this CTA to appear on the correspondence profile.
    log customer activity Optional Click this check box to log the activity related to this CTA on the communications child form. This box is checked by default. This information will be displayed on the Individual Profile > correspondence tab > communications child form
    description Required Enter a description on what this CTA is supposed to achieve.
    list type Required The correct list type must be selected that matches the Correspondence Template you will be using. For example, if you choose a template based on Individuals, you must choose an Individual List Type. You must choose a list type which will determine the Data Sources and the Correspondence Templates you can use. (If you want to choose the data source with a mailing list, choose the list type of "Mailing List detail). For more information on List Types and Templates and how they work together, read the topic on Correspondence Templates. See List Type below for more information about this field.
    data source Required You may choose what data source you want to generate your data from. You may use a previously generated query or create a new one. You may also use an audience rather than a query as discussed below. The Data Source is a query that returns all the people you want to send this call to action email to. For example, if you choose to send to individuals, you must have a query in individual in CRM or click on the "add" button to add in a query. (NOTICE you must enter the name of the query and save it) If you want to send this call to action to a list of members, you must choose the "List Type" of Membership and a query in member. Note that Query Security is observed, and Queries with overridden SQL using Query Create SQL cannot be selected.
    • You may click the Edit icon next to your chosen data source and modify your query directly within the CTA. This includes the ability to specify that parameters be Ask At Run-time. Also notice that a Set Parameters hyperlink next to the data source drop-down has been added. The Set Parameters hyperlink will allow you to use queries with Ask at Runtime parameters in Calls to Action which was not previously available. You may create a standard query that has several parameters, for example, and then reuse this query within several Calls to Action without making any modifications other than setting the Runtime parameters when the Call to Action is created.
    ask ladderOptional

    This field displays only if the list type you select has an ask ladder associated with it. Click the drop-down list to select the ask ladder to include in the template for this Call to Action. This allows you to insert up to five ask ladder values in the text of your message, three ask amounts are used in this example:

    Dear donor,Please donate ${dnr_ask_amount1}. If you cannot afford this, then please donate ${dnr_ask_amount2}. At a minimum, we would be grateful if you could donate ${dnr_ask_amount3}.

    This example uses ask amounts one through three, but there are a maximum of five ask amounts that you can use.

    audience Optional You may also use an Audience with your CTA as your data source instead of selecting a query. Note that if you choose to use an audience, you must modify your query through the audience itself rather than through the data source as described above. When using an audience, the data source drop-down will not be visible. You may not use an audience and a data source at the same time for a CTA.
    correspondence template Required Choose or add the template you want to use for your CTA in this drop-down field. Add a new template by clicking the Add Plus.jpg button.
    mailing type Required Select the mailing type that this CTA should be distributed to. Note that if the member has opted-out of this mailing type, they will not receive the e-mail unless that member is part of a seed list which will override that setting.
    seed list Optional This will enable you to select a seed list in the drop-down to distribute the e-mail to. Note that members on the seed list override mailing type opt-outs.
    files to attach Optional Browse your computer to attach any files that should be distributed with the CTA.
    attachment(s) Optional Highlight attachments that have been added and click the Remove button to remove them from the CTA.
    delivery method Required Use the drop-down to specify a delivery method. Your choices are:
    • User Preference - Will deliver based upon the user's specified preference such as e-mail or fax.
    • E-mail - Will deliver to e-mail regardless of user preference.
    • Fax - Will deliver to fax regardless of user preference.
    • Mail - Intended to handle direct mailings regardless of user preference.
    cost package Optional Cost packages allow you to track certain costs associated with Marketing initiatives. There are two types of cost packages. The first allows you to specify a fixed price and have that fixed price applied each time the cost package is used. The second type of cost package allows you to set up a cost package that has its price set manually each time it is used. Also note that if a cost package is selected at the time of send, the cost record created will be multiplied by the number of recipients. See Cost Package for information about setting up cost packages.
    from Required Specify the e-mail addresses that the Call to Action will appear from. This two drop-down is managed exactly like all communication templates are in netFORUM with User Email Alias (manipulated by editing the User's record in the Admin module).
    create document Optional Use the Create Document drop-down to create a document of your CTA. You may choose to include all returned records or by the segments you define which are explained in the next section. This functionality will merge the recipients information with the template selected and put the merged text in the document created to be printed and mailed. Note that the document can be created if delivery method is Mail or User Preference. If User Preference, only customers who list Mail as the preferred method will be placed in the document. The physical mail child form on the CTA profile provides a listing of individuals who will receive the mailing that may be exported and sent to a mail house.
    reply to Optional Specify the e-mail addresses that the Call to Action recipients will reply to if they choose to reply. This two drop-down is managed exactly like all communication templates are in netFORUM with User Email Alias (manipulated by editing the User's record in the Admin module).
    schedule type Required Choose a schedule option for the delivery of the message:
    • One Time - Immediate - The message will be sent immediately.
    • One Time - Schedule - You are able to schedule a future date and time.
    • Recurring - You are able to schedule multiple delivery times for a correspondence. You are able to determine a start date and time, end date, as well as how often it is delivered. You may also set a daily interval with recurring scheduling.

    Note: One-time delivery options cannot be rescheduled. To send a message again, create a new CTA.

    send with high priority? Optional Click this check box to flag the CTA as a high priority message.
    test email Optional Use the test email field to specify an email address to send a test email to. You may specify to send the test email as HTML or text in the As drop-down field. When you have completed the Test Email and As fields, click the Send test email button to send the email.
    as Optional Select the format in which you would like the test e-mail sent.
    segment? Optional Click the segment? check box to enable segmenting for this CTA.
  4. Click the Save button to complete your Call to Action.