5 Updates To SendSteed

We have just completed another round of updates to our List Management System – SendSteed.

Here are the updates:

1) Preview Text

Email Apps like Gmail and AOL will show a preview text in the email listing.

Take a look at the sample below to see what I mean.

Preview text is by default the starting of your email message. It is automatically populated by the email app.

But since email apps cannot tell when your email message actually starts, it will simply grab all the text, starting from the beginning.

Using our email template as an example, the preview text will start with your List Name, followed by Greetings and finally your Email Message.

As you can see from the example above, it is not too attractive.

The solution?

We have now added an extra option for you to set up the Preview Text.

You will see this option in all the email setup forms.

Once you set up the Preview Text, your email can look like this:

Your subscriber will then see the subject and a juicy preview of the content.

If you have set up Email Series and want to add Preview Text to the emails, you will have to open up every email and fill in the Preview Text field. I’m sorry there is no easier way to do it. Please be assured that even if you don’t do it, it is okay. The email is not broken in anyway.

2) Customize Verification Email

This is a request from our member, Tony. Below is what he wrote,

“I do have one quick suggestion though, at the moment the list builder is double opt in which is fine, but it would be nice if we could edit the opt-in email that goes out, so the subscriber is absolutely clear what they are confirming their email for. As it stands it is system generated with a set subject line and body, with only the campaign name showing to indicate what they are confirming their email for.”

To customize the verification email, go to your List Manager, click this button

You will see 2 emails that you can customize.

1. Welcome email

Previously, the setting of the welcome email is in the List setup panel. We have now moved it into a separate panel and put it together with the Verification Email.

2. Verification Email

This is a new addition in this update. Previously you were not allowed to edit it.

Please note that it is NOT NECESSARY to customize the verification email. By default, the system already has a standard template to send to the subscribers.

3) Export Leads

Quite a number of you have asked whether it is possible to export the contacts in list.

Now you can.

Just click to view your subscribers (arrow 1) and choose between CSV and Excel (arrow 2) to download your list.

4) Edit The Last Email Series Sent To A Subscriber

This feature is a little hard to explain. It will be easier to understand its application from the person who requested it.

Here is what Daniel wrote,

“My followup series is simple a set of 4 emails spaced a few days apart reminding them to visit a sales page. I would like to be able to end that series if a subscriber buys the product as the emails will be redundant. Is this possible? At this point I just delete the ones that buy because I know how annoying it is to keep getting reminders to do something that you’ve already done.”

Our solution to his problem is to allow you to edit the last email series sent.

Say email series Day 1 to 10 are created to promote product X, and day 11 to 20 are created to promote product Y. If a subscriber has purchased X, and you know his email address, you can then change the ‘last email series sent’ to day 10, meaning he will skip all the emails for product X and start receiving emails for product Y instead.

To edit the last email series sent, click to view your subscribers (arrow 1) and click the edit icon next to the email (arrow 2).

You will see a form to change the ‘day’ of the last email sent.

5) Archive Broadcasts

Previously, sent broadcast will automatically be deleted after 30 days.

Now if you want to keep the broadcast (for example it is a successful broadcast and you want to use it as a template for future broadcast), you can archive it.

Archived broadcast will never be deleted.

To archive a broadcast, simply click the archive icon (depicted by the arrow below).

6) Send Test Email

Did I say there are only 5 updates for today, but now I’m on the 6th update.

This update was done a couple of weeks ago, but I haven’t got time to announce it.

It’s an important update, I thought I should inform you.

When writing the emails for broadcasting or email series, it will be handy if you can send a test email to check if the images, links and layout work.

So we’ve added an email option in the email editor (see the arrow below).

While preparing the email, you can send a copy of that email to yourself, without having to save it.

The very email draft that you are editing will be sent to you instantly, so you can see how the actual email looks like.

Whew, that’s all the updates I have for you today.

Let me know your thoughts in the comment below.