This is the fifth article in a five part series covering the process of building an allocation offer in Offset Commerce.
These articles are summarized in a webinar we recorded on 7/25/24, which can be viewed here: Creating an Allocation Offer Webinar
Table Of Contents
For those using Campaign Monitor for your email marketing, beyond creating engaging copy and images, there are some key areas to review to ensure that your customers seamlessly access your allocation. This can be achieved by syncing your contacts, configuring your segments, inserting the correct pre-authorization links, and thoroughly testing the emails.
A. Sync your Customer Data to Campaign Monitor
This process will ensure that you have sent over the most up-to-date customer data your emails will include all intended recipients. You can Sync at any time. We recommend that you sync before creating segments, testing emails, and especially before sending out any campaigns.
Start in Offset by going to the Customers tab to sync your customer data
Select the Sync dropdown
Choose Sync Customers with Campaign Monitor
NOTE: This will sync data from 26 custom fields from Offset to Campaign Monitor. This is a manual process for most clients, so you will want to perform the Sync at least 5-10 minutes before sending any campaign as it can take a few minutes for the synced data to update in Campaign Monitor.
IMPORTANT: If your segment is not showing the correct amount of customers, syncing will often solve the issue. If not, double-check your rules. If the issue persists, please contact the Client Success team for assistance.
B. Adding Marketing Links to Your Allocation
Marketing Links are an essential tool for your allocation campaigns. The Marketing Links insert preauth login keys at the end of a specific page URL so customers can click the link and land on the page already logged into their account without having to enter a password. You can add them to your campaign text as a hyperlink or link a call to action button so folks can skip the login process and focus on their purchase.
To copy the Preauth links, go to Offset Commerce
Navigate to Settings > Marketing Links
Copy the entire preauth link by selecting the copy button on the right side of the link
Selecting the copy link to copy your desired link to your clipboard
NOTE: When deciding which preauth link to use on the Marketing Links page we recommend the following:
“Save the Date” emails with an “Update Your Account” button should use the Account Link
“Update Your Payment Method” emails, with a “Update Your Credit Card” link should use the Account Billing Link
“Your Offering is Live” emails with an “Access Your Allocation” button should use the Offering Link
C. Inserting Your Preauth Link Into A Campaign
To add your link, go to Campaign Monitor, select your Campaign draft
Select Edit button to view or change the design
Select the Edit button next to your CTA button
Highlight the button text
Select the Insert dropdown
Paste the link into your URL or Button or check the existing link
Select the Insert button if you are adding a new link
Select Save Changes
D. Preview and Test Your Emails
1. Go to Campaign Monitor, select your Campaign draft
2. Click the Select recipients button
Selecting recipients for your campaign
3. Check the box to the left of your Test Group and select the Save button
4. To preview the email in the browser, select the Preview button
IMPORTANT: Do NOT use the Send a test button to test your pre-auth links. The emails sent this way are meant to preview the content, but the links will not work.
Selecting the Preview button to view your campaign and test the links
5. On the preview screen, scroll through your email to proofread your content, confirm any personalizations are showing up correctly, and click on links to make sure they are all working
IMPORTANT: Ensure your Test Group is Active and live before testing the links. If the link brings you to your account page, activate the allocation and try again
6. To send a live test email to your test group click the Prepare to Send button
7. Choose the Immediately option
8. Select the Continue button
9. Select the Send now button
NOTE: This will send a fully functioning email to your test group so others on your team can review the email and allocation.
IMPORTANT: If you send your email to 5 or fewer recipients in your test group, Campaign Monitor will NOT charge you for sending the email. If you send the email to 6 or more recipients, you will be subject to your normal email fee.
E. Creating a “Not Yet Purchased” Segment
Segments are filters that refine the list of people that will receive your campaign. At the beginning of your campaign, you may create a segment that is sent to all the customers in your Allocation Group, but as the days and weeks pass and you are looking to activate more purchasers, it is important to exclude those who have already bought their allocation so that doesn’t cause any confusion.
1. Go to Campaign Monitor, select the Lists & subscribers tab
2. Select the Customers (Sync with Figure - DO NOT DELETE) list
3. Select Segments on the left side menu
4. Hover to the right of your group until the Copy button or select the inverted ellipses to the right of your Allocation Group segment
Copying your existing segment
5. Rename the Allocation Group by replacing the copy in parenthesis with “Not Yet Purchased” and select Save so you can easily identify the segment
Renaming your segment
6. Select Add “and” rule
7. In the first dropdown, select Custom Fields
8. Next, select last_order_date
9. Then select is on or before
10. Select the open field and use the date picker to select the day before your release or if you pre-sold wine, select the day before you started selling release wine
EXAMPLE: If your allocation start date for customers to purchase began on August 23rd, you would set the date to August 22nd. If you presold some admin orders to VIPs or others ahead of the release on August 22nd and the 21st, you would set the date to August 20th.
11. Add one more by selecting Add “or” rule under the previous last_order_date rule
12. In the first dropdown, select Custom Fields
13. Next, select last_order_date
14. Then select is not provided
15. Select the Save button in the upper right corner
NOTE: If you previously synced, the members should populate within a few moments depending on the size of your segment.
Adding your rules
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