salsa 101 (12-2013)
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
SALSA 101
Jake Patoski, Training & Learning Manager
• Logging into Salsa• Creating groups• Importing supporters from a tab-delimited text file• Create a signup page• Set up a multi-content targeted action page• Set up an email blast• Searching and querying• Contacting Salsa Support• Q&A
Agenda
Log in
1) Head to www.salsalabs.com.2) Find the Client Login link at the top of the screen.3) Enter your email address and password, and mark the checkbox
for I want the new interface. (Optionally, bookmark this page!)4) You’re in!
Create groups (Supporter package)
Groups help us lay a foundation for the supporters we’ll be importing or signing up.
Groups keep (only) supporters together based on any number of criteria:• Geography based - City/State/Region• Action based - Donors/Action-takers• List based - Newsletters/Action Alerts/Press
Releases/Media• Issue based – Climate/Human Rights/Labor
Steps:1) Navigate to Supporter2) Click to Manage Groups3) Fill out the New Group Name field and click Create New
Group
Create groups
How to populate groups: 1. From the group page, or by adding individually2. Attaching an import (which we’ll do next)3. Populated from a Salsa page (sign-up, action, etc.)4. From query results5. Smart groups
Q&A
Import supporters – Stage 1: File preparation
#1 lesson: Tab-delimited text (TDT) files are the best for Salsa imports.
Download a template – http://bit.ly/salsa-import-template - containing the standard Salsa fields to make things easiest for uploading (we’ll see this in Stage 2).
TDT files are like Excel files, which Excel can interpret, but without some of the fancy features of Excel.Salsa can’t interpret Excel, but can interpret comma-separated values (CSV) files and tab-delimited text (TDT) files. We strongly suggestion just using TDT files, since stray commas can compromise the data.
Here’s our data file in .xls (Excel) format. Save it in TDT format by:Save As -> change format to “Tab Delimited Text” -> Save button.
Import supporters – Stage 2: Field Matching & other options
Supporter -> Import Supporters Choose your TDT file, no other changes, click Save + Continue.Since we used the data template, our fields properly match up: names in dropdown fields of the column Database Field match up correctly to those in the column Your first row of data.
Add to a group here if you want! Or add a tag. (“Created” and “Imported” tags get created automatically for each import.)
If you’re doing a standard import, then you don’t need to change any of the Advanced Options.
Otherwise, read through the options here – http://bit.ly/imports-primer
Once we submit the import, records will either be Created, or Imported.
Q&A
Create a signup page (Website package)
Website package -> Signup Page dropdown -> Add new
Content tab – Reference name is Salsa-only; Title is seen by supporters, Header can be created in the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor, or created with HTML, or pasted from another WYSIWYG.Supporter Info tab – Decide what data to collect on your new supporters, any groups to add them to, and any optional groups they can join.
Create a signup page (Website package)
Other Text tab – only pay attention to “Text before the group selection” to add descriptions of optional groups to join.Follow-up tab – What page should your new signups be redirected to? A ‘forever’ action? Your homepage? The News page? And should the new signup receive a “Welcome” email?Tags tab – one option for allowing supporters to choose tags. Won’t cover this usage in detail today.Options tab – Skip for today; these options are not necessary for a fully functioning signup page.
Create a signup page (Website package)
We’re done – click Show Publishing Tools and find the View Page link to see the signup page and copy the page URL.
Q&A
Action type # Steps Audience / Targets
Restrictions Delivery method
Content type
Petitions 1 (Content page) Public signature page (optional), org’s discretion
Optional state/district restrictions
Dependent on Salsa user
Digital signatures & comments
Targeted Action
2-3 (Zip, additional address info, content page)
Federal (President, Congress), State (Governor, Congress), Local (various), Custom
Constituent-restricted, Optional state/district restrictions
Webform, email, or fax
Pre-written or editable letter delivered electronically
Multi-content targeted action
2-3 (Zip, additional address info, content page)
Multiple sets of targets - Federal (President, Congress), State (Governor, Congress), Local (various), Custom
Constituent-restricted, Optional state/district restrictions
Webform, email, or fax
Multiple sets of pre-written or editable letter delivered electronically to more than 1 target
Blind Targeted 1 (Content page) Federal (President, Congress), State (Governor, Congress), Local (various), Custom
Constituent-restricted, Optional state/district restrictions
Webform, email, or fax
Pre-written or editable letter delivered electronically
Set up a multi-content targeted action
A MCTA is an action type that allows your supporters to intelligently send multiple different letters to specific sets of targets, all on one page.
Description tab – Reference Name, Action Title,
Brief Description, Footer, attach a tag. (Looks familiar, right?)Content tab –
The letter to send to targets.
Set up a multi-content targeted action
Targets tab – Who will receive this. Select different sets of targets for different content letters.Filter your targets by state, party, committee and more.
Who can act? tab – Either everyone, or specific states / state districts.
Set up a multi-content targeted action
User Information tab – We’ve seen this one before!
Follow-up tab – We’ve seen this too.
Options tab – Skip!
Now that we’re finished, let’s fill it out and take note of the URL.
Q&A
Set up an email blast
Email package -> Create Blasts link Create Blast tab –
Give the blast a name and choose a template by clicking the thumbnail.
Templates should already exist in your account – familiarize yourself with each type.
Set up an email blast
Content tab –The first three fields identify the email blast, determine where replies should go, and is the first
reason for a recipient to open the email:• From Name & Address• Reply-to Address• Subject LineHTML Content – the meat of the email blast. You can draft your emails here, copy from TextEdit
(OSX) or Notepad (Windows), or paste in from another HTML editing software.Please note: Microsoft Word is not HTML editing software. Please don’t use it! (Kompozer.net is a
well-reviewed free web page maker.)Text Content – some supporters will want plain-text emails with nothing fancy. Use the simple
Auto-generate Text from HTML button to drop in the text-only from your HTML version.
Set up an email blast
Send options tab –Just check Add to web page
Targeting tab – For now, let’s send to the entire list. The tool below is the query tool, which we will look at later
on.
Set up an email blast
Validation tab – If you have any red icons, correct them! Otherwise, take advantage
of the Spam Checker, and the ‘Send a test email’ feature.Summary tab –
Review your setup, then “Submit Email Blast Now!” Even if you reschedule, you still need to “Submit Email Blast Now!”
Set up an email blast - reporting
Email blast statistics let you know how your email performed, and generally what part of your email blast didn’t do well. Each status below is unique, and represents a step further on the ladder.
• Failed – email was not delivered (b/c of bounces, spam reports, etc.) Keep email and supporter list clean.
• Sent – email was delivered, but never opened. Review subject line.• Opens – email was opened, but no links were clicked. Review content to change.• Clicks – a link in the email was clicked. If number of clicks outnumber the total actions, action page
may be to blame.
Link clicks – you can also track the number of times each link in your email blast was clicked.
Q&A
Search and Querying (Supporter package)
A necessary part of keeping up with the health of your supporter list.
Supporter -> Query/Export
Let’s look at four queries:
1) Everyone in a specific zip code
2) Everyone within a certain mile range of a zip code
Search and Querying
3) Email received, or not opened/clicked –
4) Has or has not taken action -
Q&A
Getting Support
Like any software, there are sometimes problems.
Salsa Support has a 98% satisfaction rate, so don’t be afraid to use them! (Unlimited access… within reason )
Simply email [email protected]
Be absolutely sure to include:• Your organization key• A description of the problem• Any links for the page(s) you
are working on
Open questions
CONTACT INFO
Read, learn, discuss – help.salsalabs.com
Training & Learning Team – [email protected]
Salsa Support – [email protected]
THANK YOU!