Constant Contact User Manual
How to use this guide
To use this guide, you must first be logged into the City of Irvine Constant Contact account.
Logging in
1. Go to http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp 2. Enter Log In information:
o login: CityofIrvine o password: IEP2011
3. After you log in, the “Home” page will appear automatically
Creating a new email campaign
1. Under “My Emails” in the center of the page, click on the email name you want to use to replicate template (i.e. newsletter template)
2. Under “Existing Emails” click the “Copy” tab to replicate email 3. Click the pencil icon next to “Name:” on the top left and create a
name for your new email, i.e. “Spring Newsletter 2011”
Edit Email and Send Test
1. To edit text in email block, click on the “Pencil” icon at the top of the box you would like to edit. To edit text, delete current text and enter new text. Click save on the left side of the toolbar when finished.
TIP:Check out
Constant Contact’s video tutorial on how to develop an email campaign: http://tinyurl. com/3nvrv7l TIP: Using an existing template will save time and allow your campaign's look and branding to stay consistent
TIP: Use Constant Contact’s
2. To edit image in email block, click on the “Pencil” icon and then
double click on the image you would like to replace. A pop-up
image editor window will appear. Upload new image by clicking on “Upload New” in the upper right. Another pop-up window will appear, click “Select Files” and then select the images you would like to upload. Give your image a description (i.e.
Christmas tree photo) then click “Done.” To edit image size prior to inserting, you can put the dimensions in the bottom right corner of the image editor or you can resize in the email editor by clicking the corners of the image and dragging. Once you are finished uploading and resizing the photo, click “Insert” in the bottom right. Back in the email editor, click “Save” on the left side of the tool bar when finished.
3. When you’re finished editing content, you can send a test by clicking the “Preview & Test” link in the left sidebar. In the left sidebar where it says Email Address(es), enter the address(es) you would like to send a test to and press “Send” in the left sidebar. Click “Exit Preview” in the upper left corner when you’re finished to return to the edit screen.
Send Email
2. In “Email Settings” you will input the Subject Line, From Name, and the From & Reply Email Addresses. This is also where you Add/Edit the Send To Lists section. To add a list, click Add/Edit, located at the bottom of the Email Settings box. A pop-up
window with your list will appear. Now check the box of each list you wish to send the email to and then click “OK.” Then click “Save.”
3. It is time for you to send your email! Click “Schedule” in the top right corner. A pop-up Schedule window will appear with two options:
a) Send Now: Select "Send Now" to immediately add your email to the sending queue. Most emails are sent within 5 to 15 minutes from the time of your selection. However, on busy days or for large lists it may take up to 60 minutes for your email to be sent.
b) or Send Later: If you choose to schedule your email, be sure that you have the correct time and date. Scheduled emails are typically sent within 5 to 15 minutes of their
scheduled date and time. However, on busy days or for large lists, it may take up to 60 minutes for your email to be sent from the time of your selection. Dates and times selected in the past will be handled as a "Send Now" selection.
4. The Schedule pop-up window will also include two additional email options: “Send me an early results report” and “Archive
this email after sending.” Check both boxes then click “OK” to
finish scheduling your email.
*Important Note: If you change your mind and want to cancel your
Check Email Campaign Statistics
1. After you send the email you can check its open and click rates. It is important to allow a few days before you check email campaign statistics. To check comments, click on the “Home” tab. While at this page, click on the sent email you would like to check. Scroll down to view email statistics.
Manage Contacts
1. To upload new contacts, from the Home page, click “Add and
Update Contacts” in the Contacts Box in the right sidebar.
TIP: To look at statistical averages by industry please visit: http://tinyurl.com/3 spvnmb and for definitions of “open rates” and “click throughs”, please visit
You can cut and paste contacts by email by clicking the “Paste
Email Addresses” tab or click on the “From a File or
Spreadsheet” tab. Emails must be in .xls, .xlsx, .csv, or .txt.
When you are uploading a spreadsheet (in one of the previously mentioned formats), you will need to select the categories you would like imported. Note: in the screen where you select
categories (see below), you will only see a preview and not all of your emails. Categories to select: First Name, Last Name, and
Email. For all other categories select Do Not Import, then click
“Next.” In the next window, click the box next to the list you want to add the contacts to. Then click submit.
2. Contacts that need to go on multiple lists:
If you have contacts that need to be on multiple lists, for example, if you have a list of 20 contacts that all need to go on the General List (i.e. the main e-Newsletter list), but 10 of the contacts also need to go on the “Residents” list. First, what you can do is upload your spreadsheet with all the contacts to the General List using the “From a File or Spreadsheet” tab. Once this is completed, start from step 1 and use the “Paste Email
Addresses” tab this time. From your spreadsheet, copy/paste the “Resident” contacts only (see below) and paste into upload
screen. Then click “Next”, then check the box next to the “Resident” list. Then click submit.
