GatorExpress Quick Start Guide

This help article will show you how to create a Gator Express campaign. Gator Express takes all your system defaults and applies the settings automatically to the campaign. If you wish to change your system settings you need to go into CommuniGator and click on the tools- system settings tab.

Logging into Gator Express

Logging into Gator Express

In order to get logged onto Gator Express you will need to create a Gator Express campaign. The below steps will show you how to create a new Gator express campaign in CommuniGator.

  1. Select New Gator Express and you will be taken into GatorExpress in a new tab.

Setting up the Gator Express Campaign

Setting up the Gator Express Campaign

Once you have created a campaign name and click add Gator Express you will be taken to the screen above. This allows you to set up the campaign.

1) Campaign Name: Is the name that you have created in CommuniGator- this can also be changed in Gator Express and will update in CommuniGator automatically providing you have saved it in Gator express.

2) By clicking on the folder you will be presented with the folder structure of your campaigns inside of CommuniGator.

3) This is where you select the template that you would like to use for your Gator Express campaign. The templates are the same templates as you have in CommuniGator.

4) Opens up the CommuniGator template file which allows you to select the template, that you would like to use as the Gator express template. These templates must contain merge fields or article blocks to be able to proceed.

5) This is where you insert your engaging subject line for the email, don't worry you can always change this at a later date.

6) Allows for you to insert custom fields in the subject line.

7) Once you have created the campaign name, selected the template and subject line that you would like to use for this campaign you can click create campaign this will take you to the next page of creating your Gator Express campaign.

8) We also provide you with the option to use a previous campaign if you wish to, when clicking on the folder icon it will display a list of campaigns previously used in CommuniGator.

 

Content

Content

After you have created the campaign you will then be taken to to the content page, this is where you are able to insert content into the merge fields created on the template, as well as change the image on the template if you wish.

1 and 2) This is where you insert the content for the email- this will automatically update on the screen next to it so you can see a preview of the email when adding text to it.

3) This is where you can change the image, by selecting the image button it allows you to pick any image you would like to use from CommuniGator. It also allows you to upload an image which will re-size automatically.

4) This isa preview of what your email looks like, when you add content into the content fields it will update automatically.

5) Once you are happy with the content you can move onto the Article section, but don't worry as you can always go back if you would like to change any of the content.

 

 

Articles

Articles

This is the section when you create/use previous article blocks in the system. Just because they are called article block does not mean you have to just insert articles into the blocks you can also use them for many different tasks.

If you are familiar with creating articles in CommuniGator this will be a similar process.

1) The drop down box that appears at the top allows you to select the Article Block that you wish to add the article to.

2) If you wish to add an article to the article block click on the plus sign, if you wish to remove the article click on the minus sign and it will remove the article.

3) This is the section where you provide the title of the article block.

4) This is where you insert the Body of the email. The icons that appear at the top of the email are: Bold, Italics, Underline, Headings, Bullet points, Numeric Bullet Points, Centre aligned, aligned to the left, Tracked links, remove tracked links, personalisation, View the raw HTML

5) When clicking on the small image it will change the image of the article block, this will be re-sized automatically. You also have the option to upload the image from your computer which will again re-size automatically for you.

6) If linking to a website you have the option to insert the websites URL.

7) You can also change the read more link to: See this article, More or you can create your own text for the read more link by selecting the option Custom Link Text.

8) Will update how the email looks automatically, so you can see what it looks like.

Text

Text

After editing your articles the next section to complete is the text version.

1) you have the option to add a view in browser link

2) Provides you with the option to add an unsubscribe link.

At CommuniGator we deem it to be best practice to have a brief description of the email add a view in browser link and an unsubscribe link.

 

Send

Send

The send section in Gator Express allows you to send yourself a test, select the audience, select the unsubscribe field, count the audience, run an inbox checker (this will take you back into the CommuniGator Campaign.) and check & initiate (this will take you back into the CommuniGator Campaign).

1) Enter the email address that you would like to send your test to.

2) Click send test and the test will appear in your inbox.

3) Select the audience that you would like to use for this campaign.

4) By clicking on the folder it will take you to the list of groups that appear in your CommuniGator system.

5) Allows you to select the unsubscribe field that you would like to use.

6) Once you have selected your audience you will be able to count the audience, the figure will only provide you with the final audience number. If you would like a break up of the opt out and undeliverable's contacts of that audience you will need to go into the campaign within CommuniGator and count the audience.

7) The inbox check will start to run an inbox checker in CommuniGator it will open a new tab so you can still go back to Gator express whist it is running. However when it re-directs you to CommuniGator you will need to click on the initiate an inbox check.

8) Once you are happy with the campaign and the way your creative email works you can click the Check & initiate button, this will re-direct you through to the CommuniGator initiation process, where you can make sure everything has a green tick. If they all have a green tick or if you are happy with the set up you can initiate the campaign.

9) Whilst you are in the final process of setting up the send you can preview what the creative email looks like. You also have the option to change the subject line if you have any last minute changes that you would like to make.

 

Show Advance Options on the Send tab

Show Advance Options on the Send tab

The Show Advanced Options is a new update to CommuniGator which provides you with the additional options:

1) Create a Sender Ailas

2) Sender Email which allows you to change the beginning of the email address and also allows for you to select that you would like the domain providing that domain has been added into your CommuniGator instance

3) The reply to option allows you to enter a reply to address.

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