Quick Start Guide

This guide walks you through sending your first email campaign in under 10 minutes. By the end, you will have a fully configured email marketing system.

Step 1: Configure Email Settings

Before sending emails, you need to configure your sender information:

1. Go to WP Outreach → Settings → General
2. Enter your From Name (e.g., “Your Company”)
3. Enter your From Email (e.g., “newsletter@yoursite.com”)
4. Optionally add your company name and address for CAN-SPAM compliance
5. Click Save Settings

Pro Tip: Use an email address from your own domain (e.g., newsletter@yoursite.com) rather than a free email service. This improves deliverability and looks more professional.

Step 2: Choose Your Email Delivery Method

WP Outreach supports three email delivery methods:

Method	Best For	Setup Difficulty
WordPress Mail	Small lists (<500)	None (default)
SMTP	Medium lists	Easy
Amazon SES	Large lists, High volume	Moderate

For this quick start, we will use WordPress Mail which works out of the box. You can upgrade to SMTP or Amazon SES later for better deliverability.

To verify your email setup is working:

1. Go to WP Outreach → Settings → Mailer
2. Ensure “WordPress Mail” is selected
3. Enter your email in the test field
4. Click Send Test Email
5. Check your inbox for the test message

Step 3: Create Your First List

Lists help you organize subscribers into groups. Let us create your first list:

1. Go to WP Outreach → Lists
2. Click the Add New List button
3. Enter a name (e.g., “Newsletter Subscribers”)
4. Add an optional description
5. Choose whether to enable Double Opt-in (recommended for GDPR compliance)
6. Click Create List

Step 4: Add Subscribers

Now let us add some subscribers to your list. You have several options:

Option A: Add Subscribers Manually

1. Go to WP Outreach → Subscribers
2. Click Add Subscriber
3. Enter the email address, first name, and last name
4. Select the list(s) to add them to
5. Set status to “Active” (or “Pending” if you want them to confirm)
6. Click Save Subscriber

Option B: Import from CSV

To import existing subscribers:

1. Prepare a CSV file with columns: email, first_name, last_name
2. Go to WP Outreach → Subscribers
3. Click Import
4. Upload your CSV file
5. Map the columns to subscriber fields
6. Select the target list
7. Click Import Subscribers

Option C: Use a Subscription Form

Add the subscription form shortcode to any page or post:

        

            

                                

                    
                
                
                
                

                    
                

                
                

                    
                

                

                    
                        Subscribe
                        
                            
                        
                    
                

                

            
        
        

This creates an opt-in form where visitors can subscribe themselves.

Step 5: Create Your First Campaign

Now for the exciting part – creating your first email campaign:

1. Go to WP Outreach → Campaigns
2. Click Create Campaign
3. Enter a campaign name (internal use only)
4. Select campaign type: One-Time
5. Click Continue

Configure Campaign Details

1. Subject Line: Enter a compelling subject (e.g., “Welcome to Our Newsletter!”)
2. Preheader: Add preview text that appears after the subject in inbox
3. Recipients: Select the list(s) you want to send to

Design Your Email

Use the visual email builder to create your email:

1. Click on Design Email or select a template
2. Drag and drop content blocks from the left panel:
   • Text – Add paragraphs and formatted text
   • Heading – Add titles and subtitles
   • Image – Add images (upload or URL)
   • Button – Add call-to-action buttons
   • Divider – Add visual separators
3. Click on any block to edit its content and styling
4. Use the preview button to see how it looks on desktop and mobile

Personalize with Merge Tags

Make your emails personal by using merge tags:

Hello {{ first_name }},

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter!

Best regards,
Your Team

Available merge tags:

• {{ first_name }} – Subscriber first name
• {{ last_name }} – Subscriber last name
• {{ email }} – Subscriber email address
• {{ unsubscribe_url }} – Unsubscribe link (auto-added to footer)

Step 6: Send Your Campaign

Before sending to your entire list, always send a test:

1. Click Send Test Email
2. Enter your email address
3. Check your inbox and review the email
4. Make any necessary adjustments

When you are ready to send:

1. Click Send Campaign
2. Choose to send immediately or schedule for later
3. Confirm the recipient count
4. Click Send Now

Step 7: Track Your Results

After sending, monitor your campaign performance:

1. Go to WP Outreach → Campaigns
2. Click on your campaign name
3. Select the Statistics tab

You will see key metrics:

• Sent: Total emails delivered
• Opened: How many recipients opened the email
• Clicked: How many clicked on links
• Unsubscribed: How many opted out
• Bounced: Emails that could not be delivered

What is Next?

Congratulations! You have sent your first email campaign. Here are some next steps to explore:

• Learn about different campaign types (scheduled, recurring)
• Create reusable email templates
• Set up automated email sequences
• Configure Amazon SES for better deliverability
• Advanced subscriber management