On Track With Jack: Test Personalization With a Test List

The sun is shining out here in Dayton, Ohio and next week is the Fourth of July!  Before the fireworks, picnics, and barbecues kickoff make sure your email marketing has a personal touch.  Customers respond better to messages that are tailored specifically to them.

With JangoMail you can easily personalize your messages beyond a first and last name.  You can send personalized:

• Subject Lines
• Messages
• From Email Address
• From Display Name
• Reply-To Address
• CC Address
• BCC Address
• Attachments

Today, my tip is on testing personalization:

Test Personalization With a Test List

In order for a successful test, you must send to a list.  Personalization will not work by just clicking the “Send a Test” button and sending a preview.  When we test our campaigns, I have a special “Jack” test list I’ve created with a few of my own personal email addresses. 

When I’m ready to preview my campaign I send to my “Jack” test list first.  Again, I’m going through the same steps that I normally would when sending a campaign, but just sending to my test list and no others.  Always double check your lists before you hit Send to make sure you’re only sending to your test list.  Once you've received your message and everything looks good, you’re ready to officially send to your active customer lists or database.

To recap: Customers respond better to messages that are personalized. Make sure you test your personalization with a test list in JangoMail.

If you need a refresher on how to create a new list like a “Jack” test list, take a look at the list section in our Quick Stat Guide.  For a step-by-step guide on how to incorporate personalization in your emails, check out our documentation.

Have questions? Ask. Dial 1-888-465-2646 or drop us a line here.

Jack the Jangolope
Department of Awesome
JangoMail

About Jack

Jack the Jangolope is our JangoMail mascot.  Each week, look for Jack's emails for marketing advice, trends, and quick tips on how to grow your email marketing plan to the fullest!  Hop into email marketing each week with Jack's helpful tips!

What is a Jangolope? Find out HERE

We want to hear from you. Remember, at JangoMail it's your email, your way.  Have a topic you would like Jack to cover?  Email us at marketing@jangomemail.com with the subject line: On Track With Jack.  Follow Jack on Facebook

Subscribe to On Track With Jack

JangoSMS Announcement

By: Amber Henry
Account Executive

Things have been warming up here at JangoMail just as summer kicks off this Saturday!  We are very excited to launch JangoSMS.  In a few short months you can reach any customer, anywhere!

JangoSMS, a unified platform for mass email and mass texting.

With JangoSMS, you can send:

• Immediate, real-time alerts for important messages
• Transactional notifications, such as shipping confirmations
• Announcements for team and club events 
• Promotions about time-sensitive deals and coupons
• Alerts about service or new information

Why market via SMS? 

• Customers are on-the-go more than ever and their smartphones go with them! 
• More time is spent on smartphones in the U.S. than TV (CTIA).
• The average person looks at their phone 150 times a day – 23 of those times at messaging (Tomi Ahonen).
• Mobile coupons have a ten time redemption rate compared to print coupons (BizReport.com).
• Want to add something new to your marketing campaign? Try text with JangoSMS. Your customers won't be able to put their smartphones down...even more so than they already do!

Important things you should know about SMS marketing:

1. SMS is PERMISSION-based. You must have express consent to send.
2. It’s best to have a focused marketing plan in mind that includes SMS before you send your first campaign. 
3. Set expectations for your customers about what they will receive and how often. The customer shouldn’t opt-in to receive one type of message, and then start receiving a totally different type of message.
4. Keep in mind that your message will probably be read in less than 5 minutes!
5. Make every sentence count! JangoSMS messages are limited to 140 characters.
6. A call to action should be present and the customer’s next step to take clearly explained.

JangoSMS will be available in the United States. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay tuned for more JangoSMS news and information. Contact us for more information!  

What Makes a Company Great?

By: Mark Mentzer
Regional Sales Manager


I recently joined JangoMail as the Regional Sales Manager for the east coast.  JangoMail is a growing company and this is a new position created as part of that expansion.  Many companies attempt to grow, but merely expanding doesn't guarantee success.  There are other factors at work that need to be present in a company of excellence.

The 1980's book, "In Search of Excellence," may be dated, but the premise of what makes a company successful is still relevant today.  I found many of these "factors of excellence" present at JangoMail, and I want to share them with you:

• Customer Focus - JangoMail is passionate about developing relationships with customers and providing VIP customer service.  This is demonstrated by our strong customer service policy that provides technical support through phone, chat, and email to all customers, regardless of account size.
  
• Product Focus - A consistent focus on improving the functionality of our product by listening to customers, and developing new features that meet their needs.
  
• Flexibility - Our company promotes and encourages active employees to make decisions, at all levels.  This management philosophy facilitates a sense of ownership and autonomy, allowing quick decision making and problem solving.
  
• Absence of Internal Silos - Successful companies today remove bureaucratic barriers and foster communication between all functional departments: marketing, sales, development, finance, management, etc.  JangoMail actively promotes and practices cross functional interaction and problem solving.
  
• Overall Value - You get more product features for your money like volume, delivery, and customer service.  This translates into a high value relationship for JangoMail customers compared to our competition.

JangoMail offers a great overall value in terms of product functionality, price, and service for large volume, permission based email marketing campaigns.  And, we are consistent in improving and delivering this value to our customers.  It is the combination of all these factors that I found at JangoMail that make it a company of excellence, and a great place to work.

The Twelve Days of JangoMail

Written by: Adriénne Horsley
JangoMail Regional Customer Liaison

On the first day with JangoMail

my Support Rep said to me:
Send 500 emails for free.

On the second day with JangoMail
my Support Rep asked me:
How can I help you?
And send 500 emails for free.

On the third day with JangoMail
my Support Rep said to me:
We offer VIP Service.
How can I help you?
And send 500 emails for free.

On the fourth day with JangoMail
my Support Rep asked me:
How did you build your list?
We offer VIP Service.
How can I help you?
And send 500 emails for free.

On the fifth day with JangoMail
my Support Rep said to me:
Try our new templates!!!
How did you build your list?
We offer VIP Service.
How can I help you?
And send 500 emails for free.

On the sixth day with JangoMail
my Support Rep asked me:
Would you like a demo?
Try our new templates!!!
How did you build your list?
We offer VIP Service.
How can I help you?
And send 500 emails for free.

On the seventh day with JangoMail
my Support Rep said to me:
Please set up Domain Keys.
Would you like a demo?
Try our new templates!!!
How did you build your list?
We offer VIP Service.
How can I help you?
And send 500 emails for free.

On the eighth day with JangoMail
my Support Rep said to me:
Subscribe to our blog.
Please set up Domain Keys.
Would you like a demo?
Try our new templates!!!
How did you build your list?
We offer VIP Service.
How can I help you?
And send 500 emails for free.

On the ninth day with JangoMail
my Support Rep said to me:
Meet Jack the Jangolope!
Subscribe to our blog.
Please set up Domain Keys.
Would you like a demo?
Try our new templates!!!
How did you build your list?
We offer VIP Service.
How can I help you?
And send 500 emails for free.

On the tenth day with JangoMail
my Support Rep said to me:
Create custom tracking.
Meet Jack the Jangolope!
Subscribe to our blog.
Please set up Domain Keys.
Would you like a demo?
Try our new templates!!!
How did you build your list?
We offer VIP Service.
How can I help you?
And send 500 emails for free.

On the eleventh day with JangoMail
my Support Rep said to me:
Our API is awesome.
Create custom tracking.
Meet Jack the Jangolope!
Subscribe to our blog.
Please set up Domain Keys.
Would you like a demo?
Try our new templates!!!
How did you build your list?
We offer VIP Service.
How can I help you?
And send 500 emails for free.

On the twelfth day with JangoMail
my Support Rep said to me:
Only use TinyMCE!!!
Our API is awesome.
Create custom tracking.
Meet Jack the Jangolope!
Subscribe to our blog.
Please set up Domain Keys.
Would you like a demo?
Try our new templates!!!
How did you build your list?
We offer VIP Service.
How can I help you?
And send 500 emails for free.

How to Set Up SPF Record and a Domain Key

Let’s explore the reasons why you want to use an SPF record and a domain key, and how they can improve your inbox delivery rate.

If you own your own domain and are sending using your domain name as the FROM address (through JangoMail's servers), adding SPF and DKIM records essentially authorizes JangoMail to send on behalf of your domain.  This tells the recipients' email clients that we have permission to send email on your behalf.  It’s just one more thing you can do to legitimize your messages in the eyes of the different email clients you'll be sending to.

What's more, setting up your DNS records will allow your_domain_name.com to establish its own reputation with a recipients' email client (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc.).  When you send through JangoMail without doing this, you are sharing a reputation with all of our other customers, past and present.  This is why it is a good idea to set up your SPF and DKIM records at your earliest convenience.

When we are working with a customer, our call center usually asks for a list of FROM address domains they want to use, and creates a personalized guide for them.  This DOES require users adding SPF and DKIM records into their domain's DNS settings.  This is the template we use:


SPF Record
Create a new DNS record at your_domain_name.com. The type will be TXT. The value should be:

v=spf1 include:jangomail.com a mx -all

If you already have an SPF record, then just add include:jangomail.com, so that you have:

v=spf1 (whatever you had before) include:jangomail.com -all

DKIM Record
Create a new DNS record of selector._domainkey.your_domain_name.com.  The type will be TXT. The selector value should be a single word/string of jm, jango, myname, and so on.

You have to first create the key in your JangoMail account. Copy the text shown in the Value field of the popup window you see when viewing the key (starts with k=rsa; p=MIG...).  You will paste this into the value field for the TXT record you are going to create in your DNS settings.  The host value will be:

selector._domainkey

For example, if you used jm as the selector value, the left side would be jm._domainkey, and the right side would be the long string of k=rsa; p=MIG....

Custom Tracking Domain
Create a new CNAME record in your DNS settings.  The host value can be a single word or character such as x, trk, or track.  The right side value (alias or "points to" are common names here) is jngo.net.  If your domain is acme.com and you used trk, then when entering trk.acme.com into browser, you'll see a JangoMail landing page.


Your DNS changes can be seen right away, in some cases.  In others, it may take a few hours before the values can be seen by our system.  For your domain key, come back into your JangoMail account and enable it.  For your custom tracking domain, enter the tracking domain name you used (e.g., you would enter trk.acme.com using the example above.  You don't need to do anything within your JangoMail account for the SPF record.

In a GoDaddy account (as an example of a domain provider), the SPF and domain key records will look something like what is shown below (this example uses jangomail as the selector value):"

The custom tracking domain CNAME record (this example uses "track")

Lastly, once your SPF record is in place, and when sending a new campaign, turn off the "Use System MAIL-FROM" setting in the new message's settings tab.

If you have any questions about setting these up, please let us know! Also, once they're set up, feel free to contact support, and we'll be glad to verify, and put them in place, on our end.

You may also be interested in reading:  Branded Subdomain Setup

On Track With Jack: Content Marketing

Hello JangoMail Users!

Jack coming at you from JangoMail’s Department of Awesome!  Have you heard about content marketing?

Content marketing is a new marketing strategy sweeping the nation. It’s more than just a trendy new phrase. In fact, if used properly, content marketing can evolve your email marketing campaigns. Readers will connect with you on a higher level than ever before. Without further ado, here’s this week’s tip:

Evolve Your Email With Content Marketing

Content marketing consists of creating and distributing quality information (content) that is invaluable to a specific audience. Instead of promoting a business, service, or product only using sales tactics, content marketing educates buyers.

The purpose of content marketing is simple: after providing consumers with quality information, you will be rewarded their business.

Instead of rushing to send out emails, stop and think about what you are sending. An informational email that is well written and concise, will make all the difference.

The key is to make your information relevant to your customer, and overtime, you’ll see great results. Readers will view you as an expert in your industry, and not just a company trying to sell them something.

Make sure you carefully manage your content and monitor your results. Be patient, content marketing is a process, not a one-time deal!

To recap: Content marketing is a great new strategy that is here to stay! It pays off to take the time to write quality content for your email and integrate content marketing into your marketing plan. 

Sincerely,

Jack the Jangolope
Department of Awesome
JangoMail

About Jack

Jack the Jangolope is our JangoMail mascot.  Each week, look for Jack's emails for marketing advice, trends, and quick tips on how to grow your email marketing plan to the fullest!  Hop into email marketing each week with Jack's helpful tips!

What is a Jangolope? Find out HERE

We want to hear from you. Remember, at JangoMail it's your email, your way.  Have a topic you would like Jack to cover?  Email us at marketing@jangomemail.com with the subject line: On Track With Jack.  Follow Jack on Facebook

Integrating the JangoMail API Into a Java Application

If you want to integrate JangoMail's web service into your company's existing Java software, this example will show you how to hit the ground running. This example relies on Java's built-in library for processing soap requests javax.xml.soap. Download the source code for this example here.

In the first part of this example, the SOAPMessage is created. In this case, we will call the Groups_GetList_String method, which will return a list of groups on your account. Make sure to set the SOAPAction header to indicate which method you want to call.

// create the connection
SOAPConnectionFactory soapConnFactory 
    = SOAPConnectionFactory.newInstance();
SOAPConnection connection = soapConnFactory.createConnection();

//Next, create the actual message/request
MessageFactory messageFactory = MessageFactory.newInstance();
SOAPMessage message = messageFactory.createMessage();
          
//Create objects for the request parts            
SOAPPart soapPart = message.getSOAPPart();
SOAPEnvelope envelope = soapPart.getEnvelope();
SOAPBody body = envelope.getBody();
  
// set the SOAPAction Header to the desired request
MimeHeaders headers = message.getMimeHeaders();
headers.addHeader("SOAPAction", 
    "http://api.jangomail.com/Groups_GetList_String");

Next, the message is populated with our parameters and sent to the JangoMail servers.

// Populate the body of the request
// create the main element and namespace
SOAPElement bodyElement = body.addChildElement(
        envelope.createName("Groups_GetList_String", 
                            "", 
                            "http://api.jangomail.com/"));
   
// add the parameters
bodyElement.addChildElement("Username")
    .addTextNode("Your JangoMail/JangoSMTP Username");
bodyElement.addChildElement("Password")
    .addTextNode("Your JangoMail/JangoSMTP Password");
bodyElement.addChildElement("RowDelimiter").addTextNode("\n");
bodyElement.addChildElement("ColDelimiter").addTextNode(" - ");
bodyElement.addChildElement("TextQualifier").addTextNode("");
   
// save the message
message.saveChanges();
   
// Send the message and print the reply
// set the destination
String destination = "http://api.jangomail.com/api.asmx";
// send the message
SOAPMessage reply = connection.call(message, destination);

Finally, the response is received and printed.

//Check the output
System.out.println("\nRESPONSE:\n");

//Create the transformer
TransformerFactory transformerFactory 
    = TransformerFactory.newInstance();
Transformer transformer = transformerFactory.newTransformer();

//Extract the content of the reply
Source sourceContent = reply.getSOAPPart().getContent();

//Set the output for the transformation
StreamResult result = new StreamResult(System.out);
transformer.transform(sourceContent, result);
System.out.println();

Make sure to Download the complete source code for this example and populate it with the values from your JangoMail or JangoSMTP account.