CRM Messaging & Preferences

The additional messaging functions in the OpenApply CRM module can be used for the following purposes:

Email Marketing Campaigns - Create professional emails and newsletters with our new editor. Automatically subscribe/unsubscribe parents based on their activity to multi-email (drip) campaigns that lead to an increase in the quality and quantity of applicants.

Mailing Lists - Automatically subscribe parents to mailing lists when they meet specific customisable criteria. Easily pull up mailing lists to send recurring emails like newsletters, or to promote upcoming events.

URL Source Campaigns - Create tracking links and see source numbers in real time at each stage, in order to monitor which sources are successful, such as Facebook, email campaigns, WeChat, Google Ads, etc.

We have advice on manually sending messages and subscribing contacts & applicants to mailings lists and email campaigns here:

1. Contacts
2. CRM Roster

The information below explains how to customise each of the settings for CRM Messaging, along with the other CRM preferences that are available. You can access these settings by clicking Messaging Setup on the left panel of admin dashboard, or via Settings > CRM Preferences.

Mailing Lists

Mailing Lists can be used to automatically subscribe Contacts or Applicants / Students to custom mailing groups, so that you easily mail them in the future. For example, if you want to create a Newsletters or Boarding mailing list, to send them future newsletters or boarding information.

1. Click to Create New Mailing List. When doing so, it is necessary to enter a Title for the Mailing List and to choose whether the Mailing List will be for Contacts or Applicants / Students. You can then add criteria for which Contacts (such as Contact Type, Log or Source) or Applicants (such as Status, Grade or Tag) will be automatically added to that Mailing List
2. Click to refresh the Number Subscribed, if you edited the mailing list criteria, and want to check how many Contacts or Applicants will be subscribed to that mailing list
3. Click to Edit, Copy or Delete a Mailing List

Internal Notifications

Internal Notifications allow your staff to automatically receive notifications when a specific event occurs. You may consider using this to notify different departments, when an action occurs, such as notifying the secondary school admissions officer when there is a new applicant in that programme, or notifying the finance team when a new student becomes enrolled.

1. Click to Create New Notification. When doing so, it is necessary to enter a Title for the Internal Notification and to choose whether the Mailing List relates to Contacts or Applicants / Students. You can then add criteria for which Contacts (such as Contact Type, Log or Source) or Applicants (such as Status, Grade or Tag) will trigger that notification. You can also choose which staff (from your OpenApply Staff Directory) will receive the notification, and can choose or create a message template to be sent for that notification
2. Click to refresh the Number Subscribed, if you edited the internal notification criteria, and want to check how many Contacts or Applicants currently meet that criteria
3. Click to Edit, Copy or Delete an Internal Notification

Email Campaigns

Email Campaigns allow you to send a succession of emails (Drips) to parents when they meet specified criteria. They will remain in the Email Campaign for as long as they meet the criteria. You may consider using this for sending automated follow-up marketing emails to contacts or enquiries.

1. Click to Create New Email Campaign. When doing so, it is necessary to enter a Title for the Email Campaign and to choose whether the Email Campaign will be for Contacts or Applicants / Students. You can then add criteria for which Contacts (such as Contact Type, Log or Source) or Applicants (such as Status, Grade or Tag) will will be automatically added to that Email Campaign. You can also review and manually remove recipients from the Email Campaign, and can message templates for each 'Drip' to be sent at timed intervals, as part of that campaign
2. Click to refresh the Number Subscribed, if you edited the email campaign criteria, and want to check how many Contacts or Applicants will be subscribed to that email campaign
3. Click to Edit, Copy or Delete an Email Campaign

Indicator Logs

Create Log Types and outcomes to keep track of key indicators and activities. You may consider using logs to monitor calls, walk-ins, meetings etc., and to see how they affect enrolment. You can log items in the Contacts and CRM Rosters, and on the individual contact or applicant profile.

1. Click to Add New Log Type, and enter a Title for that Log Type. Some standard Log Types are already available to use, by default
2. Click on the name of an existing Log Type, such as Call, to edit the properties of that Log Type
3. Click to Add New Outcome, and enter a Title for that Outcome. The outcomes are the different results that can happen for that Log Type. For example, after a Call, the contact may be Interested, there may be No Answer, or they may be Not Interested.
4. Click to Edit Log Type to edit the title of that Log Type
5. Click to Delete Log Type, to completely remove that Log Type from your system
6. Click to Edit or Delete an Outcome

Source Campaigns

Create Source Campaigns to keep track of visitors to your OpenApply site and find out where they come from. Copy and paste the unique URL anywhere and OpenApply will track who clicks on it, and whether they eventually submit an application or enrol. For example, you may consider using these URLs in Facebook posts or email campaigns.

1. Enter the OpenApply URL for your source campaign, i.e. the page on your OpenApply site that will track visits from that source. This will default to your OpenApply homepage, but you can also add a specific path e.g /roi, /apply, etc.
2. Select a Campaign Source for this campaign to be categorised as, such as Facebook or Website
3. Click to Manage Sources, to add, edit or delete Sources
4. Enter a unique Campaign Name
5. Click Create Campaign, once you have selected the options above, and to generate the unique URL for that campaign
6. Click to copy the unique URL for that campaign, so that you can include it in Facebook posts or email campaigns, for example
7. Click to Edit or Delete a campaign

Import Contacts

You can choose Import multiple contacts, using a CSV spreadsheet. When adding contacts, First Name, Last Name and Email are mandatory, and must be included in the file for import.