There are more tools at your disposal for automating campaigns than you might think. And right at the top of the list when it comes to the most effective, easy to use methods for automating your campaigns is Zapier. If you’re unsure of how to use Zapier, you’re in the right place. We’ll walk you through the process of maximizing its capabilities below!

Zapier enables you to transfer data and trigger actions from one application or program to the next without hassle. To begin using Zapier to automate your campaigns, follow these steps:

Step 1: Sign up for a free account on Zapier

Step 2: Sign up for a Free or Pro Direct Mail Manager Account.

Step 3: Navigate to the Developers section in your DMM account to create the API key and copy it.

Step 4: Enter your API Key into the DMM app inside your Zapier Account.

Now, you can build your Zap using your preferred application.

Google Sheets

Once you’ve followed the steps above, you’re ready to choose your preferred method for transferring your data into Direct Mail Manager. One of the most common ways of doing this is through Google Sheets and you’d like to send a postcard out to new members of your mailing list whenever they provide their contact info. In this case, you’ll create a new Zap. Since  your mailing list data is stored in a Google Spreadsheet, after clicking “trigger”, you’ll select Google sheets. 

And then in the event, you’ll select new or updated spreadsheet row. After that, you’ll select the Gmail account associated with your Google Sheets spreadsheet. Then, when selecting an action you’ll select the DMM app and choose “send postcard.” Once that’s done, you’ll put the final touches on your postcard by naming it, selecting the appropriate campaign and finalizing your design and merge tags. Once your zap looks good, you can publish it to begin using it.

Zapier CoPilot

Nowadays, it’s growing harder and harder to escape the presence of artificial intelligence. But Zapier enables you to leverage its AI capabilities to make automating your campaigns even easier. To use Zapier’s CoPilot feature to automate your direct mail, navigate to the “Create” tab on the Zapier home page and enter the sequence you’d like your Zap to consist of. So in this instance, let’s say you want to send a postcard to anyone that fills out the Unbounce form on your website.

To implement this in a Zap, simply enter the steps in the Zapier copilot text field, which in this case is, “send a postcard to each new lead that completes my Unbounce form.” At this point, you can add those steps to your Zap. Once those elements have been added, make sure your account information is correct and finish filling out the required fields. After that, finalize your trigger and then your Zap will be ready to use!

Zapier Templates

Suppose you’re short on time and you’re unable to manually set up your zaps. In this case the templates Zapier provides are perfect! That’s because you can replicate previously saved zaps as templates, allowing you to pull data from a different spreadsheet or landing page. You can even use them to quickly change the design of your mailer.

These templates also ease the process of implementing multi-channel campaigns. Suppose you’d like to eventually send a postcard to anyone that provides you with their Gmail address. In this case, you could start by adding the Zapier template for saving new Gmail addresses matching certain traits to a Google Spreadsheets template to your Zap, then include the step, “Send postcard in Direct Mail Manager”.

Leveraging direct mail in conjunction with additional channels like email reduces the odds that your message will get lost in the sea of marketing messages audiences are faced with nowadays.

Testing a Zap

In order to determine whether or not your Zap works, you’ll need to put it to the test. Whenever you complete a new step within the process of creating a Zap, you’ll be given the option to test it out. If your Zap is ready to be used, you’ll be able to see your postcard artwork within the matter of minutes. And if you’d like to make any changes to your postcard or your Zap itself, you can still cancel it before it goes out to make any necessary edits.

Begin Automating Your Communications With Direct Mail Manager Today!

There’s no better time to begin leveraging Zapier’s automation capabilities to help kickstart your next campaign than right now. If you need assistance getting your first Zap with Direct Mail Manager implemented, our team of hard-working automated direct mail experts is eager to help! For a free consultation on how to use Zapier to automatically send postcards, sign up for a free demo. Automating your campaigns can transform the way you connect with your audience? Ready to find out how? If so, sign up for a free or pro Direct Mail Manager account today!