Manually Adding Recipients to WooCommerce Follow Ups: A Simple Guide for Beginners
WooCommerce Follow Ups is a powerful tool for automating your customer communication, boosting sales, and fostering customer loyalty. However, sometimes automation isn’t enough. You might have a specific group of people you want to target with a particular follow-up email, or you might need to add a customer who hasn’t triggered the usual automation. This is where manually adding recipients comes in handy!
This guide will walk you through the steps of manually adding recipients to your WooCommerce Follow Ups, even if you’re completely new to WooCommerce and plugins. We’ll break it down into easy-to-understand steps, complete with real-life examples.
Why Manually Add Recipients?
Think of it this way: you’re running a small online bakery. Usually, customers receive an automated follow-up email a week after their first order, offering them a discount on their next purchase. But what if…
* You want to target a specific group? You’ve just launched a new gluten-free cake and want to send a special announcement to all customers who previously ordered gluten-free items.
* A customer asks directly? A loyal customer calls to inquire about upcoming promotions, and you want to add them directly to a specific follow-up sequence.
* You want to test a follow-up? You’ve just tweaked a new follow-up email and want to send it to yourself or a colleague to ensure it’s working correctly before launching it to your entire customer base.
In these cases, manually adding recipients is the perfect solution! It gives you control and allows you to personalize your customer interactions.
Step-by-Step Guide to Manually Adding Recipients
Here’s how to manually add recipients to your WooCommerce Follow Ups:
1. Navigate to Follow Ups in your WordPress Dashboard: After installing and activating the WooCommerce Follow Ups plugin, you’ll find a dedicated section within your WordPress dashboard. Typically, it will be labeled “Follow Ups” or something similar. Look for it in the left-hand menu.
2. Find the Follow Up you Want to Use: Once you’re in the Follow Ups section, you’ll see a list of your existing follow-up emails. This list shows all of the email sequences you have set up.
- Example: You might see entries like “Welcome Email (After Purchase),” “Abandoned Cart Reminder,” or “Product Review Request.”
- Action: Locate the specific follow-up email you want to add recipients to.
- Example: `[email protected]`
3. Edit the Follow Up: Hover over the follow-up email you’ve chosen and click the “Edit” link that appears. This will take you to the editing screen for that particular follow-up.
4. Locate the “Recipients” Tab/Section: Within the editing screen for your follow-up, you’ll typically find a tab or section labeled “Recipients” (or something similar, depending on the specific version of the plugin). This is where you’ll manage who receives the email.
5. Find the “Add Recipient Manually” Option: Look for a field or button that allows you to manually add recipients. It might say “Add Recipient,” “Manually Add Email,” or something similar. Often, it will be a simple text field.
6. Enter the Recipient’s Email Address: Type in the email address of the person you want to add to the follow-up.
7. Optional: Add the Recipient’s Name (If Available): Some Follow Up plugins allow you to add the recipient’s name as well. This helps personalize the email. If available, enter the recipient’s first and/or last name in the appropriate fields.
8. Save the Changes: After adding the recipient(s), remember to save the changes to your follow-up. Look for a “Save” or “Update” button, usually located at the bottom or top of the editing screen.
Example Scenario: Adding VIP Customers to a New Product Launch Announcement
Let’s say you’re launching a new, premium product and want to give your VIP customers early access. You can manually add them to a follow-up email sequence:
1. Navigate to “Follow Ups” in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Create a new Follow Up named “VIP Early Access – New Product”.
3. Compose the email with details about the new product and an exclusive discount code for VIP customers.
4. In the “Recipients” section, manually add the email addresses of your VIP customers.
5. Save the Follow Up.
Now, your VIP customers will receive the special announcement email!
Considerations and Best Practices
* Double-Check Email Addresses: Typos are your enemy! Always double-check the email addresses you enter to avoid sending emails to the wrong people or causing bounce-back errors.
* GDPR Compliance: Ensure you have the proper consent to email the recipients you’re adding manually. This is especially important under GDPR regulations. Ideally, they should have already opted-in to receive marketing emails from you. If not, consider adding a disclaimer to the email or obtaining consent beforehand.
* Segment Your Audience: Before manually adding recipients, consider segmenting your audience. Are you targeting specific customer groups based on purchase history, location, or other criteria? This will help you personalize your follow-up emails and increase their effectiveness.
* Test Before Sending: After adding recipients, send a test email to yourself to ensure the follow-up looks and functions as expected.
Troubleshooting
* Recipient Not Receiving Email: If a recipient isn’t receiving the email, check the following:
* Spam Folder: Ask them to check their spam or junk mail folder.
* Correct Email Address: Verify that you entered the correct email address.
* Plugin Settings: Review the plugin settings to ensure emails are being sent correctly.
* Email Deliverability: Consider using an SMTP plugin to improve email deliverability.
Code Example: Programmatically Adding Recipients (Advanced)
For more advanced users, you can add recipients programmatically using PHP code. Use this with caution and only if you are comfortable working with code!
<?php // Replace with the ID of your Follow Up email $follow_up_id = 123;
// Email address to add
$email_address = ‘[email protected]’;
// Optional: Recipient name
$first_name = ‘New’;
$last_name = ‘Customer’;
//Get the WC_Follow_Up_Emails instance (adjust if your plugin varies)
$fue = WC_Follow_Up_Emails::instance();
// Call the method to add the recipient (adjust if your plugin varies)
$fue->manually_add_recipient( $follow_up_id, $email_address, $first_name, $last_name );
echo ‘Recipient added to Follow Up!’;
?>
Explanation:
* `$follow_up_id`: This should be replaced with the actual ID of the Follow Up email you want to add the recipient to. You can usually find this ID in the URL when editing the Follow Up email in your WordPress dashboard.
* `$email_address`: The email address of the recipient.
* `$first_name` and `$last_name`: Optional first and last names for the recipient.
* `WC_Follow_Up_Emails::instance()`: This is a placeholder for how you access the plugin’s functions. Consult the official documentation for your version of the plugin.
* `$fue->manually_add_recipient(…)`: Replace this with the *actual* function in your plugin to manually add a recipient. Consult the official documentation.
Remember to replace the placeholders with the correct values and consult the official documentation for your specific version of WooCommerce Follow Ups to ensure the code is compatible and functions correctly. Incorrect code could cause problems with your website.
By understanding how to manually add recipients, you gain greater flexibility and control over your WooCommerce Follow Ups, allowing you to target specific customers, personalize your messaging, and ultimately improve your marketing efforts. Good luck!
