Getting Started

Introduction

Are you ready to embark on your digital marketing journey? Digital marketing is a constantly changing and evolving journey for your business. As technology and your customers continue to evolve, you also need to make changes to your strategy and how you communicate with them.

The first step is deciding that you need digital marketing for your company. Great job! That's one box checked off already. Now, it is time to determine your strategy and the right tools to help you achieve your goals.

That's where DirectLync comes in. We help small businesses, like you, bring their visions to life. We are the solution that helps you execute your digital marketing strategy.

In this document, we walk through the steps you will need to set up your account and how to receive the most out of the DirectLync platform. We are here with you every step of the way. If you need help with onboarding, reach out to our support team. But first, check out our step-by-step guide below.

Set Up Your Account

Congratulations! Choosing the right digital marketing platform can be a monumental task. We are thrilled that you have decided on DirectLync. Our promise to you is that it will be an easy journey.

The first step to starting with DirectLync is to create your account. Sign up for a 14-day free trial here.

Once you've filled out the free trial form, It is important that you bookmark your unique URL in your browser, so signing in is always a breeze.

Once you are in your account, the first step is to add your info in the company profile section. Don't skip this step! By adding this info, we are able to provide you with industry benchmark information. Who doesn't want to see their performance against their competitors? It also allows you to send emails from DirectLync. By law, you need to include your physical address and an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email sent from DirectLync. Adding this now will save you time later!

Create Segmentations

Most likely, you have been using another platform to keep track of your contacts or even an excel spreadsheet. It is important that you get your contacts into DirectLync in order to track, manage, and analyze their interactions with your brand.

Groups

Groups are essentially the lists where your contacts live. They are a great way to segment your contacts. You can customize groups in any way you would like; seriously, it's up to you! Start with the groups you already know. You can always add more later!

Groups can be added before you import your contacts or during the import process. Watch the video below for a tutorial on adding groups in DirectLync.

Import Your Contacts

Time to take the next big step and import your contacts into DirectLync. If you are ready to import, head to the import, and upload your .csv file.

Next, map your file headers with fields in DirectLync. Then assign your contacts to their specific groups. Review and confirm the information you want to import. Once your import is complete, you will receive an email from DirectLync.

Customize your CRM

CRM is used to build and manage customer relationships. DirectLync's CRM module makes it easy for you to track sales, stay in sync with customers and employees, and analyze results. In DirectLync, you will see features like contact scoring, opportunities, stages, a sales pipeline, tasks, and so much more. The CRM is built with the most popular default fields and stages, but you have the ability to customize it to align with your business.

Setting up your CRM in DirectLync only takes 4 steps. Once you have your CRM set up, you are off and running. Watch this video to understand the benefits of CRM and how to set it up to meet your business needs.

Custom Fields

Fields in DirectLync are fully customizable to fit your business. Custom fields allow you to manage fields in your contact record. You can add sections that are important to your business, remove the areas that aren't, and require specific fields. That's right; you can create any field you wish to collect relevant information about each lead or customer in your database. You can even turn off some of the default fields, ensuring only the most pertinent data shows in contact records.

We recommend deciding on your custom fields before you import any contacts. That way, they will be imported when you upload your contact list. But don't worry, you can add new custom fields at any time. Watch the video below to learn how to manage custom fields for your business.

Add Your Social Media Profiles

Now, it is the part of the journey where you start adding your marketing elements. First up are your social media profiles. DirectLync is able to host your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts. In the social media module, click the button on the left side that allows you to add your social accounts. Click and select the channel you would like to connect with DirectLync. Watch the video below for a step-by-step tutorial on adding your social accounts.

Once you have your social accounts added, it is time to schedule your first post! Click the draft icon on your main navigation bar. This is your social post button, which is available on every page in DirectLync to make drafting a post easy. Select your account, type your post, and pick a time to send it.

As you start actively using your social media module, you will start to see your results spike.

RSS Feeds

Stay up to date with the latest trends in your industry by customizing your RSS Feed. Your RSS Feed populates news from your favorite publications and is located on the bottom left of your dashboard, as well as in the feeds section of your social media module. To add or delete publications, head to your home dashboard -> RSS Feeds -> View All -> Manage. Then use your customized RSS feed in your marketing tactics to connect with your customers.

Insights

The beauty of managing all your platforms in one place is being able to see your insights in one place! To get the most comprehensive view into the performance of your social efforts, head to the Reports module.

We have already pre-populated the most common sales and marketing reports for you. In the dashboard you will see the at-a-glance analytics. To really dive into the stats, hit reports and filter reports to whichever one you'd like to run. This will give you a detailed view into all of your channels on one page during a given period of time.

Create Your First Email

It's time to get creative and start reaching out to your contacts with compelling emails.

There are many different types of emails you can send, depending on your goals. Our email editor is simple, intuitive, and fun to use. The drag and drop makes it incredibly easy to build highly visual and compelling emails. Plus, all emails are mobile responsive.

There are many different types of emails that you can build in DirectLync, depending on your goals and your plan.

Basic Email Campaign

Creating a basic email is available in all pricing plans. This is a bulk email sent to a contact group. It is simple to build, send, and view results. Watch the video below to learn how to create a new email.

A/B Test

An A/B test email is for testing different variables when you are sending to a group. Testing is a great way to better understand your contacts' preferences. With DirectLync's A/B testing emails, you can test sender name, subject line, email content/design. To learn how to create an A/B test, watch the video below.

*A/B Test emails are not available with the Basic plan

For more information on the different types of emails and how to use them effectively, check out our blog on how to use A/B testing.