How to Reach the Right Customers and Consignors with SimpleConnect

SimpleConnect lets you email and text your customers, consignors, and vendors without leaving SimpleConsign. This article walks through six of the most common tasks from start to finish: messaging one person, setting up automatic win-back emails for shoppers and consignors, and sending targeted email or text campaigns based on what people have bought or consigned.

Each walkthrough is a complete set of steps. For more detail on any screen, see the related articles at the bottom of this page.

In this article

• Message an individual customer, consignor, or vendor
• Automatically win back inactive shoppers
• Automatically reactivate inactive consignors
• Target shoppers based on purchase history (email and text)
• Target consignors based on consignment history (email and text)
• Who receives your messages

Message an individual customer, consignor, or vendor

Use this when you want to send a quick email or text to one person, such as letting a consignor know their items are ready for pickup. You don't need to build a list or a campaign first.

1. In SimpleConsign, open the customer, consignor, or vendor profile.
2. Check that the person is opted in to transactional Email and/or Text. You'll find this on the detailed view of the profile, under Communication Preferences. Every consignor also has a matching customer account, so you'll see the same person in both places.
3. Under the contact info section of the profile, click their email address to send an email, or their first phone number to send a text. SimpleConnect opens in a new tab with a one-to-one email or text to that person, ready to write.
4. Write your message and send it.

Where replies go:

• Email: replies go to the reply-to address set under Email Marketing > Email Domain in SimpleConnect. Make sure that's an email your store checks.
• Text: one-to-one texts send from your transactional number, so the person can reply directly. Their replies appear under SMS System > Messages, in the conversation with that person's first and last name.

Automatically win back inactive shoppers

A Days Last Purchase automation emails customers when they reach a set number of days since their last purchase. Once it's active, SimpleConnect checks your data every day and emails anyone who newly reaches that point, so you don't have to rebuild a list each time.

1. On the Dashboard of the Back Office, click the SimpleConnect button.
2. Go to Email Marketing.
3. Select Automations from the sidebar.
4. Choose the Days Last Purchase automation trigger.
5. Give your automation a title, enter the Automation Subject (the email's subject line), and choose what time of day it should run.
6. Set the Status to Active if you want it to start at the next run time. Leave it inactive if you're not ready yet.
7. Enter the number of days since a customer's last purchase that should start the email. For example, enter 60 to reach customers who haven't bought anything in 60 days.
8. Select a template from the dropdown. We recommend the Days Since Last Purchase template.
9. Confirm your selections.

Good to know:

• One automation per trigger. After you create it, the Days Last Purchase tile is greyed out. To make changes, edit the automation you already have.
• It keeps sending until you turn it off. To pause it, click the pencil icon next to the automation, change Status to Inactive, and click Update. Check it now and then so an old sale or season doesn't keep going out.
• Want to know how many people it will reach? Build a list in Audience > Lists > List Builder using Last Transaction Date. The count is roughly how many customers the automation would email.
• See who received it by clicking the clock icon (View runs & statistics) next to the automation.

Automatically reactivate inactive consignors

A Days Last Consignment automation emails consignors when they reach a set number of days since they last brought in items. It's an easy way to keep fresh inventory coming in without remembering to reach out.

1. On the Dashboard of the Back Office, click the SimpleConnect button.
2. Go to Email Marketing.
3. Select Automations from the sidebar.
4. Choose the Days Last Consignment automation trigger.
5. Give your automation a title, enter the Automation Subject (the email's subject line), and choose what time of day it should run.
6. Set the Status to Active if you want it to start at the next run time.
7. Enter the number of days since a consignor's last batch of items was entered that should start the email.
8. Select a template from the dropdown. We recommend the Days Since Last Consignment template.
9. Confirm your selections.

The same rules apply as the shopper automation above: one automation per trigger, it runs until you set it to Inactive, and you can check who it emailed with the clock icon.

Target shoppers based on purchase history

Send a message to customers who have bought a particular brand or category, so you can promote new inventory to the people most likely to want it.

By email

Build the list:

1. On the Dashboard of the Back Office, click the SimpleConnect button.
2. Go to Email Marketing.
3. Select Audience, then Lists, from the sidebar.
4. Click List Builder in the top right corner.
5. Name your list, and filter your opted-in customers by Bought Brand or Bought Category. Then create your list.

Tip: to combine filters, such as a brand plus customers who haven't shopped in 30 days, use the Advanced tab in List Builder. The Quick List tab searches one filter at a time.

Create the campaign:

6. Select Campaigns from the sidebar.
7. Create a new campaign.
8. Choose your new list from the mail list dropdown, and select Next.
9. Name your campaign and write your subject line. Use the subject line tools on this screen to check your spam score, and aim for green. Then select Next.
10. Select a template. We recommend the Specific Brand or Category template for Customers.
11. Edit the template for your brand or category if needed, then select Next.
12. Choose when your campaign will send, then confirm and send it.

Before you send, check the reply-to address on the final screen. It should be an email your store reads.

By text

Build the group:

1. On the Dashboard of the Back Office, click the SimpleConnect button.
2. Go to SMS System.
3. Select Contacts + Groups from the sidebar, choose Groups, then List Builder.
4. Filter your opted-in contacts by Bought Brand or Bought Category, name your list, and create it.
5. Make sure the Group Type is set to Marketing. If it isn't, change it and click Update.

Send the message:

6. Select Messages from the sidebar. Use the search box on the left side of the screen to find and select the group you just created.
7. Write your message, and save it as a template if you'd like to reuse it.
8. Send the message when you're ready.

Good to know:

• One filter at a time. The SMS List Builder searches by one filter. To combine filters, like a brand plus a date range, build the list in Email Marketing and send an email instead.
• Marketing groups are greyed out in the Search recipients box. That's expected. Select the group from the search box on the left, or click the message icon next to the group in Contacts + Groups. You can send to one marketing group at a time.
• "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" is added for you at the end of every text.
• Large groups take a few minutes. Texts send at about one segment per second, so 1,000 single-segment texts take about 17 minutes.
• Mind the clock. Texts send at the exact time you choose. A good rule is between 9 AM and 8 PM in your customers' local time.
• Replies to a marketing text appear under Marketing Replies. To answer someone, search for them in Messages and reply from their conversation.

Target consignors based on consignment history

Send a message to consignors who have brought in a particular brand or category before, so you can source the inventory your store needs.

By email

Build the list:

1. On the Dashboard of the Back Office, click the SimpleConnect button.
2. Go to Email Marketing.
3. Select Audience, then Lists, from the sidebar.
4. Click List Builder in the top right corner.
5. Name your list, and filter your opted-in consignors by Consigned Brand or Consigned Category. Then create your list.

Bought vs. Consigned: Bought Brand and Bought Category look at what someone purchased from you. Consigned Brand and Consigned Category look at what a consignor brought in to sell. For this walkthrough, use the Consigned filters.

Create the campaign:

6. Select Campaigns from the sidebar.
7. Create a new campaign.
8. Choose your new list from the mail list dropdown, and select Next.
9. Name your campaign and write your subject line. Check your spam score and aim for green. Then select Next.
10. Select a template. We recommend the Specific Brand or Category template for Consignors.
11. Edit the template for your brand or category if needed, then select Next.
12. Choose when your campaign will send, then confirm and send it.

By text

Build the group:

1. On the Dashboard of the Back Office, click the SimpleConnect button.
2. Go to SMS System.
3. Select Contacts + Groups from the sidebar, choose Groups, then List Builder.
4. Filter your opted-in contacts by Consigned Brand or Consigned Category, name your list, and create it.
5. Make sure the Group Type is set to Marketing. If it isn't, change it and click Update.

Send the message:

6. Select Messages from the sidebar. Use the search box on the left side of the screen to find and select the group you just created.
7. Write your message, and save it as a template if you'd like to reuse it.
8. Send the message when you're ready.

The same tips from the shopper text walkthrough apply here: one filter at a time, select marketing groups from the left search box, and send during reasonable hours.

Who receives your messages

Every list, group, and automation only includes people who can legally receive that message. Your count may be lower than you expect, and that's usually why:

• Email goes only to people with a valid email address on file who are opted in to marketing email.
• Text goes only to people with a valid mobile number on file who are opted in to marketing texts.
• Opt-in status comes from SimpleConsign. To change someone's preferences, update the Communication Preferences on their profile in SimpleConsign, and the change syncs to SimpleConnect.

Related articles

• SimpleConnect Overview
• SimpleConnect Email Marketing
• SimpleConnect SMS Messaging
• SimpleConnect FAQ: How do I...?

Quick recap

Click a profile's email or phone number to message one person. Use the Days Last Purchase and Days Last Consignment automations to win back shoppers and consignors on autopilot. To promote or source specific inventory, build a list (email) or a marketing group (text) using the Bought or Consigned brand and category filters, then send a campaign or message to it.