Automatic welcome email for your group

So, you’ve got your group up and running and people are signing up via the LGmap or the UK website page or your shortlink (joinxr.uk/localgroupname) or via your own tailor made sign up forms. Nice! Questions? - head to this page.

But how will they know when your meetings are and get introduced to your group? A welcome email when they have joined the group is a great way of making first contact, particularly for people who found out about your group through the website.

You can request help or training for this or you can follow the instructions below.

Steps 1 and 2 below are about setting up your auto-email
Step 3 explains how to view and edit it.

Step 1 - Set up a ladder

A ladder in Action Network allows you to set things in motion when something happens. For this situation the 'trigger' is that someone is new to your list and the 'action' is to send them an email.

Select Ladder in the right hand menu.

Then start a new ladder...

Select Blank Ladder, NOT Email Welcome

Check that the current group (top right) is correct and enter a title and description. Now click the “ADD NEW RUNG” button. This brings up a new screen to Add a Rung & Trigger. The trigger is what sets the ladder in motion. For a welcome email, it is when an activist first subscribes to your group. Click the dropdown and choose "Subscribed To Email List".

Once you have that option selected, click "Save Rung & Trigger". This takes you back to the Ladder. You now want to add an action. Hover over the red plus and pick Action.

Then choose Send An Email.

Step 2 - Create your welcome email

Choose an email wrapper (2023 Karla font - no graphics is currently recommended) and set up the other info; Subject, From, Reply-to, Preview Text. Find a template welcome email here and advice on good subjects and preview text here.

e.g.:

In the email body you can give information about your local group, when and where you meet and how to get involved. Something quite short and simple is fine. e.g.:

ps. if you like the graphic, the request a tailormade one from LGsupport@extinctionrebellion.uk

Then make sure you save the email you've created AND then save the Ladder itself

It can be either left in draft or published immediately.

Remember that once you have set this ladder in motion it will keep running until you stop it. So remember to check it occasionally to make sure it's up-to-date.

Step 3 - View and/or edit your auto-email

To edit your welcome email, you need to view the ladder. Click on 'People' in the top menu row.

Click on the icon next to the word 'Ladders'

Note: If you are an admin of more than one email list, double check you are looking at the right group (this should be e.g. the name of your local group) and then click 'Manage' on the Ladder you want to edit.

Here you can 'edit' and update your email (as well as viewing some stats). First, click on 'Edit Ladder'.

Scroll down and click the pencil icon for the section you want to edit.

Important : Then click 'Save Action' and then also 'Save'