Top 12 Features in Lyris...
You May Not Know About!

by Anthony Monti, Technical Engineer

Over the years, we've discovered a selection of features in Lyris ListManager that sometimes clients miss while using the software. So, as result of this research, as well as thousands of client conversations over the years, our Support Services Team has compiled this list of the Top 12 Features in Lyris, that you may not know about. Whether you're a newbie or a power user, see if one of these features can help you be more effective with email.

1) Default "From" Address
Save time and keep your mailings consistent by using a Default From Address every time you create a mailing. To accomplish this you will need to change this setting in two places:

  1. On the left menu, click Utilities.
  2. Then click on List Settings.
  3. Then click on Web Created Content.
  4. Type your Default From Address and click Save.

  1. On the left menu, click Utilities.
  2. Then click on List Settings.
  3. Then click on Email Submitted Content.
  4. Lastly, click on the Header Rewrites Tab.
  5. Type your From Address and click Save.

Note: If you want to have your name/company name appear as the "From" name instead of displaying the from email address, the correct format to use is: "Your Company Name" <yourmail@yourdomain.com>

2) Improve Inbox Delivery with a Text Version
Lyris sends emails in two formats, HTML and Text. Whichever your recipient(s) have enabled is what they receive. Unfortunately, if you send just an HTML version of your newsletter and don't include a text version, some ISPs will send your message to the bulk sender folder. Our "Quick Start" feature creates a text version for you automatically, but here's an easy way to create a text version in your Content:

  1. On the left menu, click Content.
  2. Choose New or an Existing Content.
  3. Create your HTML version.
  4. Click the Text Message Tab at the top.
  5. Click HTML to Text button at lower right.
  6. Click Save.

Note: You have just created a text version and improved your inbox delivery!

3) Capture Opens and Clickthroughs
Boost response by creating an easy segment to capture opens and clickthroughs. When your mailing campaigns have engagement, a simple way to send a follow up mailing to that targeted group of recipients is a few clicks away.

  1. On the left menu, click Reports.
  2. Then click Tracking Statistics (locate the particular mailing).
  3. Click on the open total or clickthrough total number.
  4. Click Create New Segment at the top right.
  5. Give the segment a name and description.
  6. Click Save or Save and Test.

Note: You've now captured those recipients. Send a follow up email to those recipients, for maximum response!

4) Permission Based Access
[note: this is for an Enterprise level service]
You can allow different levels of access and control for your different list administrators and managers. Depending on their role, create permission for your content managers to access only. For example, you can allow some administrators to create messages, others to approve messages, and others to just view reports.

  1. On the left menu, click Members.
  2. Then click on Find Members.
  3. Type in the Email Address and click Go.
  4. Click on the Email Address, which will bring you to Edit Member.
  5. Click on the List Admin Tab on the top and click Yes/No to the five questions.
  6. More important is the drop down menu where you assign the Permission Group from twelve different options
  7. Next click on the Settings Tab and give your New Admin a Password.
  8. Click Save.

Note: We suggest clicking on the Advance Settings Tab and select No for the 1st question. It keeps them from being Held if their email bounces to many emails. To set up custom roles, contact our support service department.

5) Web Analytics Integration
When you send mailings, include Google Analytics (or any of the supported analytics suites) and supercharge your reports! Here's how:

  1. At your analytics vendor (such as Google Analytics), generate your tracking code URL (including UTM parameters)
  2. Send an email to Net Atlantic Support Services at support@netatlantic.com with your analytics tracking code and ask them to insert this code into your Web Analytics tracking feature of your mailing list.

6) Heat Map
Now you can see exactly what parts of your email message that your subscribers click on most, all in one convenient heat map! To see the heat map results:

  1. On the left menu, click Reports.
  2. Then click on All Reports.
  3. Next click on Mailings.
  4. Then click on Tracking Statistics.
  5. Then click on Clickthroughs.
  6. Finally click on Clickthrough Heatmap.

7) Pre-Built Segments
Segments can save you a ton of time when you want to send a mailing to just a portion or subset of your list. For example, you can send to your A-F subscribers, or to the first 10% of your list, or other defining parts of your subscriber list.

  1. On the left menu, click Segments (various segments available).
  2. Choose a segment to use.
  3. Click Save or Save and Test.
Note: Now you've captured those recipients and you may now send to them.

8) Subscription & Delivery Reports by Email
As the administrator of your mailing list, you can get all sorts of subscriber and mailing data send to you via email, as often as you want. Change the default setting to get more or less detail, and with more or less frequency (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly).

  1. On the left menu, click Utilities.
  2. Then click on List Settings.
  3. Click on Basic Information.
  4. Then click on the Reports Tab.
  5. Choose from the available Subscription reports and Delivery reports.
  6. Click Save.

9) Default Segment
This is a tidy way to assign test segments automatically without having to assign them each time - since when saving a mailing, changing the segment is not possible, this can save a lot of time when doing lots of test sends using live segment lists.

  1. On the left menu, click Utilities.
  2. Click on List Settings.
  3. Then click on Basic Information.
  4. Click on the Enable Features Tab.
  5. Look for the Drop-Down menu Default Segment (4th down).
  6. Choose one and click Save.

10) Campaign Reporting
Campaigns make a quick and easy way to view combined reporting from a group of mailings. Perhaps you want to see how all of your mailings in a specific month performed or maybe you want to see how all mailings offering a specific product performed. With Campaign Reporting, you can group together any of your past mailings and view their combined reporting statistics.

  1. On the left menu, click Mailings.
  2. Click on Campaigns.
  3. Then click Create New Campaign at the top right corner.
  4. Add a name and description.
  5. Choose the available mailing(s).
  6. Click Save.
  7. Then go to Reports.
  8. Click on Mailing Overview.
  9. Choose Campaigns in the Mailing Type drop down menu.

11) View Your Mailing In A URL
Some of your subscribers might appreciate the option to view your email in a web browser. It's as simple as inserting a link. Here's how:

  1. On the left menu, click Content.
  2. Then click on New Content.
  3. While creating your content, in the HTML Message Tab, click on Insert URL on the lower right.
  4. Then click on the URL Tab.
  5. Now click on the Link to Mailing option for Destination URL.
  6. Then type in your (optional) URL Name, like: 'View this message in a web browser'.
  7. Lastly click Insert at the lower right. The link will be placed in your message wherever you placed your cursor.

Note: There are lots of good content features that many list admins don't know about and many are under the Insert URL button in the HTML Message tab, so look around and see what is useful.

12) Add Additional Header/Footer Information via Message Wrapping
While Net Atlantic provides a default footer with essential mailing functions, such as Unsubscribe and Forward to a Friend, you also have the option to add your own custom header and footer information which will be added to the top or bottom of your mailings, respectively, and work in tandem with our default footer. For example, you may want to automatically add a 'View in a Browser' link at the top of all of your mailings. By using our Message Wrapping feature, you can set this up once and have it automatically applied to all mailings you send. To append additional custom footer information:

  1. On the left menu, click Utilities.
  2. Click on List Settings.
  3. Then click on Email Submitted Content.
  4. You are now directly under the Message Wrapping Tab.

Prepend to beginning of every message (HTML message header)
Append to end of every message (HTML message footer)

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