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Email Campaigns

Durvey's Email Campaigns feature lets you create, schedule, and send professional invitations and reminders to your expert panel. Use templated emails with personalization, track delivery status, and target specific participant groups—all without leaving the platform.

What You Can Do​

Create Email Templates​

Template System:

  • Pre-built templates for common scenarios
  • Custom HTML templates for branding
  • Personalization variables
  • Preview before sending

Available Placeholders:

  • {{participant_name}}: Replaced with participant's name
  • {{survey_link}}: Unique access URL with embedded UUID
  • {{project_name}}: Your study title
  • {{deadline}}: Survey deadline date
  • {{researcher_name}}: Your name
  • {{organization}}: Your institution

Send Targeted Campaigns​

Recipient Selection:

  • All participants
  • Specific tag groups (e.g., only "Academic" experts)
  • By status (e.g., "Not Started" or "In Progress")
  • Individual participants
  • Custom filters

Campaign Types:

  • Initial invitations
  • Gentle reminders
  • Deadline warnings
  • Thank you messages
  • Results sharing

Track Delivery Status​

Real-Time Monitoring:

  • Sent count
  • Delivered count
  • Opened count (if tracking enabled)
  • Bounced emails
  • Unsubscribed recipients

Individual Tracking: Each participant shows email history:

  • Invitation sent timestamp
  • Delivery confirmation
  • Open status
  • Click-through to survey

Creating a Campaign​

Step 1: Choose Template​

  1. Navigate to Email Campaigns in sidebar
  2. Click Create Campaign
  3. Select template:
    • Initial Invitation
    • First Reminder
    • Second Reminder
    • Deadline Notice
    • Thank You
    • Custom Template

Step 2: Customize Content​

Email Editor:

  • Subject line
  • Preview text (appears in inbox)
  • Body content (rich text or HTML)
  • Footer with unsubscribe link

Personalization:

  • Insert placeholders via dropdown
  • Preview shows sample with real participant data
  • Variables auto-replace on send

Formatting Options:

  • Bold, italic, headings
  • Bullet lists
  • Links and buttons
  • Images and logos
  • Custom HTML (advanced)

Step 3: Select Recipients​

Filter Options:

By Status:

  • Not Started → Send initial invitation
  • In Progress → Send encouragement
  • Completed → Send thank you

By Tag Group:

  • Academic experts only
  • Industry practitioners only
  • Specific geographic regions
  • Expertise levels

By Individual Selection:

  • Choose specific participants
  • Exclude certain participants
  • Manual override of filters

Recipient Count: Preview shows exact number who will receive campaign before sending.

Step 4: Schedule or Send​

Send Immediately:

  • Sends within minutes
  • Confirmation dialog shows recipient count
  • Cannot be undone

Schedule for Later:

  • Choose date and time
  • Accounts for recipient time zones (if configured)
  • Can edit or cancel before send time
  • Automatic send at scheduled time

Email Templates​

Default Templates​

Initial Invitation Template:

Subject: You're invited to participate in [Project Name]

Dear {{participant_name}},

You have been selected to participate in a Delphi study: {{project_name}}.

Your expertise in [topic] makes you an ideal candidate for this research. The survey takes approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.

Access your personalized survey here: {{survey_link}}

Please complete by: {{deadline}}

Thank you for your valuable contribution,
{{researcher_name}}

Reminder Template:

Subject: Friendly reminder: [Project Name] survey

Dear {{participant_name}},

This is a gentle reminder about the Delphi study: {{project_name}}.

We greatly value your expert perspective and hope you'll find time to participate.

Your survey link: {{survey_link}}
Deadline: {{deadline}}

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Best regards,
{{researcher_name}}

Creating Custom Templates​

  1. Click Manage Templates
  2. Click Create New Template
  3. Enter template details:
    • Name (for internal use)
    • Subject line
    • Body content
    • Footer
  4. Insert placeholders
  5. Preview with sample data
  6. Save template

Template Library: Saved templates appear in campaign creation for reuse across projects.

Sending Best Practices​

Timing Strategy​

Initial Invitation:

  • Send 2-3 weeks before deadline
  • Mid-week (Tuesday-Thursday) for best open rates
  • Morning hours (9-11 AM recipient time)

First Reminder:

  • 5-7 days after initial invitation
  • Target participants with "Not Started" status
  • Gentle, respectful tone

Second Reminder:

  • 2-3 days before deadline
  • Target "In Progress" and "Not Started"
  • More urgent but still polite
  • Consider deadline extension

Maximum Reminders: Limit to 2-3 total reminders to avoid annoying experts.

Email Etiquette​

Subject Lines:

  • Clear and concise (under 50 characters)
  • Include study name or topic
  • Avoid spam trigger words ("FREE", "URGENT")

Body Content:

  • Start with respectful greeting
  • Explain why their expertise matters
  • State time commitment clearly
  • Provide deadline
  • Include contact information
  • Thank them sincerely

Professional Tone:

  • Respectful of experts' time
  • Acknowledge their busy schedules
  • Emphasize value of their contribution
  • Offer to answer questions

Campaign Management​

Active Campaigns​

Dashboard View:

  • All campaigns listed
  • Status (Draft / Scheduled / Sent)
  • Recipient count
  • Delivery statistics
  • Send date/time

Actions:

  • Edit Draft: Modify before sending
  • Cancel Scheduled: Stop scheduled campaign
  • View Report: Detailed delivery statistics
  • Duplicate: Reuse for similar campaign
  • Delete: Remove campaign record

Campaign Reports​

Delivery Metrics:

  • Total sent
  • Successfully delivered
  • Bounced (with reasons)
  • Unsubscribed
  • Open rate (if enabled)
  • Click-through rate

Individual Recipient Status: Table showing each participant:

  • Name/email
  • Delivery status
  • Opened timestamp
  • Survey access timestamp
  • Completion status

Export Report: Download delivery data as CSV for external analysis.

Email Deliverability​

Best Practices for Delivery​

Domain Authentication:

  • Use custom domain for sending (optional upgrade)
  • Improves deliverability rates
  • Reduces spam classification

Content Guidelines:

  • Avoid spam trigger words
  • Include unsubscribe link (automatic)
  • Use professional formatting
  • Don't use all caps in subject
  • Include physical address (GDPR compliance)

List Hygiene:

  • Remove bounced email addresses
  • Honor unsubscribe requests immediately
  • Verify email addresses before importing

Handling Bounces​

Hard Bounces (permanent delivery failure):

  • Invalid email address
  • Domain doesn't exist
  • Participant status updated automatically
  • Consider contacting via alternative channel

Soft Bounces (temporary delivery failure):

  • Inbox full
  • Server temporarily unavailable
  • Retry automatically up to 3 times

Unsubscribes:

  • Participant opts out of emails
  • Status updated automatically
  • Can still access survey via UUID link
  • Must be honored (legal requirement)

Participant Email Preferences​

Opt-Out Options​

Participants can:

  • Unsubscribe from all campaigns
  • Unsubscribe from reminders only
  • Update email address
  • Request alternative contact method

Unsubscribe Link: Automatically included in all campaign emails (footer).

Alternative Contact Methods​

For participants who unsubscribe or have bounced emails:

  • Copy UUID link from Participants view
  • Share via alternative channel:
    • Direct message
    • Secure messaging (Signal, WhatsApp)
    • Institutional communication systems
    • Phone call with verbal link

Integration with Participants View​

Email campaigns integrate seamlessly with participant management:

From Participants Table:

  • Select participants
  • Click Send Email
  • Choose or create campaign
  • Send to selected only

Campaign-Triggered Status Updates:

  • "Invited" status when invitation sent
  • Timestamps track last email sent
  • Delivery status appears in participant details

Subscription Features​

Email Limits by Plan:

  • Starter: 100 emails/month
  • Basic: 1,000 emails/month
  • Pro: 10,000 emails/month

At limit:

  • Warning appears before sending
  • Cannot send until next billing cycle
  • Upgrade prompt displayed

Custom Domain Sending:

  • Pro plan only
  • Requires domain verification
  • Improves deliverability
  • Professional appearance

GDPR Compliance​

Required Elements:

  • Unsubscribe link (automatic)
  • Physical address or contact info
  • Privacy policy link
  • Legitimate interest or consent basis

Data Protection:

  • Email addresses encrypted
  • Delivery logs retained per retention policy
  • Participants can request data deletion
  • Export includes email interaction data

Troubleshooting​

Emails Not Delivering​

Check:

  1. Recipient email address is valid
  2. Not on unsubscribe list
  3. Previous bounces
  4. Spam folder (ask participants to whitelist)
  5. Email service status

Solutions:

  • Resend to specific participants
  • Use UUID link as backup
  • Contact participants via alternative method
  • Verify email addresses in CSV import

Low Open Rates​

Improve by:

  • Better subject lines (specific, clear)
  • Send during optimal times
  • Personalize content
  • Build sender reputation
  • Ask participants to whitelist sender

High Bounce Rate​

Causes:

  • Invalid email addresses in import
  • Outdated contact lists
  • Typos in email addresses

Solutions:

  • Verify emails before importing
  • Use double opt-in for recruitment
  • Clean contact lists regularly
  • Update bounced addresses

Learn More​

See Also​