Setting Up Brevo for Beyond ICT

Mark, this guide takes your Brevo account (mark@beyondict.co.za) from "signed up" to sending follow-up emails automatically to four groups of prospects. Work through it in order. Allow about 2 hours for steps 1 to 6, and another 2 to 3 hours to write and test your emails and automations.

Good news first: on 26 October we checked beyondict.co.za and the Brevo records are already in your DNS. Your Brevo code, both Brevo DKIM keys and a DMARC record are all there, so the hardest step is mostly done. Step 3 has one fix to make on a record that is already there.

Before you start

Have these ready:

• Your Brevo login (app.brevo.com, mark@beyondict.co.za).
• Your cPanel login at Domains.co.za. You only need it for the fix in Step 3.
• Your phone. Brevo sends codes for two-step login and sender checks.
• Your Gmail open for mark@beyondict.co.za, because Brevo's check codes land there.
• A spreadsheet of contacts (Google Sheets is fine) for Step 6. Step 5 explains who goes in which list.

Brevo moves its menus around every so often. If a menu name here doesn't match your screen, use the search bar at the top of Brevo, or the ? help icon, and type the name of the step.

How the funnel works

1. You find businesses that fit one of your four groups (Step 5) and add them to the matching Brevo list.
2. Brevo sends each one three emails over 10 days, written for their group (Steps 7 and 8).
3. Interested businesses WhatsApp or call you, straight from the email.
4. Anyone who replies is moved to a stop list, so the follow-ups end. Anyone who unsubscribes is blocked by Brevo automatically.

Step 1: Secure the account and fill in your company details

About 10 minutes. Brevo prints your company details at the foot of every email, so they must be complete before anything is sent.

1a. Turn on two-step login

1. Log in at app.brevo.com.
2. Click your name or company name in the top-right corner.
3. Open Security (on some screens it sits under My profile or Account settings).
4. Find Two-factor authentication and switch it on.
5. Choose the authenticator app or SMS option, and follow the prompts on your phone.
6. Save the backup codes Brevo shows you somewhere safe, such as a password manager.

1b. Company details

1. Click your name in the top-right corner again, then Settings.
2. Open Company info (sometimes called Organization or Company details).
3. Fill in exactly:

4. Click Save.

1c. Time zone and language

1. In Settings, find Time zone (sometimes under Preferences or My profile).
2. Pick (GMT+02:00) Johannesburg. Every scheduled send and automation delay uses this clock.
3. Set the language to English and save.

1d. Know your plan's limits

Brevo's free plan sends up to 300 emails a day and puts a small Brevo logo at the foot of each email. That is plenty while the funnel is getting going. Upgrade only once you are regularly hitting the 300 limit. You'll find your current plan and usage under your name, then Plan or My plan.

Step 2: Add yourself as the sender

About 5 minutes. The sender is the name and address people see in their inbox. Send as yourself, not as "info" or "noreply". People open and answer emails from a person.

1. Click your name in the top-right corner, then Senders, Domains & Dedicated IPs (or Settings, then Senders).
2. Open the Senders tab.
3. If mark@beyondict.co.za is already listed from sign-up, click the pencil (edit) icon next to it. If not, click Add a sender.
4. Fill in:
   • From name: Mark Swift
   • From email: mark@beyondict.co.za
5. Click Save or Add sender.
6. Brevo emails a code or link to mark@beyondict.co.za. Open it in Gmail and confirm it. Check Spam if it hasn't arrived within 5 minutes.
7. Back in Brevo, the sender should now show as Verified, or with a green tick.

Replies: replies go to mark@beyondict.co.za unless you set a different reply-to address on a campaign. Leave it that way, because you want every reply in your own inbox.

Step 3: Confirm your domain, and fix one record

About 20 minutes. This step proves to Gmail, Outlook and other mail providers that Brevo may send for beyondict.co.za. Without it, your emails go to spam.

What is already in your DNS (checked 26 October 2026):

3a. Ask Brevo to check the domain

1. Click your name in the top-right corner, then Senders, Domains & Dedicated IPs.
2. Open the Domains tab.
3. Find beyondict.co.za. If it isn't listed, click Add a domain, type beyondict.co.za and continue. Brevo will recognise the records that are already there.
4. Click Authenticate or Verify next to it.
5. Every line should turn green and the domain should say Authenticated.
6. If a line stays red, copy the value Brevo shows for that line and send it to Andy before changing anything.

3b. Fix your SPF record

Your SPF record lists which servers may send email as @beyondict.co.za. It currently has line breaks inside it. The record should be one line with single spaces, and many mail providers reject an SPF record laid out like this. That can push your normal Gmail emails into spam as well as Brevo's.

What it should become, as one line:

v=spf1 a mx ip4:169.239.217.30 include:_spf.tld-mx.com include:_spf.google.com ~all

This keeps everything the current record allows: your website server, your hosting company's mail servers and Google. It just writes them on one line.

1. Log in to your Domains.co.za client area and open cPanel for beyondict.co.za.
2. In the Domains section, click Zone Editor.
3. Next to beyondict.co.za, click Manage.
4. Use the Filter buttons to show only TXT records.
5. Find the record whose value starts with v=spf1. There must be only one. Click Edit on it.
6. Select everything in the Record box and delete it. Paste the one-line value above. Check that it starts with v=spf1 and ends with ~all.
7. Click Save Record.

Rules for this step:

• Never add a second SPF record. A domain may have only one. Two SPF records break all of them.
• Never touch the MX records. They deliver your Google mailbox, and changing them stops your email.
• Don't delete the brevo-code, brevo1, brevo2, _dmarc or google._domainkey records.
• If Brevo ever lists an SPF line as required, add its include: to this same record, just before ~all. Never add it as a new record.

3c. Check it worked

DNS changes can take from a few minutes up to a few hours to show. Then:

1. Go to mxtoolbox.com/spf.aspx, type beyondict.co.za and click SPF Record Lookup. You want no red errors.
2. In Brevo, click Authenticate on the domain once more. Every line should be green.

About DMARC: yours is set to p=none. That means "report problems but don't block anything", which is the right setting for now. Leave it as it is.

Step 4: Create your contact fields

About 15 minutes. Brevo calls these contact attributes: the columns it stores for each person. Brevo already has EMAIL, FIRSTNAME, LASTNAME and SMS (mobile). Add the ones below so you can personalise emails and see where each lead came from.

1. Click Contacts in the left menu.
2. Click Settings (the gear icon on the Contacts page), then Contact attributes. On some accounts the path is Contacts, then Settings, then Contact attributes and CRM.
3. Click Add a new attribute (or Create attribute).
4. Type the name exactly as shown: CAPITALS, with underscores instead of spaces. Choose the type and click Create or Save.
5. Repeat for each row.

For SEGMENT (a Category attribute), Brevo asks for the options. Add these four, one at a time:

1. Multi-branch
2. Call-heavy
3. Landlord
4. Agent

Step 5: Create a folder and six lists

About 10 minutes. Each prospect group gets its own list, so each one gets emails written for it. Adding someone to a list is what starts their automation in Step 8.

1. Click Contacts in the left menu, then Lists.
2. Click Create a folder (sometimes under the ⋯ menu). Name it Beyond ICT Outreach and save.
3. Click Create a list, type the name, pick the Beyond ICT Outreach folder, and click Create.
4. Repeat for every list in the table.

The numbers at the front keep the four funnel lists at the top of the screen, in order.

Step 6: Get contacts into Brevo

Read this now, but add real contacts only after Step 8 is switched on. That way every business you add gets its emails straight away. Until then, practise with yourself (Step 9).

6a. Your spreadsheet layout

Use one row per person, with these exact column headings in row 1. Matching headings let Brevo match the columns for you.

EMAIL,FIRSTNAME,LASTNAME,COMPANY,JOB_TITLE,CITY,SEGMENT,LEAD_SOURCE,WHATSAPP
thabo@example.co.za,Thabo,Mokoena,Example Pharmacy Group,Operations Manager,Johannesburg,Multi-branch,Google Maps,27821234567

• SEGMENT must be spelled exactly like the options in Step 4: Multi-branch, Call-heavy, Landlord or Agent.
• WHATSAPP: 27 followed by the number without its first 0, with no spaces or plus sign.
• Check every email address before importing. Use the business's own published address, and drop anything that looks mistyped or out of date. Bounced emails are what hurt your sending reputation most.
• One person per business is enough: the owner, MD or the role that fits the group.

6b. Importing a file (several people at once)

1. In Google Sheets, click File, then Download, then Comma-separated values (.csv).
2. In Brevo, click Contacts, then Import contacts.
3. Choose Upload a file and select the CSV.
4. Match the columns: check every column is paired with the attribute of the same name. Set any column Brevo hasn't matched yourself, or tick Do not import if you don't need it.
5. Choose the list: pick one list, e.g. 1 Multi-branch. Import each group separately, so each person lands in the right list.
6. If Brevo asks whether to update existing contacts, tick it.
7. Brevo asks you to confirm how these contacts were collected. Read the wording and answer it.
8. Click Confirm your import. Large files take a few minutes, and Brevo emails you when it's done.

6c. Adding one person by hand (the usual case)

For a single business you've found:

1. Click Contacts, then Create a contact (or Add a contact).
2. Fill in the email, first name, last name, company, job title, city, segment, lead source and WhatsApp number.
3. Under Lists, pick the one list that fits them.
4. Click Create or Save. Their follow-up emails start automatically (Step 8).

Step 7: Build your email templates

About 1 to 2 hours. You need nine templates: two for each of the four lists, plus one final check-in that all four share. Starter wording for every one is below. Each first email introduces you, because the reader won't know you yet. It uses only facts from your own website, so edit freely but don't add numbers or promises you wouldn't stand behind.

7a. How to create a template

1. In the left menu, click Campaigns (or Marketing), then Templates.
2. Click New template (or Create a template).
3. Settings screen:
   • Template name: use the codes below, e.g. MB-1 Branches stay online. Only you see it.
   • Subject line: from the starter copy.
   • Preview text: the first sentence of the email.
   • From: Mark Swift, mark@beyondict.co.za.
   • Reply-to: mark@beyondict.co.za.
4. Click Next step and choose an editor. Pick a plain or simple text layout (Brevo calls it Rich text editor, or a basic "text" design). A plain email reads like a personal note and lands in the inbox more often than a designed newsletter.
5. Paste the email body.
6. Personalise the greeting: replace "Hi [First name]" with Hi {{ contact.FIRSTNAME | default : "there" }},. If you also use {{ contact.COMPANY }}, Brevo fills in each person's company.
7. Add the WhatsApp button or link: highlight the call-to-action words, click the link icon and paste the WhatsApp link for that list (table below).
8. Check the footer: it must show your company address and an unsubscribe link. Brevo adds these, but don't delete them. Brevo won't send without the unsubscribe link.
9. Click Save & quit (or Save and activate). In the template list, make sure it shows as Active. Automations can only use active templates.

WhatsApp links (each opens a chat with you, message already typed):

List 1: Multi-branch

MB-1 Branches stay online Subject: When a branch's line drops, the call doesn't

Hi [First name],

I'm Mark Swift, MD of Beyond ICT. We've helped businesses with voice, connectivity and IT across South Africa since 2014.

Picture a call running at one of your branches when its main line fails. With SD-WAN, the call doesn't drop. It moves to a second connection automatically, and nobody on the call notices.

That's what we set up for businesses with several sites: more than one type of connection at each branch, automatic failover, priority for your important traffic, and reporting so you can see how your network is running.

More here: https://beyondict.co.za/services/sd-wan

If keeping your branches connected matters to you, WhatsApp me and we can talk through your setup.

Mark Swift Managing Director, Beyond ICT 083 407 0770

MB-2 One phone system for every branch Subject: One phone system across all your branches

Hi [First name],

A quick follow-up. Many businesses with branches run a different phone setup at each one.

Our VBX hosted PBX puts every branch on one cloud phone system. It is hosted in several locations across South Africa, and adding or removing users is easy. Smaller or remote offices can join it over LTE.

More here: https://beyondict.co.za/services/hosted-pbx

WhatsApp me if you'd like to see how it would work for your branches.

Mark

List 2: Call-heavy

CH-1 Better calls, lower cost Subject: Clear calls without the big phone bill

Hi [First name],

I'm Mark Swift, MD of Beyond ICT. We've helped businesses with voice, connectivity and IT across South Africa since 2014.

When your team lives on the phone, two things matter: calls that sound right, and a bill that doesn't hurt.

Beyond ICT has service provider agreements with some of the biggest telcos, so we can offer quality voice at affordable rates. We never trade away quality to get the price down.

More here: https://beyondict.co.za/services/voice

WhatsApp me and let's talk about your calls.

Mark Swift Managing Director, Beyond ICT 083 407 0770

CH-2 What a client said Subject: "There are humans on either end of the line"

Hi [First name],

I'd rather let a client explain this one. Dieter Kriezer wrote:

"I resented poor quality VoIP calls trying to find affordable communication offerings for our Sales Staff until I discovered Beyond ICT. They understand there are humans on either end of the telephone line and ensured our voice packets took highest priority without compromising the other divisions of our comms."

If your sales team deals with the same thing, WhatsApp me.

Mark

List 3: Landlords

LL-1 Fibre for your building Subject: Fibre for [Company]'s tenants

Hi [First name],

I'm Mark Swift, MD of Beyond ICT. We've helped businesses with voice, connectivity and IT across South Africa since 2014.

Beyond ICT and its partners have built, and run, a number of open access fibre precincts for landlords across South Africa. We deploy our own fibre, using micro trenching and pre-terminated fibre drop cables.

A single managed network gives landlords and tenants real benefits, including much lower business connectivity charges and fast deployment.

More here: https://beyondict.co.za/landlords

WhatsApp me and tell me about your property.

Mark Swift Managing Director, Beyond ICT 083 407 0770

LL-2 A question about your property Subject: A quick question about your tenants

Hi [First name],

A quick question. How do tenants at your property get connected today: each one with their own provider, or one shared network?

If it's each tenant for themselves, an open access fibre precinct could suit you. WhatsApp me a couple of details and I'll tell you honestly whether it fits.

Mark

List 4: Agent recruits

AG-1 Earn from the clients you already see Subject: You open the door, I close the deal

Hi [First name],

I'm Mark Swift, MD of Beyond ICT. We've helped businesses with voice, connectivity and IT across South Africa since 2014.

You already work with businesses. When you spot one that could do better with its voice system or call rates, you introduce me. I discuss it with the client and help close the deal.

You work whatever hours you want. You don't provide support or carry billing risk. Commission is paid every month for as long as the client stays active.

Full details: https://beyondict.co.za/become-an-agent

WhatsApp me if you'd like to talk about it.

Mark Swift Managing Director, Beyond ICT 083 407 0770

AG-2 How agents actually earn Subject: One client, paid every month for 10 years

Hi [First name],

A true story: I have an agent I've been paying for 10 years now, from one client he brought in. He gets his commission every month that client remains active.

My agents who actively look for opportunities earn a lot more. It really depends on what you want. I help with knowledge and training if you need it, and with any deal where you want help.

WhatsApp me if you'd like to get started. Any form of application is fine.

Mark

Shared final email (all four lists)

ALL-3 Last check-in Subject: Should I close your file?

Hi [First name],

I don't want to fill your inbox, so this is my last note for now.

If the timing is wrong, no problem. If you'd like to talk, WhatsApp me or call 083 407 0770. Either way, thanks for reading.

Mark

For ALL-3, link "WhatsApp me" to https://wa.me/27834070770?text=Hi%20Mark%2C%20I%27d%20like%20to%20talk.

Step 8: Build one automation per list

About 20 minutes for the first, then 5 minutes each for the rest. An automation sends a list's three emails on a timetable, starting the moment someone is added to that list. It checks before each email whether the person has replied, so nobody gets a follow-up after they've answered you.

The timetable for every list:

8a. Build the Multi-branch automation

1. In the left menu, click Automations.
2. Click Create an automation (or Create a workflow). Choose Start from scratch or Custom workflow. Don't pick a ready-made scenario.
3. Name it: 1 Multi-branch follow-ups.
4. Entry point: choose Contact added to a list, then select 1 Multi-branch.
5. Click + under the entry point and choose Send an email. Pick the template MB-1 Branches stay online.
6. Click + and choose Wait (or Delay). Set 4 days. If Brevo offers "only send on certain days or hours", choose Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00.
7. Click + and choose If/else condition (or Condition). Set it to Contact is in list, then STOP - Replied.
   • On the Yes branch, add End (or Exit workflow).
   • On the No branch, continue with the next step.
8. On the No branch, click +, choose Send an email and pick MB-2 One phone system for every branch.
9. Click +, choose Wait and set 6 days (so it lands on day 10).
10. Add the same If/else check again: Contact is in list, STOP - Replied. Yes goes to End, No continues.
11. On the No branch, add Send an email with ALL-3 Last check-in, then End.
12. Open the workflow's Settings (gear icon). Set Re-entry so a contact can enter only once.
13. Click Activate (or Save and activate). The status should read Active.

8b. The other three lists

In Automations, open the menu (⋯) on 1 Multi-branch follow-ups and click Duplicate. In the copy, change:

Keep ALL-3 as the last email in each, then activate each one. If Duplicate isn't offered, build each one as in 8a.

8c. When someone replies (the one manual job)

Brevo can't see replies, because they land in your Gmail. So whenever a contact replies, about anything:

1. In Brevo, click Contacts and search for their email.
2. Open them. Under Lists, click Add to list, then STOP - Replied.
3. Their remaining follow-ups are cancelled at the next check.

Unsubscribes look after themselves. Brevo blocks that contact from all future marketing emails automatically.

Step 9: Test everything on yourself, then go live slowly

About 30 minutes, plus a few days of watching.

9a. Send each template to yourself

1. Open Templates, click the ⋯ menu on a template, and choose Send a test (or Preview & test).
2. Send it to mark@beyondict.co.za, and to a personal Gmail or Outlook address if you have one.
3. For each test, check:
   • It landed in the inbox, not Spam or Promotions.
   • The greeting shows a name (in a test it may say "there"; that's fine).
   • The WhatsApp me link opens WhatsApp to 083 407 0770 with the right message already typed. Test it on your phone.
   • The website link opens the right page.
   • The footer shows your address and an unsubscribe link.
   • There are no spelling mistakes in the subject line.

9b. Run one automation end to end

1. Create a contact using a personal address of yours, with FIRSTNAME Mark and SEGMENT Multi-branch, and add it to 1 Multi-branch.
2. Within a few minutes, MB-1 should arrive. In Automations, open the workflow and you should see 1 contact in it.
3. Add that test contact to STOP - Replied. On day 4, check that MB-2 did not arrive. That proves the stop check works.
4. When you're done, delete the test contact.

9c. Go live slowly

Mail providers trust a new sender gradually. A sudden jump in volume looks like spam.

9d. Watch these numbers weekly

Open Campaigns or Automations, then Statistics or Reports:

• Bounces: above 2%, stop adding contacts and check your list for wrong addresses.
• Spam complaints: any at all, look at who complained and why. Above 0.1%, pause and rethink.
• Unsubscribes: normal, and a few are healthy. A sudden rise means a list or email is off-target.
• WhatsApps and calls: the real result. Note in Brevo or your CRM which list each enquiry came from.

Your daily routine (about 15 minutes)

1. Add today's new businesses to their Brevo lists (Step 6), keeping to the daily numbers in 9c.
2. Go through your Gmail replies:
   • Any reply at all: add them to STOP - Replied in Brevo (Step 8c), then answer them personally.
   • "Not interested" or "please stop": also unsubscribe them from their contact page in Brevo, and never add them again.
3. Answer every WhatsApp the same day.

If something goes wrong

Final checklist

• Two-step login on (1a)
• Company details and address complete (1b)
• Time zone set to Johannesburg (1c)
• Sender Mark Swift, mark@beyondict.co.za, verified (Step 2)
• SPF record on one line, and MXToolbox shows no errors (3b, 3c)
• Domain shows Authenticated in Brevo (3a)
• Six contact attributes created, with SEGMENT's four options (Step 4)
• Folder and six lists created (Step 5)
• Nine templates built, tested and Active (Step 7, 9a)
• Four automations Active, with re-entry set to once (Step 8)
• Test contact ran end to end, then deleted (9b)
• First real contacts added, no more than 20 a day in week 1 (9c)

Stuck at any step? WhatsApp or email Andy with a screenshot of the screen you're on.