Newsletters

Overview

Newsletters can be delivered to administrators and attendees or members immediately, scheduled for one-time delivery, or sent on a repeating schedule. Newsletters can use the default email options or have their own customized options, headers, and footers. Add newsletter sections, customize them, then specify the individuals to receive the newsletter and schedule it to be sent. Preview or send a test email before the newsletter is sent.

In this article:

1. Locate Newsletters
2. Add a newsletter
3. Creating/Editing a Newsletter

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Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Step 1 - Locate Newsletters

Select "Email Messaging" from the side-navigation and then select "Newsletters"

Step 2 - Add a newsletter

• Select "+ Newsletter" to create a new newsletter.
• Edit an existing newsletter by selecting the name or clicking "Options" to make edits and changes.

Step 1: Options, Header & Footer

• Enter a name (required) and an optional description that will appear in the newsletter table.
• Enter the Email Subject (required)
• Add optional pre-header text that appears above the message header.
• Select an optional background color to appear behind the entire email or keep the default white.
• As an option select to add the site logo above the header.
• Use the Default Header & Footer, or unselect the "Use Default Header" or "Use Default Footer" options and fill in the information to appear in the header and footer.  

Step 2: Sections & Layout

• Add a section to the newsletter by selecting a section type, then entering a section header.
• Click the "+Add Section" button.
• Change the order the sections appear by dragging them up or down.
• Click "Manage" to customize the section.
• Click "Preview Email" to preview the newsletter.
• Click "Send Test Email" to send yourself and others a test email.

Text & Graphics Section: 

• Enter a section header that will appear above the section in the newsletter.
• Elect to change the section background and text color or keep the default colors as a white background and black text.
• Select "+" to add a block, then add headers, text, graphics, or buttons.

Post and Catalog Sections:

These sections feature content and event posts or booths and catalogs. Post selections can be added to the newsletter automatically or manually selected.

• Turn the section "On"
• Elect to change the section background and text color or keep the default colors as a white background and black text.
• Enter the section header which will appear above the section in the newsletter.
• Select the number of items to appear in the section.
• If this is a post section, select the last updated to find the most recent posts.

Post Section:

Automated Post Selection:

• Turn on "Automated Post Rotation" if this is a newsletter that will be sent on a recurring schedule to randomly select new posts each time the newsletter is sent.
• Select the catalogs or booths that the posts will be taken from.
• Click "Next" to select the post types (article, workshop, etc.)
• Click "Save".

Manual Post Selection

• Click "Select Specific Posts"
• The system will allow you to filter posts by the catalog or by the post type.  Select the specific posts or events to be added to the section.
• Click "Save".

Catalog or Booth Section:

• Select the specific booths or catalogs to be added to the section.
• Click "Save".

Forum Sections

Forum sections display discussions from a site discussion forum.

• Enter the section header to appear above the section in the newsletter.
• Elect to change the section background and text color or keep the default colors as a white background and black text.
• Select the number of discussions to be profiled in this section, the number of replies, and the last updated selection.
• Select if the discussions will be automatically rotated or if specific discussion categories will be profiled.

Step 3: Add Recipients

• Select "Recipient Groups" to add contacts, site or catalog administrators, and attendees or members along with specific member or attendee types to receive this message. You can also select from a pre-created report created by a site administrator.
• Select the "Last Login Dates" and/or "Last Post Date" as an optional filter.
• Filter the list of recipients by selecting "Add New Filter" the selecting "and" so that data from all filters are matched. Select “or” so that data from any filter is added.
• Select "Show Count" to see the number of recipients for the newsletter.

Step 4: Review & Schedule:

• See a preview of the newsletter on the site or send yourself and others a test email.
• Under Sending Options:
  • Save as Draft: Save your current progress and come back to complete the newsletter later. This option can also be used to temporarily turn off an existing newsletter.
  • Send Once: Send the newsletter immediately and only once.
  • New Recurring Schedule: Set a schedule for the newsletter to repeatedly send out to individuals.

Step 3 - Save the newsletter.