How To: Create an Email from a Template (One Time Custom Email & Recurring Custom Email) This documentation is designed to walk through the necessary steps to create a new One Time Custom Email and a Recurring Custom Email using the newsletter and event templates. When using a template, some additional edits will need to be made. Custom Emails can be sent on a one time or recurring basis and provide flexibility by allowing you to use templates, reuse saved custom templates and reuse saved content. Both the One Time Custom and Recurring Custom emails follow the same steps with the exception of scheduling the email. *See Page 18, for more information. GETTING STARTED On the class, club or group s home page, go to the LOGIN link. Use your Infinite Connection username and password to login. CREATE A NEW EMAIL There are two ways to create a new One Time Custom Email and Recurring Custom Email. Option 1: On the imodules Administrative Toolbar, go to the Email tab and select Create Custom One Time or Custom Recurring. Step 1: (Option 1) On the imodules Administrative Toolbar, go to the Email tab and select Custom One Time or Custom Recurring. Step 1: (Option 2) On the imodules Administrative Toolbar, go to the Email Home page and select One Time Custom Email or Recurring Custom Email. Option 2: On the imodules Administrative Toolbar, select Email Home to go to the Email Marketing Home page and select One Time Custom Email or Recurring Custom Email. Please note: In order to choose the event or newsletter Templates, you must choose One Time Custom Email or Recurring Custom Email. 1 P age Page 1 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 2: EMAIL NAME: The date the One Time Custom Email or Recurring Custom Email is created and your name will default. Recipients will not see the Email Name. Step 3: EMAIL DESCRIPTION: Add a description for this email, if needed, to help keep track of correspondence. Recipients will not see the Email Description. Step 4: EMAIL CATEGORY: Select the Email Category from the drop down list based on the subject matter of the email. Unsubscribes will happen within this category. Step 5: NOTIFICATION EMAIL: Your email address will automatically default. Step 6: FROM NAME: For a more personalized email, enter your name. If you prefer, use the class club or group s name. Step 7: FROM EMAIL: Your email address will automatically default. Step 8: REPLY TO: Your email address will automatically default. Step 9: SUBJECT: The class, club or group s name will automatically default in brackets. Leave this in there, add your subject next to it. Step 10: TOKEN LIST: Use tokens to personalize the Subject line and/or the Pre header of your email. Step 11: EMAIL FOOTER: This will automatically default to Email Marketing Emails. Step 12: Click Save & Continue 2 P age EMAIL DETAILS Follow the Email Checklist to easily work through the steps to create a One Time Custom Email or Recurring Custom Email. You will be logged in so your information will automatically default in the Email Name, From Email, Reply To, and Notification Email fields. The green arrow to the left of the steps will indicate your progress when creating a new email. Once you ve completed a step, the green arrow will become a green check mark. The pre header gives the recipient of an email an idea of the subject matter of the email. The preheader, if used, will ONLY appear as a short summary following the subject line of an email when viewed in an inbox. The pre header will NOT appear within the email itself. BEST PRACTICE: ALWAYS use the same email address in the From Email and Reply To fields. Based on a recipient s email client when an out of the office responder is enabled, it will either send an email to the From Email or Reply To. If the recipient replies to your message, the reply will always be sent to the email address that s listed in the Reply To field. Also, due to recent email policy changes with AOL and Yahoo, it is a best practice to use an @alum.mit.edu in the From Email rather than an AOL or Yahoo email address as the email could be rejected by email service providers who use DMARC authentication such as Comcast, Gmail, Hotmail, Roadrunner, etc. However, in the Reply To email address AOL, Comcast, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc. email domains can continue to be used. Page 2 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus Most of these defaults can be changed. A link will be provided at the top of all emails that allows recipients to view the email as a web page. This is set automatically but can be turned off by deselecting the View Email in Browser box. All interaction with the web version of the email is tracked so that when the recipient views the email as a web page, these clicks will be counted in the email reporting. When sending a preview, if you click on this link in the preview email YOU MUST be logged in to the community otherwise it will trigger an error. When the email is released, that link will work whether or not you are logged in.
CHOOSE TEMPLATE (2 column w/header & Footer) Newsletter Template To select the 2015 Template: Newsletter, choose 2 Column w/header & Footer under Select Layout. Step 13: (Option 1) To select the 2015 Template: Newsletter, choose 2 Column w/header & Footer under Select Layout. CHOOSE TEMPLATE (3 column w/header & Footer Event Template or the Simple One Column Template To select the 2015 Simple Email, choose 3 column w/header & Footer under Select Layout Step 13: (Option 2) To select the 2015 Simple Email, choose 3 column w/header & Footer under Select Layout. This example provides instruction on how to use the 2015 Simple Email template. 3 P age Page 3 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 14: Click Save & Continue, once you ve decided which Template will work best for your new email. BUILD CONTENT The template below is the 2015 Simple Email. Once you select the desired template, the Choose Template option under the Email Checklist will be displayed in gray. You cannot go back to choose a different template once it s been selected. You can now start to create email content. Use the Template as is and replace the text and pictures or remove entire content blocks. If you are not using the dynamic content provided in the template, use the red x to remove this content. 4 P age Page 4 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Use the icons at the top of each content block to Move Content, Edit Content or Delete Content. Step 15: To Remove Content, click on the red X above the content block to be removed. If Event Community Content block is not being used, delete this content block. BEST PRACTICE: NEVER delete the header and/or footer of the email template. The header contains the class, club or group s name. The footer contains the MIT Alumni Association s address, official logo and social media icons that link to MIT Alumni Association social media sites. When you Remove Content, you will receive a confirmation message confirming you want to remove this content. Step 16: Click OK. 5 P age Page 5 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 17: Click the pencil icon to Edit Content. Step 18: Click the pencil icon to the right of Default for Everyone to Edit Content Version. If you create multiple versions of the same email, you will be able to select and edit each version. 6 P age Page 6 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 19: Use the toolbar to format the email. Add images, documents and hyperlinks. *See Appendix A (Page 21) and B (Page 27) for more information on images and documents. BEST PRACTICE: ALWAYS do your formatting within the Encompass content editor. However, if you are copying and pasting in content, you MUST first use Notepad or a similar software application in order to remove all html formatting. Note: Auto Save Feature on Text Editors The auto save feature saves a version of the work in the editor every 2 minutes, so when you log back into Encompass you have the option to continue working with the latest version. This feature works on CMS, email, events, forms, memberships and only works in the edit mode. For example, if the admin is adding rich text to a form and is logged out because their session expires the unsaved content is not saved. It would be saved if editing rich text that was already on the page. When you return to the editor there will be a message at the top of the page stating "Unsaved data was found for one or more content editors on this page" plus an additional message stating The following unsaved content from time 7 P age Page 7 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
and date was found with a Restore and Delete link. The editor will display the unsaved content in the editor to allow the admin to see the latest version of the content. In addition, the admin WILL NOT be able to enter anything new into the editor until selecting the 'Restore' or "Delete' option. Step 20: Update content and information provided in the template. 8 P age Page 8 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 21: To hyperlink text, highlight the text to be hyperlinked and click the Hyperlink Manager on the formatting toolbar. 9 P age Page 9 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 22: On the Hyperlink tab, enter the URL. You can also hyperlink an email address by highlighting the text, clicking on the E mail tab and entering the address. Step 23: Click OK. Step 24: Click Save Version. 10 P age Page 10 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 25: Click Save and Load Content. 11 P age Page 11 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
These admin tools adjust the right margin. DO NOT update any of the margin settings. Note: Email size limits have been put in place and will not allow an email to be released that has any single image that is larger than 800KB, or any email that in total is over 2MB. If either of these scenarios are identified, then the system will display an error message on the Release Email step identifying the specific image(s) that is over the limit, and/or if the total email size is over 2MB. The image(s) will need to be resized outside of the Encompass system. The image size limit ONLY applies to images in Email Marketing. 12 P age Page 12 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
On the Release Email step, the size of the email will be calculated. If any of the individual images are over 800 KB or the entire email is over 2MB, then a message will appear to the admin and the email will not be sent. To check to make sure the file is not too large before sending a preview, click on the Release Email step first so that the error appears if the email size is too large. Step 26: Click Save & Continue Step 27: Reply to Address: Add your email address or the address that the recipient of the preview email should reply to. If it is left blank, the preview email will use the Reply to address in the Email Details. The email will still show that it is being sent from noreply@imoduels.com. SEND PREVIEW Send Preview sends a test copy of your email to the email address on file for the account under which you are logged in, and/or to any other additional addresses. Step 28: Add others to preview an email before it is sent. To do this, add the email address in the Add Recipients field and click the Add button. Step 29: Remove those that no longer need to preview the email by selecting their email address and clicking the Remove button. Step 30: Use the Additional Comments field as needed to add comments to the recipient of the preview email. Step 31: Click Send Preview to preview email in your email client. Step 32: Save as a Design Template by clicking the box to the left of Create a Design Template based on this email, if needed. Once you have sent a preview, you will receive the green confirmation message above. Step 33: Click Save & Continue. Note: If you are sending a preview to others, tokens will be your tokens. For example, if you insert a field like first or last name the receipeient of the preview will see your first and last name in the content of the email. 13 P age Page 13 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
BEST PRACTICE: CONSIDER saving the updated email template so that you can easily use it again. Email templates streamline the email creation process and help you maintain consistency in the look of your emails. To save an email as a design template, check the option to Create a Design Template based on this email. A text box will appear allowing you to enter a name for the template. CHOOSE RECIPIENTS Several saved queries (Ex. Alumni with an IC account, Alumni without an IC account, Dues Paid Members, Non Paid Members, MIT10, Sloan Alumni, and All Alumni) have already been added to your class, club or group s website. Use the Data Viewer to view all saved queries. If there is an additional query that you would like added to the Data Viewer, please contact your staff liasion and they will facilitate the request with our techical team. Please note: Include all records will include all records in your class, club or goup s website including any non member records. A non member record gets created automatically each time the first name, last name and email address fields are filled out when someone is NOT logged in on a public form. This can also happen when an email address file is uploaded for email marketing purposes. Step 34: In Data Viewer, click Configure. BEST PRACTICE Select one or more of the three options (Data Viewer, Custom Lists and Email Address File) to create your recipient list by clicking the Configure button for each. ALWAYS start with the Data Viewer to view saved queries. Step 35: Click Use a saved query. 14 P age Page 14 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 36: Click the Run Query icon to select the query to be used. Step 37: The Data Viewer will turn green and the number of recipients in that Saved Query will appear. Edit the list or Reset the Data Viewer to choose another list, if needed. Step 38: To add a Custom List, click Configure. 15 P age Page 15 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Select a Custom List that has already been created or create a new custom list. *See Appendix C, Page 33, for more information. Step 39: Click the box next to the desired Custom List. Step 40: Click the More Actions button and select Include Selected Lists. Step 41: The Custom Lists will turn green and the number of recipients in the Custom Lists will appear. Edit the list or add more custom lists, if needed. Step 42: To add an Email Address File, click Configure. 16 P age Page 16 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 43: Click the Choose File button to navigate to the file to be added and select it. BEST PRACTICE: ALWAYS choose a.csv file. Also, DON T upload more than 10,000 email addresses at a time. Step 44: Click Update. To remove the.csv file, click on the red circle to the right of the file name. Step 45: The Email Address File will turn green and the number of recipients in the Email Address File will appear. Edit the list, if needed. The Total Estimated Recipients will appear at the bottom combining the total from all lists. Step 46: Click Save & Continue. 17 P age Page 17 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
One Time Custom Email Step 1: Click on the radio button to the left of Immediately to send the email right now. Step 2: Click on the radio button to the left of In the future to schedule the date and time (hour and minute). The default is the current date and the last top of the hour. If this is not changed, the email will never be sent. SCHEDULE EMAIL Select the date and time to send your email. Follow steps for One Time Custom Email or Recurring Custom Email based on your selection. One Time Custom Schedule Email Options: Step 3: Time Zone: Select the Time Zone. Recurring Custom Email Step 1: Click on the icon to the right of the Send FIRST email on field to select the date. Step 2: Click on the icon to the right of the time field to select time (hour and minute) Currently, Community Content is NOT supported with emails that are sent "immediately". Community Content includes such things as Events listings, Forward to a Friend, and RSS Feeds that change with each send. Emails with this type of content can only be sent at the top of the hour. The ability to send Community Content immediately will be added in the future. Tokens and roles are supported in emails that are sent immediately. Recurring Custom Email Schedule Email Options: Step 3: Time Zone: Select the Time Zone. Step 4: Select the Daily, Weekly, Monthly or Specific Dates tab to choose frequency. Step 5: Use the Exclude specific months, Start Date, Report until as needed. Step 6: Send a sample email to review before each scheduled delivery, if needed. Send example a certain number of days and hours before scheduled recurrence. Step 7: Enter email address to be added and click the Add button, if needed. 18 P age The first recurring email will be sent on the Start Date choosen, then subsequent emails will follow the recurrance schedule you set. Page 18 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 47: Click Save & Continue. RELEASE EMAIL Step 48: Verify all email information. Step 49: Click Save & Continue. The Scheduled Email will appear under the Released Emails grid until it has been sent. Once the email has been sent, it will appear under the Email History grid. 19 P age Page 19 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Note: The number of emails in a query and the number in the Email History grid might not match because of these possible reasons: 1. Invalid email address on record. 2. User previously unsubscribed from this category/community. 3. Deceased records always get excluded. BEST PRACTICE: If for some reason, you need to continue working on the email after it has been scheduled the easiest way to do this is to click the drop down menu to the right of the cog wheel and select Move to Drafts. Did you complete the following steps? EMAIL DETAILS (Page 2) CHOOSE TEMPLATE (Page 3) BUILD CONTENT (Page 4) SEND PREVIEW (Page 13) CHOOSE RECIPIENTS (Page 14) SCHEDULE EMAIL (Page 18) RELEASE EMAIL (Page 19) Additional Information is provided on the following: APPENDIX A: Using the Image Manager to Add an Image to Email Content (Page 21) APPENDIX B: Using the Document Manager to Add a Document to Email (Page 27) APPENDIX C: Create a Custom List (Page 33) 20 P age Page 20 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
APPENDIX A IMAGE MANAGER: ADD IMAGE TO EMAIL CONTENT Select one of the images that have already been uploaded to your class, club or group s website or upload additional images. Step 1: Click the pencil icon to Edit Content. 21 P age Page 21 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 2: Click the pencil icon to the right of Default for Everyone to Edit Content Version. Step 3: On the formatting toolbar, click the Image Manager. 22 P age Page 22 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Choose one of the pictures that have already been uploaded to your class, club or group s website or upload additional pictures. Step 4: Click Upload. BEST PRACTICE: ALWAYS organize the image folders first before uploading images. Consider creating a new folder so that you can easily find images. Step 5: Click Select. 23 P age Page 23 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 6: Find the file on your computer and select it and click Open. Step 7: Click Upload. Step 8: Click on the image file name to insert. Step 9: Click on the Properties tab to adjust any of the image settings. 24 P age Page 24 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 10: Click Insert. Step 11: Click Save Version. 25 P age Page 25 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 12: Click Save and Load Content. 26 P age Page 26 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
APPENDIX B DOCUMENT MANAGER: ADD DOCUMENT TO EMAIL CONTENT Select one of the documents that have already been uploaded to your class, club or group s website or upload additional documents. Step 1: On the formatting toolbar, click the Document Manager at the location to insert a document. 27 P age Page 27 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 2: Click Upload. Step 3: Click Select. 28 P age Page 28 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 4: Find the file on your computer and select it and click Open. BEST PRACTICE: ALWAYS organize the document folders first before uploading documents. Consider creating a new folder so that you can easily find documents. Step 5: Click Upload. 29 P age Page 29 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 6: Click on the document image name to insert. Step 7: Click Insert. 30 P age Page 30 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 8: Click Save Version. 31 P age Page 31 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
Step 9: Click Save and Load Content. 32 P age Page 32 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus
APPENDIX C CREATE A CUSTOM LIST(S) Select one of the Custom Lists that have already been created in your class, club or group s website or create a new Custom List(s). Step 1: To create Custom Lists, click on the Create New List button. Step 2: List Name: Enter a name for the new Custom List. Step 3: Email Addresses (Limit 50,000): Enter the list of email addresses to be added to the new Custom List. Step 4: Click Save. 33 P age Once the new Custom List is saved, the green confirmation message will appear at the top of the page. Click the drop down menu to the right of the cog wheel if you need to delete a Custom List. Custom Lists that have never been used can be deleted easily. However, a Custom List CANNOT be deleted if it is associated with an email. If you need a Custom List deleted that is associated with an email, please contact your staff liaison. Page 33 Email: How To Create an Email from a Template for Class, Club and Group Leaders November 2015 K. Balkus