1 Create Emails using imodules imodules is an application currently used in a number of areas: alumni online directory, email marketing, event registration, and online fundraising campaigns. It is web-based, and is supported on both Mac and PC platforms. USF is using imodules for targeted communications with students, faculty and staff, alumni, donors and parents. Questions? Email ecommunications@usfca.edu. Access imodules Open your browser and go to http://communications.usfca.edu/email (You may use your USF Connect credentials to log in. Admin rights are added before the mandatory training session.) Enter your USF Connect username and password and click the Login button. If you already have an imodules admin user name enter it here.
2 Getting Started admin interface 1. Under the Email tab in the top menu > choose Email Home Under Create New Email > choose One-time Custom Email. (Tips: if you have previously sent an email through imodules, do not create a new email. Instead, find your old email in the email history and re-use it as a template for your new email by clicking the wheel next to it > Re-use email.) Under Email Builder - Email Details, enter Email Name in the following way: Name of your office/department_title of email_target group(s). Email Description (enter date for email delivery, requestor name and username, target group details and other important information as needed), From Name, From Email, Reply To (users direct questions to this email address), Subject and Pre-header show up in the recipients inboxes and decide on the success of your email. Email Footer (use default Email Marketing Emails ), Email Category (select one if you know the right category, otherwise leave at General Information and e-communications will do this for you). Click Save & Continue.
3 Select Layout Template to use NOTE: You won t be able to change to another template once you have selected one. If you change your mind on a template, you will need to start a new email. 1. Click to select a Layout Template 2. All pre-designed USF templates are available under template 3 Column w/ Header & Footer. Click to select a Design Template (If available, use the template with your department s name or contact ecommunications@usfca.edu to have one made for your department) Click Save & Continue.
4 Build the content 1. Note that each content section (or module ) in the template is separate from the others and may be moved, edited or deleted independent of the other modules. 2. To reorder sections, drag the sections around using the Move icon. 3. Delete using the red icon. 4. Use the icon to edit. If you use an image/banner under the USF logo, these should be sized at 560x320 pixels or 560x150 pixels before uploading for use. Tips: The image dimensions match those of images on the USF Website, so you can also find official USF images in these dimensions for your use on many USF web pages or inside the Images Folder in the Ektron CMS system. Headers using the preloaded social media layers (in the sm headers image file) may link to event/group Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest as well as event/registration pages) To have an image customized for this purpose contact ecommunications@usfca.edu. 5. To start editing a module, click on the icon on the left. Then click on the again next to default for everyone to get past the preview stage and access the content editor for the module.
5 6. The content editor appears in a pop-up window. To edit the content but keep the formatting of the template, apply your cursor one letter into the word or sentence you are editing, then start writing the new text before erasing the old one. If you paste from word, web or pdf, use paste as plain text to avoid formatting problems.
6 7. To insert Image, position your cursor where you want the image to appear. Choose the Image Manager on the toolbar. Then choose the image and click Insert. To edit the image, choose Properties (Ctrl+Click or right-click on image) to bring up the image manager again. 8. Note: If you are looking to insert a USF department logo, open the 560topbars folder, and choose your department s top bar (the naming convention is topbar_depname ), then click Insert. (If you can t find your department s topbar in the folder, contact ecommunications@usfca.edu and they will make you one.) 9. After editing in Design view or HTML view, click the Save Version button. 10. Click Save and Load Content when you are back on the preview screen on the lower left of the page. Important! The changes you made will not be reflected in the email unless you click Save and Load Content on the preview step.
7 Tips: On the Build Content page, click Preview Mode to view the email draft without the tool icons visible. Upload Images 1. To upload new images, in the Image Manager panel, create a new folder (or your existing designated folder) and click Upload to import new images from your computer. 2. Select the images to upload and click Add to add more. 3. After you are done, click Upload at the bottom of the dialog box. Tips: Click the clearly. icon in the editor bar to toggle to full-screen mode and view your project more Hyperlinks To set a link, select text and click the Link icon on the toolbar. Set the Hyperlink for the header banner to your homepage. Always set the Target to New window > choose OK. About the Template Heading 1 (H1) is for the headline. Heading 2 (H2) is intended for links or call for actions items (e.g., Read more»). Heading 3 (H3) is good for subheads or additional important information. To edit the template s Footer Content (phone number, department name, links, etc.) click on the icon for the footer module. It s easiest to do this in the HTML editor. Click on and search for the content you want to alter. For this you may hold command ( )+ F (MAC) or contol +F (PC). H1 H2 H3
8 Send Preview to Colleagues 1. Add your email in Reply-to Address 2. Add Recipients > click Add. 4. Always include ecommunications@usfca.edu in the final round of preview for approval and send-off. 5. Click Send Preview. The preview will not be sent by clicking Save & Continue. The E-Communications team will get back to you with any questions. If no major edits are required, the email will be ready for send-off within two (2) business days of receiving the preview. Re-use Sent Emails for New Drafts 1. Go to Email History. 2. Click the icon next to the Email Name, and choose Re-use Email.
9 Send a USF Connect Email through imodules 1. Search the Email History for the word Connect and all prior USF Connect emails will display. 2. Re-use a USF Connect email sent from your department. If not applicable, re-use the most recent email. 3. If needed, click the icon for the header module to edit the name of the sending department or office. Note that you can simply write the name next to the USF logo. 4. Click the icon for the content module to edit the message. If you paste text from Word, pdf, or a web page, please use the to keep the proper formatting. paste as plain text icon 5. Click on the icon for the footer module to edit the department name and contact information. 6. Click Save & Continue to go on to the Send a Preview step. Send a preview to ecommunications@usfca.edu to alert us to the email request, and we will send-off/schedule the USF Connect message as quickly as possible. The system sends emails at every full hour. An example of a USF Connect email:
10 Email Reporting From the Email tab, choose Email Reporting, then click on your Campaign Name. Click on the title of the email for which you wish to see reporting. Clicks: This number demonstrates the total number of in-message links back to the site that were clicked by readers. Clicks are tracked at both the Message and Campaign level. If John clicks on
11 3 links in an email, Mary clicks on 4 and Dan clicks on 2, the total number of Clicks recorded for that message would be 9. Unique Clicks: This number represents the total number of unique member clicks were generated within a particular message or campaign. Using the same example as above, if John clicks on 3 links, Mary on 4 and Dan on 2, the total number of Unique Clicks recorded for that message would be 3 members - one for each unique member who clicked a link within the email. Delete Email 1. Go back to the Email Home creen, click on the icon next to your Email Project Name to bring up the Email Options dialog box. 2. Click Delete Email and OK. Logout
12 Notes and Resources Emails are scheduled on the hour and need to be approved and sent by the Office of Communications and Marketing (ecommunications@usfca.edu) Released Emails section displays scheduled emails. Email History section displays past emails. Emails listed here can be reused and altered for a new email. Please use One-Time Custom Email or reuse an email from Email History. Video Treatment don t embed videos in emails. If you want to link to a video, take still from the video and imbed the photo using the photo editor and link this to the online video. A Few Tips on Email Marketing: Deliver relevant content to the right target group. The Office of E-Communications is here to help you pull the right target group. Just define the audience for your email in the email description. Use USF templates and formatting to build consistency Keep it short and to the point Focus on using an appropriate subject line always starting with [USF] Ask colleagues to review your work Check out the Site: www.usfca.edu/communications/email_outreach