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Create new mailing using the wizard

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If you have decided to create a new mailing using the mailing wizard, start by giving your new mailing a meaningful and easily recognizable name. You will be asked to do so on the first page of the template. You can use the Description field to add further information, helping you to distinguish your mailing according to internal procedures. The contents of those two fields will not leave your organization.

Fig. 3.1: Assigning a name to your mailing for your own information

Fig. 3.1: Assigning a name to your mailing for your own information

On the following page, it is possible to assign a user-defined template to the mailing using a drop-down list. You can use the default setting No template for our example.

What is a template? Most mailings and regular newsletters in particular always have the same structure. There are sub-headings, delimiters, closing remarks, contact details, links for unsubscribing etc. If you were to create all these components all over again for each new mailing, this will mean duplicate work, lost time and renewed error sources. The OpenEMM helps you to reduce work to a minimum. Templates are the whole secret. You define a framework and only add up-to-date content to your mailing. Further information on templates can be found in chapter "Templates - Re-usable text modules".

Fig. 3.2: If you already created a suitable template, you can use it for this mailing.

Fig. 3.2: If you already created a suitable template, you can use it for this mailing.

You subsequently determine what kind of mailing you would like to send. With the preset Normal mailing you generate a simple newsletter. Other mailing types are described in chapter "Maintain recipient's profile with actions". In short: A Date based mailing will be sent on a particular date, for example the birthday of the subscriber. An Action based mailing is sent when a specific action takes place, for example when the subscriber clicks on a certain link in a mailing. Click on Proceed.

Fig. 3.3: You may choose from a selection of mailing types.

Fig. 3.3: You may choose from a selection of mailing types.

The Sender address is the address shown as sender of the e-mail. The Reply-to email  is the address for responses. You should therefore use a meaningful address, such as newsroom@yourcompany.com, which does in fact exist. It is possible to assign different names to the Sender full name and Reply-to full name respectively. If you enter only one name, e.g. into the Sender full name field, it will be used as the Reply-to full name.

Fig. 3.4: This template takes sender name entries.

Fig. 3.4: This template takes sender name entries.

The next thing to do is to select the mail format. Text, Text and HTML and Text, HTML and Offline-HTML are the possible options. In HTML format, images and specific formatting may be added to the mailing. In Offline-HTML format, images are actually integrated into the e-mail, while in the normal HTML version images are downloaded from the server once the e-mail is opened. For our example, it is sufficient to select Text as your format.

Fig. 5: What format should the mailing have?

Fig. 5: What format should the mailing have?

And now for some specifics. Add a reference that will appear in the recipient’s email heading. The success of a mailing depends to a large extent on the wording of this subject heading and many recipients decide on the strength of that heading whether to open the mail or delete it unread.

Please note: It is possible to create individual subject headings. For details see chapter "Creating customized mailings".

Fig. 3.6: The e-mail heading or reference decides on the success of the mailing.

Fig. 3.6: The e-mail heading or reference decides on the success of the mailing.

The next page allows you to select the mailing list to be used for sending out the mailing as well as the archive and target group(s). You will start by determining which Mailing list your mailing should be based on. In other words, you will select the recipients who feature that particular mailing list in their profile.

Fig. 3.7: Select the mailing list, mailing archive and target group(s).

Fig. 3.7: Select the mailing list, mailing archive and target group(s).

By selecting a Archive, you assign the mailing to a specific archive. This makes mailing updates easier if you have to manage a large number of mailings. Moreover, it gives you another option for statistical evaluation. All previously defined archives are displayed in that drop-down list. Further information on archives is contained in chapter "Archives - Grouping mailings". You do not have to assign the mailing to an archive. The mailing will also work as a stand-alone action. You can always select an archive or change the archive assignment for your mailing later.

It does not always makes sense to send a mailing to all recipients on a mailing list. The Target groups functional area contains various options for narrowing down your list of mailing recipients further. In order to be able to work with target groups, you have to define your target groups. Further information can be found in chapter "Target groups - Dynamic filters". The default setting is All subscribers. In order to limit the mailing to a certain target group, select the required target group from the drop-down list and click on the Add button. Now, the OpenEMM will show that target group below the relevant drop-down list. Using the Delete symbol in front of the selection will remove the selected target group. It is also possible to combine various target groups. Further information can be found in chapter "Linking target groups".

Clicking on Proceed will get you to the following page where you may start to add content to your mailing. If you would like to skip this step and add content later, simply click on Skip. Since you have now entered all required information for your new mailing, you might as well close the wizard by clicking on Finish and starting the test mailing.

Fig. 3.8: If you want to add content to your mailing now, click on Proceed.

Fig. 3.8: If you want to add content to your mailing now, click on Proceed.

After having clicked on Proceed to add content: The text of your mailing goes into the large entry field, first for the HTML version (unless you specified Text format), then for the text version. You can type directly into that field or copy text from another software using the Windows copy function. Now click on Add.

Please note: You should use en editor capable of producing ASCII text, like Notepad, instead of Microsoft Word. Most word processing software like Word use special formatting for special characters (symbols, double characters, punctuation marks etc.). This can cause problems when transferring the text into a newsletter mailing. If, however, you create a .txt file with an ASCII editor like Notepad, you will not have such problems. The same applies to HTML text modules, with the only exception that you enter HTML source code instead of normal text.

The Target group drop-down list can stay as All subscribers for our example. Usually, you would assign a target for each text module. Only recipients included in that particular target group will receive the mailing. Further information can be found in chapter "Dynamic content generation".

Fig. 3.9: Entering content

Fig. 3.9: Entering content

If your mailing contains URLs (links), you now may select trackability (see chapter "Using trackable links") and click action options (see chapter "Linking actions and trackable links"), or skip this step for the time being.

Fig. 3.10: There are a large number of trackability options for links.

Fig. 3.10: There are a large number of trackability options for links.

The following page lets you specify what file attachments to add to your mailing. This function may also be customized. If you would like to add a file attachment, please refer to chapter "Sending normal file attachment", otherwise just click on Proceed.

Fig. 3.11: It is possible to customize your mailing by adding file attachments with personalized content.

Fig. 3.11: It is possible to customize your mailing by adding file attachments with personalized content.

You have reached the mailing wizard’s last page where you may start a test mailing. This involves sending your mailing to a few recipients. They could be your administrator(s) or a test distribution list. This test distribution list should only contain the email addresses of selected persons who can give you feedback about the appearance of the emails.

Test mails to administrators: Single-click with the mouse on Send next to Admin-Mail. All recipients who are marked as Administrator in their profile and who have subscribed to the mailing list will be sent a test mail. Further information on creating administrators is contained in chapter "Creating administrators and test distribution lists".
Test mails to test distribution list: Single-click with the mouse on Send next to the Test-Mail. All recipients who are marked as Test recipient in their profile and who have subscribed to the mailing list will be sent a test mail. Further information on creating test distribution lists is contained in chapter "Creating administrators and test distribution lists".
Fig. 3.12: The creation process was successfully completed.

Fig. 3.12: The creation process was successfully completed.

Now click on Finish which will call up your mailing’s overview page. All information has been entered into the relevant fields for your to check. If you would like to learn more about the various entries and fields, continue reading below; or you may jump to chapter "Testing and sending a mailing" to learn about viewing and sending the mailing.