Creating a New Plain Text Newsletter
Plain text newsletters offer a simpler option to HTML newsletters. To create a new Plain Text newsletter:
1. From the Messages tab, click Create Newsletter. The Plain or HTML message page displays (see Figure 3).
2. Select a current campaign from the Your current campaign drop-down list.
3. Click Choose Plain Text format. The Create Newsletter page displays (see Figure 21).
Figure 21: Creating a Plain Text Newsletter
4. Select a sending name and e-mail address using the From drop-down list. Click Add a new From field to add more options to the list on the My account page.
5. Enter a subject line.
6. To personalize the subject line with subscriber information, place the cursor in the desired location and click Personalize. A list of subscriber fields displays (see
Figure 22).
Figure 22: Adding Personalized Information.
7. Type or copy and paste the text into the Plain Text editing area.
8. Click Wrap Long Lines to allow the message to fit into the subscriber’s e-mail viewing window, so the message is easier to read.
9. To personalize the message, place the cursor in the desired location and click Personalize. Select the appropriate database fields from the list (see Figure 22).
10. Click Add Attachment to attach a file to the message. Use the pop-up window to locate the file on your computer and select it.
11. Click Test Message to send a preview to your e-mail address. A dialog box prompts for selection of the e-mail address where the message should be sent (see Figure 12).
12. Select the e-mail address where the message should be sent and click Test It.
13. Click Spam Check to verify the message complies with Spam laws and view any items that may trigger anti-spam filters. A dialog box displays the results of the test (see Figure 13).
14. Click Save as Draft to save a draft of the message and work on the message later.
15. Click the appropriate checkboxes to track message performance, including the open rate, click-throughs and Google Analytics.
16. Click Next Step to select message recipients (see Figure 23).
Figure 23: Selecting Newsletter Recipients.
17. Click one or more of the subscriber list checkboxes or click Select all contacts list.
18. To select only some of the subscribers on a list, click the plus sign for the list. Selection options display immediately below the list (see Figure 24).
Figure 24: Narrowing the Newsletter Recipient List.
19. Click the appropriate option to select all members, active members, inactive members or clients (used for sales tracking).
20. Click I want to select contact manually after this step (see Figure 25) to continue narrow down the contact list, if needed.
Figure 25: Saving the Newsletter Recipient List.
21. Enter a group title in the Save settings as field to create a group name for the contact list configuration and click save.
22. Click Next Step to schedule the delivery date and time (see Figure 26).
Figure 26: Scheduling Newsletter Delivery.
23. Click Send this Newsletter immediately to send the message
OR
Click Set the delivery date/time to display the delivery date and time fields (see
Figure 27).
Figure 27: Setting the Delivery Date and Time.
24. Click the calendar icon to the right of the Date/Time field and use the drop-down lists to select the date/time and select a time zone from the Time zone drop-down list.
25. Click Share on Twitter and enter the Twitter login and password to Tweet about the newsletter (see Figure 28). The Twitter Message field defaults to the newsletter subject line.
Figure 28: Adding Twitter and RSS Announcements to a Newsletter.
26. Click Publish in RSS to send a newsletter publication announcement to followers of your RSS feed.
27. Click Next Step. A confirmation message displays.
Viewing Pending and Sent Newsletters
To view pending and sent newsletters:
Click Newsletter History from the Messages tab. A list of pending and sent newsletters displays (see Figure 29).
Figure 29: Viewing Newsletter History.
Select the campaign to view from the Your current campaign drop-down list.
Editing an Existing Message
To edit an existing newsletter, click the edit link for the newsletter on the Newsletter History list (see Figure 29). The message editor displays. Refer to (creating a new HTML or creating a new Plain Text) for detailed information about editing options.
Testing an Existing Message
To send a preview of an existing newsletter, click the test link for the message on the Newsletter History list (see Figure 29). A dialog box prompts for selection of the e-mail address where the message should be sent (see Figure 30). Select the e-mail address and click Test It.
Figure 30: Sending a Test Newsletter.
Deleting an Existing Message
To permanently delete a message, click the delete link for the message on the Newsletter History list (see Figure 29).
