Getting started
If you want to create a newsletter, make sure you are logged in your admin UI, click on ‘communication’ in the navigation menu and proceed to click on ‘new newsletter’. On the page appearing now, you can create your newsletter and send it out to your partners.
Newsletter settings
Before you can start with the actual writing of your newsletter, you have to define some settings:
First, you need to select what email service you want to use to send the newsletter out. The email service is the plugin of your external email service in the platform. To find out more about email services, please read this article.
When you have selected your email service, you can proceed to define the presets of your newsletter: you can choose to create a newsletter from scratch, or use a template you have created in the past.
After you have selected the presets, continue to define the type of newsletter you want to create. You can choose to create a text based newsletter, a HTML newsletter, or use both. It is highly recommended to use both: if your emails service or the email client of one of your newsletter recipients blocks HTML content, the text version will allow the recipient to read the content nonetheless.
Creating the newsletter content
After you have defined the newsletter settings, you can proceed to create the content of your newsletter. You can do this in the following panel:
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The panel below is a text editor, used for the plain text version of your newsletter. At the top of the panel, you can also create a subjectfor your newsletter. This subject will be used for both versions.
Working with the WYSIWYG editor
The WYSIWIG editor allows you to create your HTML newsletter in such a way that what you see in the editor represents the newsletter as the recipients will see it. It provides the basic tools for text editing (adjustment of style, font, size, alignment, color, etc.) and allows you to insert dynamic elements in your newsletter (images, hyperlinks, tables, lists, anchors, horizontal lines, sub- and superscript). You can also work in full screen mode and display a preview of your newsletter.
Using placeholders
Both the WYSIWYG and the text editor support the usage of placeholders. Placeholders are dynamic elements in your newsletter: as you soon as you send out your newsletter, the system will replace the newsletter with a relevant value, for example the current date or the individual partner name. Particularly when you want to save the newsletter you are creating as a template, this feature will come in handy.
You can find the placeholder feature in the top right corner of the editor. The drop down menu allows you to select a particular placeholder. If you click on the button next to it, the placeholder will be added to your newsletter.
Defining the recipients of your newsletter
Unless you have limited access to partners, all active partners registered in your platform will be selected as recipients of your newsletter by default. Therefore, you will find it necessary to limit the number of recipients. To do this, just go to the panel ‘limit recipients’ right below the editor panels. In this panel, you will find the following options:
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In the two rows below the filter options, you can include and exclude specific partners using their user IDs. Under ‘partner labels’, you can select one or more specific partner labels related to the partners you want to send your newsletter. Finally, the ‘partner’ field allows you to select a specific partner as a recipient using the partner’s name or email address.
Test your newsletter
Particularly when you are creating a HTML newsletter, it is recommendable to test your newsletter before you send it out. To do this, go to the panel right below the filter options, called ‘test your newsletter’. Here you can enter any email address you like. When you click on ‘send test’, a test email will be send out. The subject of the newsletter will be preceded by the word ‘test’.
Please make sure you comma separate your entries when you enter multiple email addresses.
Newsletter options
In the newsletter options panel, you can define a custom time and date on which your newsletter will be send out. If you don’t set a time and date, your newsletter will be send out immediately. In this panel, you can also make sure you save your newsletter as a template after sending it out. Please note this option requires you to enter a name for your template.
Sending the newsletter out
If you are done creating your newsletter content, filtering your recipients and setting the options, make sure you scroll down the page and click on the button ‘newsletter recipients’. If you do so, you will see a list appearing of all the partners you have selected as recipients. In case you want to remove a partner from the list, just use the icon on the right. If you are happy with the list of recipients, click on the button ‘send newsletter’ at the bottom of the page.