Newsletters
The Newsletter module allows group admin to create and publish newsletters. A newsletter can be published at group, chapter or channel level.
To create a newsletter click on the Create Newsletter button on the top right corner of the newsletter tab. This opens a create newsletter page shown in the following image:
Enter the desired name for the newsletter in the ‘Newsletter Name’ field. Select a chapter or channel in case the newsletter is required to be tagged to a specific chapter/channel. Select a template from the template dropdown. These templates can be created/edited by the platform admin. Once a template is selected, click the create button to open the newsletter editor. The Group logo is pulled automatically in the newsletter in case it is added to the template. You can use the toolbar to add/edit text, add images, or hyperlinks.
- Enter the desired name for the newsletter in the ‘Newsletter Name’ field.
- Select a chapter or channel in case the newsletter is required to be tagged to a specific chapter/channel.
- Select a template from the template dropdown. These templates can be created/edited by the platform admin.
- Once a template is selected, click the create button to open the newsletter editor.
- The Group logo is pulled automatically in the newsletter in case it is added to the template.
- You can use the newsletter designer to add/edit text, add images, links, change formatting, etc.
- Once the newsletter is formatted, click the save draft button. This saves the newsletter as a draft and it is not published at this point (exactly how announcements or events are created). Use the filter by state and select draft option, this will show the list of draft newsletters. The following image shows the newsletter in draft mode and various action items available.
- Edit – Open newsletter editor
- Preview Newsletter – Preview newsletter to see recipient view
- File attachment - Attach up to 3 files in .pdf, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx, .doc, .docx, .png, .jpeg, .jpg formats
- Email Review – Review newsletter before publishing. Choose reviewers from dropdown or add by email. Add note for reviewers. Submit for reviewing.
Publish Newsletter - Admin can publish the newsletter on the platform and optionally by email. The image shows the Publish Newsletter window.
- Clicking on submit will publish the newsletter, and it will move from draft list to published list after about 10 seconds.
- Clone – This action will create a copy/clone of a draft newsletter in the draft list that can be edited and published to create a new newsletter.
- Delete – This action can be used to delete a draft newsletter.
Once a newsletter is published, it will show up in the published list. The following image shows the published newsletters and the actions available in this view under the Action button.
- Clone – This action creates a draft copy of the already published newsletter. It opens the newsletter in an editor from where it can be saved as draft and then published.
- Email Tracking – This allows admin to see the email statistics, to how many recipients the newsletter was sent in email and how many of those members opened the email.
- Delete – This action allows admin to delete a published newsletter.
To add a new block to your newsletter, select the '+' in the top left corner.
To edit a block in a newsletter, click on the block to select it and make sure it has a red outline. Then, you can edit the text, images, and other content in the block. The three buttons on the left allow you to take action on the block: move the block up or down, delete the block, or duplicate the block.
To edit the margins for a block, select the settings icon as shown below. In the margin field, control the space around the block's border by using pixel margins (px). Each px correlates to a side of the block:
1st px - Top
2nd px - Right
3rd px - Bottom
4th px - Left
You can add further customization to your newsletter by adding the recipients' name or email address. To do this, select the block where you want the recipient information to appear, and then select from the dropdown how you would like their name to appear.
To add a link in a text block, select the text you want to link, then click the link button in the toolbar. Paste the URL into the URL field in the dropdown, and click "Link" to connect the URL to the text.
To access the keyboard shortcuts, click outside of the newsletter and the keyboard button will appear in the tool bar. The keyboard shortcuts are not clickable buttons. You will first need to identify your keyboard shortcuts as they may differ from what is shown. Then, select the part of the text you want to edit and use the keys as directed to make the edit.
The Newsletter module is built on a Block Editing system. "Blocks" of information can be selected from the + button in the upper left corner of the design panel.
The first section is labeled "One." This is going to show elements that are one column, the width of the Newsletter, wide.
- Text - Enters in basic copy.
- Heading - A larger, bolder option to lead a story and grab readers' attention.
- Heading & Text - This block brings in both a Heading and Text box stacked together.
- Image - Allows a photo to be inserted.
- Image with Text - This inserts an area for a photo followed by a basic text box.
- Image with Heading & Text - Inserts an image box, followed by a heading, followed by text.
- Button - A visual element for your newsletter that members can click to take them to an external website. URL configurable through the settings option.
- Link - Inserts a standalone text link to an external URL.
- Divider - Inserts a thin line to break up areas of the Newsletter.
- Spacer - Inserts 10px of blank space. Can be englarged in the settings options.
- Menu - Inserts a horizontal list of links. Excellent to use at the footer of your Newsletter to take members to important links.
- List - Inserts a bulleted list; can be changed to a numbered list through the settings options.
- Text with Highlight - Inserts a text box with a colored background to make text stand out in the Newsletter.
The second section is labeled "Two" and contains blocks that are broken into 2 even columns.
- Text - Two columns of basic copy.
- Images - Two images side-by-side.
- Buttons - Two buttons side-by-side.
- Links - Two links, one in each column.
- Headings & Text - Two articles side-by-side with headings followed by copy.
- Images with Text - Two images side-by-side with copy for each.
- Images with Headings & Text - Two columns, each containing one image, followed by a heading, followed by copy.
The final section is labeled "Misc." and contains 2 columns each of mixed media.
Image with Text - One column with an image to the left of one column with copy.
Text with Image - One column with copy to the left of on column with an image.
Image with Heading & Text - One column with an image to the left of a stacked header and copy.
Heading & Text with Image - One column with a stacked header and copy to the left of an image.
Heading & Text - Heading in a column to the left of copy.
Text & Heading - Copy in a column to the left of a heading.
- Enable/disable Newsletter module
- Enable/disable email tracking
- Enable/disable URL tracking
- Enable/disable email review before publishing
- Enable/disable admin approval before publishing
- Enable/disable showing Newsletters in Global Feed
- Enable/disable comments
- Enable/disable likes
- Enable/disable showing Newsletters in Group Feed
- Enable/disable media upload in comments
To locate the Newsletter Reports, select the 'Reports' tab. From there, you can download the Newsletters Report.
