Create Newsletter / Campaign
Before you create a newsletter or a campaign, you need to select a group of current subscribers who should receive the newsletter and any related materials. To choose subscribers from an existing mailing list, select “Newsletter editorial staff (Main Menu) -> Write newsletter (submenu).” There you will find all the previously configured mailing lists you have a right to. Click on the -button in the line where the correct mailing list appears. This will open an input mask where you may create the newsletter. The input fields and options are described below.
HTML Newsletter: When writing an HTML newsletter, you need to start the newsletter code with <HTML><BODY> and end it with </BODY></HTML>.This is not valid if the information is put into the integrated HTML Editor. You will be working in the WYSIWYG Mode.
Abb. 11.7 - Newsletter mit HTML Editor erstellen erstellen
Short Description
Enter a short description that will be shown in the overviews. If you create and save multiple newsletters, this description will help you to find them faster.
Fix text width
In the Drop-Down-Field, you may fix a text width by defining the number of characters in one line of the corresponding field. The default value is 72 characters. This value is deactivated for HTML newsletters.
Subject
Enter the subject (Subject) of the newsletter here. You may also enter variables for personalization, such as
$$FIRSTNAME$$, etc.
Text/HTML Entry
Here you will select the sending mode for the newsletter. You have the following options:
- HTML: The HTML newsletter will be sent without the alternative part.
- HTML and Text: Both HTML and a text section will be sent to the subscriber. This is called an alternative part newsletter.
- Text only: Only a text newsletter will be created.
The following buttons are also available:
- Editor: You may activate or deactivate the integrated HTML Editor.
- Variables: Personalized variables may be added to the newsletter by using this button.
- Load: The HTML or text newsletter may be imported to the system as a file from the local system.
- Preview: This opens the preview window, which shows the current status of the newsletter.
The HTML Editor
The description and functions of the editor can be found in Chapter “HTML-Editor”.
Select Templates
You can also select an existing template for creating your newsletter. For this reason, you will need to activate the HTML editor. If you already see the HTML editor, a renewed activation is not necessary. You will find the -button (sample) in the button bar of the editor. Clicking on this button opens the selection of templates, where you will see all of the templates you have a right to. Select a Template here. Once the window closes, you will see the sample preview in the HTML editor. You can now edit the newsletter, insert links and pictures, and save it as a new document.
Personalized newsletter
To write personalized newsletters, you need to learn the spellings of the special variables, or else add the variables to the text by using the select box. While writing a newsletter, you may use all of the data fields by entering $$FiELDNAME$$ to the text. The field names may be used to address the newsletter personally to the subscribers. Further information on this topic can be found in Chapter “System Administration -> Database Designer.” It is only possible to use the data fields while creating a personalized newsletter.
Example:
"Dear $$TITLE$$ $$LASTNAME$$. We have a special present for your birthday on the $$BIRTHDAY$$. Is this still your address?? STREET: $$STREET$$; CITY: $$ZIPCODE$$ $$CITY$$
If you want to differentiate mailings depending on gender, the following syntax must be used:
either: $$male form$female form$$
or: $$male form$female form$without gender$$
You can use the second, extended variant if you are not sure whether the gender of the registered person is known. If the information does not exist, a neutral wording is chosen. Make sure that the male form is always mentioned first. If you exclusively asked for details on the gender (male/female) in your subscription template (see Chapter The WebInterface) but want to send out personalized newsletters, you are able to realize will be able to do this as follows:
Dear $$Mr.$Ms.$$ $$LASTNAME$$, Because $$BIRTHDAY$$ is your birthday, we want to send you a special gift. Is this still your address?? STREET: $$STREET$$; CITY: $$ZIPCODE$$ $$CITY$$ If you do not want to receive this newsletter again, please click on the following link: $$UNSUBSCRIBE-LINK$$.
You can put a link to your on-line shop in your personalized newsletter, and the ID or any other information of a subscriber may be saved within the link. If a subscriber uses the link, the shop will receive the subscriber’s data:
Dear $$Mr.$Ms.$$ $$LASTNAME$$, Because $$BIRTHDAY$$ is your birthday, we’d like to give you a special gift. Please choose the gift under: http://domain.de/cgi-bin/CompanyShop.storefront/$$UID$$/Product1
Segmentation
If you want to send different content blocks within the newsletter to various subscribers (advertising, etc.), you will need to activate segmentation and choose the number of segments here. The function of sending a newsletter in segments may be found within the input box for the alternative part of the newsletter. Activate segmentation by marking the check box. To determine the number of segments, also use the select box. The number of segments is currently limited to 20. For the sake of clarity, we have only used two segments in our example. You may divide your newsletter into two segments, with the subscribers receiving the segments alternately. This means that the first subscriber will get segment 1, the second subscriber will get segment 2, the third subscriber will get segment 1 again, and so on. Segments 1 and 2 will be delivered alternately until you reach the last subscriber on the list. This is how you will define the contents of the segments, sender names, and subject lines that should be used: Beginning with the different segment content blocks within the newsletter, you will enter the content of the newsletter into two text fields (“text/HTML input” and “alternative text input”).
BACKCLICK uses special variables for the segmentation:
$$SEGM ENTCONTENT-1$$,
$$SEGM ENTCONTENT-2$$
. . .
up to $$SEGMENTCONTENT-X$$
Every variable is a placeholder for ONE segment content block (text block). You may use these variables as often as you like within one newsletter.
$$Dear Mr.$Dear Ms.$Dear Friends$$ The German “Bundesbahn” is to become customer friendly by law. The Green party has apparently no longer kept many of the ideas that were leading the train to the stock exchange quickly. After the quarrel about the rate system, the foreign maxim means: more state instead of less. By law, they want to force the company to be nicer to customers and competitors. Read more…----> http://www.domain.de/news/1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADVERTISEMENT: $$SEGMENTCONTENT-1$$ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Red Shark” of Schumacher better than perfect: Michael Schumacher started after measure in his new Ferrari F2003-GA. The world’s champion finished the first-time training as the fastest, winning Spain’s big prize. The German was then full of praise over for his company’s car. Read more… ----> http://www.domain.de/news/2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADVERTISEMENT: $$SEGMENTCONTENT-2$$ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once you have finished inputting the contents, click on the -button to open “Segment-content assignment”. This will open another input page, where you will be able to enter the subject and the alternative envelope return. You will also be able to fill in the content between the dummy variable ($ $ $ SEGMENTCONTENT 1$) and the available segment content blocks for every segment (in this case, two segments). For instructions on how to enter the segment content blocks, see Chapter "Segment Content".
You will now need to assign the placeholders ($$SEGMENTCONTENT-X$$) to the already existing blocks. The names of the blocks are listed within the selection fields.
Priority
Priority is displayed in the e-mail client, to show how urgent the e-mail is. The priority you enter here replaces the default priority that was defined when you configured the newsletter. PLEASE NOTE: Priority has no effect on how fast the newsletter can be sent!
Any additional entries and settings are optional. For more information, see the corresponding sections.
Topics
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