Sending event email blasts from Lyris
Last Updated: January 31, 2014
Upload images to Sitecore
Before you can send an event email blast using Lyris, you need to be sure the event web banner graphic has been uploaded and a tracker graphic has been created.
1. Verify the event web banner graphic has been uploaded as follows:
a. Go to http://www.osba.org/Calendar/LeftNav/List_View.aspx and view the event.
b. If the event web banner is not on the page or the event page has not been created, contact the Communication Services Director and wait until the issue is resolved.
c. If the event page exists and the web banner is on the page, leave the page open as you will need information from the page when you prepare the email message.
2. Create the tracker image as follows:
a. In Sitecore's media library, navigate to IMAGES\CONTENT\EVENTS\TRACKER. b. Right click on one of the image files and choose DUPLICATE.
c. At the prompt, type the name event+YYMMDD using the current date, e.g. event140201 and click the [Ok] button. If there is already a tracker image for the current date, add -1 to the filename.
d. Publish the newly created image.
Select the test listserv and prepare it for testing
1. Log into Lyris (http://osbasql.osba.org) with the staff web login.
2. Select the XTESTMSG listserv by clicking on the listname in the upper right corner, click the {X} tab and click the xtestmsg link.
3. Click the [Members] button on the left. 4. Click the [View Members] option.
6. If you are not listed as a member:
a. Click the [Delete all Results] button.
b. At the next prompt, click the [Delete] button. c. Click the VIEW MEMBERS link on the left. d. Add yourself to the list as follows:
i. Click the ADD MEMBERS | ADD MEMBER option ii. On the {Basics} tab, fill in the following fields:
(1) Email address – type your email address
(2) Name – type your name
(3) Click the [Save] button. Prepare the email
1. Click the [Content] button on the left. 2. Click the [View Templates] option.
3. Click the CREATE CONTENT link next to the desired template. On the {Essentials} tab, fill in the following fields:
a. Content name - Type the year and the event name, e.g. 2014 Annual Convention.
b. Subject - Type the subject for the email message. It should start with OSBA and include the event name, e.g., OSBA 2014 Convention registration opens.
c. Click the [Save] button.
4. It is EXTREMELY important to change the tracker image code as follows: a. Click the EDIT link next to the content name you just created.
b. Click the {HTML Message} tab.
c. To maximize your editor screen: Click the very last button on the bottom toolbar. d. Click the [Source] button on the toolbar.
e. Press <Ctrl+F> and type tracker. All instances of the word tracker should be highlighted.
f. Change the file name following the word tracker to the tracker image file name you created for this mailing, e.g. change event140114.aspx to event140204.aspx.
g. Click the [Save] button.
5. Change the header image as follows: a. Obtain the image link value as follows:
i. Switch to the open event page.
ii. Right-click on the web banner image and choose the PROPERTIES option. iii. In the properties window:
(1) Triple-click the ADDRESS information so the link is highlighted (2) Press <Ctrl+C> to copy the address.
(3) Click the [Ok] button. iv. Switch back to the Lyris window.
b. Click the EDIT link next to the content name you just created. c. Click the {HTML Message} tab.
d. Right-click the image in the message and choose IMAGE PROPERTIES.
i. In the URL field, press <Ctrl+V> to paste the image link you copied from the website. ii. In the Alternative Text field, type the text you want to appear for people when images are not
displayed. Generally, you will type the event name or theme, e.g. OSBA 2014 Summer Conference.
iii. Click the [Ok] button. iv. Click the [Save] button. 6. Edit the event page link as follows:
a. Click the EDIT link next to the content name you just created. b. Click the {HTML Message} tab.
c. Obtain the event link value as follows: i. Switch to the open event page.
ii. Click in the URL field at the top of the browser so the entire address is highlighted. iii. Press <Ctrl+C> to copy the address.
iv. Switch back to the Lyris window. d. Position your cursor over the link in the e-mail:
i. Click on the word “event”.
ii. Click the [Link] button on the ribbon.
(1) At the prompt, click in the URL field and press <Ctrl+V> to paste the link. (2) Click the [Ok] button.
e. Click the [Save] button.
7. Change the heading information as follows:
a. Click the EDIT link next to the content name you created. b. Click the {HTML Message} tab.
c. To maximize your editor screen: Click the very last button on the bottom toolbar.
d. Triple-click the OSBA EVENT NAME line so the entire line is highlighted and type the event name, e.g. Summer Board Conference.
e. Triple-click the EVENT DATE line so the entire line is highlighted and type the event date, e.g. July 21-22, 2014
f. Double-click the word LOCATION and type the event location, e.g. Riverfront Hotel, Bend.
g. Triple-click the SAMPLE HEADLINE line so the entire line is highlighted and type the desired headline. h. Click the [Minimize] button on the ribbon (the last button on the bottom toolbar.)
i. Click the [Save] button.
8. Add the text of the email. It is EXTREMELY important to remove all excess codes from the text to be copied into the message.
a. Click the EDIT link next to the content name you created. b. Click the {HTML Message} tab.
c. .To maximize your editor screen: Click the very last button on the bottom toolbar d. Open the Word file with the headlines and text to use in the e-mail message. e. Copy all of the text in the Word file to the clipboard.
f. Open Notepad and paste the text you copied. g. Close the Word file.
h. It is EXTREMELY important NOT to alter codes in the HTML template. For each paragraph/line in your Notepad file:
i. Highlight the desired text in Notepad and press <Ctrl+C> to copy it to the clipboard.
ii. For the first paragraph: Triple-click the existing paragraph so the entire paragraph is highlighted and press <Ctrl+V>.
iii. For additional paragraphs, position your cursor where you want the text to be pasted and press <Ctrl+V>.
iv. Press <Enter> to position the cursor for the next paragraph.
i. Once you have pasted in all the headlines and text, click the [Minimize] button (last button on the bottom toolbar). Then click the [Save] button.
9. Format the text of the email.
a. Click the EDIT link next to the content name you created. b. Click the {HTML Message} tab.
c. To maximize your editor screen: Click the very last button on the bottom toolbar. d. Format the email message as desired (bold, italics, bullets, other hyperlinks). e. When you are done formatting the message:
i. Click the [Minimize] button on the ribbon (the last button on the bottom toolbar.) ii. Click the [Save] button.
10. When the HTML message is complete, make the text version of the e-mail as follows: a. Click the EDIT link next to the content name you created.
b. Click the {Text Message} tab. c. Remove the existing text as follows:
i. Click in the Text Message field. ii. Press <Ctrl+A> .
iii. Press [Delete]
d. Click the [HTML to Text] button. e. Click the [Save] button.
Create and test the mailing
1. Click the CREATE MAILING link next to your content item. When the next screen is displayed, click the [Save] button.
2. The Mailings: Approval: Need Approval window should appear with your mailing listed. a. If a different window appears:
i. Click the [Mailings] button on the left.
ii. Select the APPROVAL | NEED APPROVAL option.
b. From the Need Approval window, send the test message as follows: i. Click the SEND link next to the mailing you just created. ii. At the next prompt, click the [Ok] button.
iii. At the next prompt, click the [Ok] button. 3. Once the test message arrives in your email:
b. Make sure everything appears the way you want it to.
c. If there are errors, fix them in the Content item (not the mailing), recreate the mailing and send it again. Send the email
When the test message is complete and ready to be sent: 1. Click the VIEW CONTENT option on the left.
2. Click the “Copy” link next to the desired content message. 3. On the Copy Content screen, complete the fields as follows:
a. New name - Remove “-copy” from the name.
b. New description - Remove “-copy” from the description.
c. Destination(s) - Select OSBA-EVENT. 4. Click the [Copy] button.
5. Select the OSBA-EVENT listserv by clicking on the listname in the upper right corner and then clicking on the list.
6. Click the [Content] button on the left. 7. Click the VIEW CONTENT option on the left.
8. Click the CREATE MAILING link next to your content item. When the next screen is displayed, click the [Save] button.
9. The Mailings: Approval: Need Approval window should appear with your mailing listed. a. If a different window appears:
i. Click the [Mailings] button on the left.
ii. Select the APPROVAL | NEED APPROVAL option.
b. From the Need Approval window, send the test message as follows: i. Click the SEND link next to the mailing you just created. ii. At the next prompt, click the [Ok] button.
