First some points about strategy:
- With rare exception, news content should not originate in the eNewsletter but rather should be posted immediately after the news-worthy activity occurs (e.g. within a few days of an LMV trip) to the LMV Facebook page (facebook.com/FlyingDocs).
- Instructions are available here for posting photos, videos and narratives to the LMV Facebook page.
- Articles in the eNewsletter should be seen as teasers of a paragraph or two in length (max) with a "Read More..." link to the source article (normally residing on the LMV Facebook page). A primary objective of the eNewsletter is to generate traffic to the LMV Facebook page and our flyingdocs.org website.
Constant Contact is a very productive tool for authoring and distributing LMV eNewsletters. This article will outline the mechanics of using this tool.
- using Internet Explorer or Firefox, go to constantcontact.com
- login with username = flyingdoctors, password = (normal LMV admin pw)
- spawn a new newsletter
- click Copy to the left of the "LMV MASTER"
- enter a new name for this newsletter
- edit Message Settings as needed (e.g. make sure the "from" and "reply" email addresses are correct)
- compose your newsletter
- do NOT change any of the "style" attributes (font, colors, etc)
- use only the pulldown "Global Colors & Fonts" of Article Title and Main Text
- use Bold, Italics, Underline infrequently if at all
- bulleted and numbered lists are fine
- do NOT change the standard blocks (header, title, subtitle)
- do NOT copy/paste from Word or an email into Constant Contact (the paste can bring in formatting from that document)
- you can use Notepad as a waystation... Copy from Word or email... Paste into Notepad... Copy to clipboard... then Paste into Constant Contact
- in general, to edit a "block"
- you "open" a block for editing by clicking in the block (or click on the "pencil" icon)
- the block edit toolbar then appears
- you add or edit content
- then you click Save in the block edit toolbar to save your changes to that block
- for the "Upcoming LMV Trips" block:
- go to the flyingdocs.org home page
- swipe to select the Upcoming Trips area, right-mouse Copy
- open that block in CC... click Options, Paste with Styles
- then right-mouse Paste into the Upcoming LMV Trips block of the newsletter
- for the "Upcoming LMV Meetings" block... repeat the steps above, but for Upcoming Meetings
- make sure the links in the "Quicklinks" block are all current and correct
- for all other blocks, here is the general editing process:
- open the block by clicking the "pencil" icon in the block header
- type in new text (or paste from Notepad)
- Insert Image... resize by corners... right-mouse to change alignment
- once you've entered new content... click Save in the edit toolbar
- now insert your new content for the following blocks:
- "Feature Article"
- "Introduction"
- various "Article" blocks
- "Closing" block
- "Email Signature" block
- update the Corporate and Chapter officers from the webpage... flyingdocs.org... Members tab... Chapter and Corporate Boards
- when all the content blocks have been completed... click to verify the "Table of Contents" block
- do NOT change any of the "style" attributes (font, colors, etc)
- now refresh the Contacts for the newsletter distribution:
- Note: we do NOT use the Constant Contacts "Contacts" for our master data, rather the master data is always maintained in the LMV Roster Database (on flyingdocs.org)
- go to flyingdocs.org... Members tab... Administration subarea... Roster Database Administration... Roster Database Administration button
- sign in (upper right) as normal member
- Home tab, Newsletter Distribution
- upper right, Export... Spreadsheet... save to your local hard drive
- in Constant Contact... click the Contacts tab
- select the last contact list... Delete
- click the Add & Update button
- click the From File tab... select the spreadsheet exported from the LMV Roster
- New List, select the .xls file... Save... Submit
- circulate a draft version of the eNewsletter for review
- Send the new eNewsletter to all the contacts
- check for "bounces" (email addresses not found):
- in Constant Contact... Contacts tab, Manage Bounces... review the bounced email addresses
- then in the LMV Roster database (NOT in Constant Contact), either:
- enter a corrected email address
- check the box that indicates "Email bounces"
- do the same for "Opt-out" contacts
- in Constant Contact... Email Marketing tab, Reports... click on the "Opt-outs" number
- then in the LMV Roster database (NOT in Constant Contact)
- check the box that indicates "Newsletter Opt-out"