Creating Standardsbased Electronic Communications HTML email Online newsletters

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Creating Standards-based Electronic
Communications HTML e-mail Online
newsletters

• University Publishing Web Services
• February 20, 2009

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What I hope you will take away from this session
today

• You will understand the services offered by UP to
  help you create electronic communications.
• You will understand the options, costs and
  timeframes associated with HTML e-mail creation
  and delivery.
• You will understand the options, costs and
  timeframes associated with creating an online
  newsletter.
• Template resources.
• Inspiration.

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University Publishing Web Services
We offer a full service HTML e-mail and online
newsletter development program in support of
WSUs internal e-communications policy.

• Build a standards-compliant HTML e-mail message.
• Develop interactive components as needed.
• Test your message in a wide variety of e-mail
  clients.
• Deliver your message to an address list.
• Measure the effectiveness of your message.
• Choose from several online newsletter options.

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Standards-compliant e-mail

• If your e-mail is not standards-compliant it will
  end up as junk or get tagged as SPAM.

Here are the basic rules we follow to avoid this
problem

• Use tables to control the layout of your e-mail.
• Insert descriptive HTML text above the first
  image.
• Provide an unsubscribe link.
• Provide Alt text for all images.
• Provide a street address and phone number in the
  footer.

Wikipedia is a good source for info on CAN-SPAM
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Program an interactive component
Interactive features make the experience richer.

• RSVP component
• Add to Calendar component
• Notify Me component
• Send to a Friend component

These features are only available on the Web as
you cant embed executable code into an e-mail.
A good example of interactivity is in the CUB
Grand Reopening e-mail
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Test, test and test some more...
E-mail client testing ensures a quality
presentation of your message.

• Test groups view emails in both machine-side and
  web-side mail clients.
• Machine-side clients include Outlook, Entourage,
  Mac Mail, Eudora, AOL.
• Web-side clients include hotmail, gmail,
  yahoomail, Outlook Web Access.

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HTML e-mails require special delivery
Copying and pasting complex HTML into a blank
e-mail in Outlook and sending it will not produce
consistent results.

• We use an open-source e-mail/newsletter
  fulfillment manager called phplist.
• phplist provides metrics, manages subscriptions,
  and stores e-mail lists.
• We are working closely with IT to help streamline
  the delivery of internal e-mail via the Mailman
  system.
• We also provide a link to your e-mail on the Web
  so people who wish to view it in their browser
  may do so.

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Preparing to measure your success
Youre going to get results almost immediately so
right away you can start seeing what people are
doing once they receive your e-mail.

• Setting Goals
• Open rates
• Click-throughs
• Google Analytics
• Examine ROI

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Online newsletters
At UP we offer several online newsletter program
options. They are all created in our content
manager. There are several different scenarios.
Here are some examples

• The Chronicle
• Play magazine
• MOA NOW
• EdNews

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Other examples of HTML e-mails

• Presidents State of the University Address
• Memo from President Floyd
• Holiday Message from VP Michael Tate
• WSU Foundation appeal

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Estimated Costs

• Scrub your email list 15
• Original e-mail design testing 200-500 turn
  time 2-4 days
• Existing e-mail updates 65-130turn time 1-3
  days
• UP CMS Newsletter templates 500-1000 turn
  time 7-21 days depending on specs
• Template updates 130-500turn time 5-7 days
• Non-UP CMS newsletter templatescosts determined
  only after consultation

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Support for e-Communications

• Communications plan consultation. Contact your
  current print publications coordinator to set up
  a meeting to discuss your needs.
• Assistance in choosing the right media mix for
  your message - e-mail, Web, video, print.
• Cross-training UP print design staff in order to
  keep up with demand.
• Offering templates as a way to save money and
  time.
• All of our Web applications and Web sites are
  hosted on servers maintained by UP and IT
  technical staff.

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All Electronic Internal Communications Policy

• Executive Communications
• WSU Today Daily Updates
• WSU Announcements
• Text Only or HTML Emails to various Mailman lists
• Electronic Tools Web Page

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For more info

• Visit our Web site and youll see a headline with
  a link pointing you to a page with an in-depth
  look at our operation and more examples of our
  work.
• Visit Our Story to learn more bit about how we
  arrived at this point and what gives us strength
  as a service center.
• Follow our Twitter account for updates on
  products and services.

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Thank You!

• Edward Sala, Manager
• University Publishing Web Services
• sala_at_wsu.edu

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OK. So, how did I do?

• Do you understand the services offered by UP to
  help you create electronic communications?
• Do you understand the options, costs and
  timeframes associated with HTML e-mail creation
  and delivery?
• Do you understand the options, costs and
  timeframes associated with creating an online
  newsletter?
• Do you know where to go to get template
  resources?
• Did you find some Inspiration?

Questions?