Mail Master User GuideTable Of Contents | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Introduction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Introduction
Mail Master is a practical email messaging tool that allows you to create and send permission-based e-mail communications to customers, subscribers, team members, and prospects. With Mail Master you can:
Mail Master is tightly integrated with Contact Manager and utilized its powerful functions, e.g.: contact lists based on different criteria, Sign-Up Form with double opt-in subscription, automated unsubscribe etc. Mail Master can be efficiently used to create and manager email marketing campaigns, help you to establish your branding and strong customer relationships.
Table Of Contents Working with main window
Mail Master main screen displays a hierarchy of folders and a list of messages in selected folder. Each folder may contain as many messages as you want. Main screen with Folders panel open
Main screen with Folders panel closed Table Of Contents Composing new message
Click Message… button in the toolbar panel and select Compose... menu item. Enter Subject of your message. The main working area where you design content of your message is located on HTML tab in the central part of Compose Message form and is called HTML Editor. Typing text Copying and pasting text from other documents Entering HTML source code
Table Of Contents Using variables
You can insert into your messages variables which will be dynamically replaced by the actual values in those fields at the time you send messages. Variables allow you to personalize messages addressed to your recipients. You can insert customer first name, last name, company name, address and any other field which is stored in contact database. To insert variable into your message, place cursor in the text where you want to insert variable and click its label in the list below HTML Editor’s window or type it in the message including leading and ending brace symbols, e.g. {NAME}. There are following categories of variables: Recipient Contact Variables My Contact Variables Company Variables You can insert link to subscription management form in your message. Using this link, recipients of your message will be able to update their profile (e.g. First and Last Name), and unsubscribe from some or all lists. To insert link to subscription management form use {MANAGE_YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_URL} variable. Sample:
Table Of Contents Entering text version
Email messages usually consist of HTML and TEXT parts. Though HTML email format became a de-fact standard nowadays, not every recipient is able to receive HTML. Plain text version of your message cannot include images, text formatting or hyperlinks, but is compatible with virtually any email client program ensuring correct appearance of your message on a recipient screen. Mail Master automatically creates TEXT part of your message when you send it. If you want TEXT part to be created “on-fly”, you don’t need to enter any text on the TEXT tab in Compose Message from. If you want to have full control on the content of the plain text version of you message, you can manually compose it on the TEXT tab in Compose Message from. NOTE: Click Create text version from HTML button if you already have HTML part of your message entered. Then simply make changes in the text that appears on the TEXT tab.
Table Of Contents Adding attachments
Mail Master allows you to add optional file attachments to your message. To attach file(s):
To delete previously attached files, select them and click Delete button. NOTE: Adding attachments is not recommended if you send newsletters or promotions. Spam filters and anti-virus software may reject incoming emails with attachments so your customers and subscribers may never receive your message.
Table Of Contents Compose from template
You can compose new message from previously created template or from one of pre-loaded templates included in the WebAsyst Mail Master installation package. To create message from template:
Compose Message form opens with selected template preloaded. You can make any changes in this message and Save it as Draft or Send immediately. See also: Templates Table Of Contents Using HTML editor
HTML editor allows you to design HTML content in a WYSIWYG mode (WYSIWYG stands for What You See Is What You Get). HTML editor has all major tools which allow you to create a nice looking page content and layout, align and format text, mark up Headings, create ordered and bulleted lists, tables etc: Following is a brief description of HTML editor tools:
Table Of Contents Formatting text
HTML Editor provides a palette of tools that allow you to format text, set font size and style, font and background colors, add ordered and bulleted lists, indents etc. Sample below is just an illustration on what kind of formatting you can use in your documents: This is Page HeadingThis text is normal. This text is Italic. This text is bold. This text is underlined. Following text has different sizes, e.g: Size 1(8pt), Size 2(10pt), Size 3(12pt), Size 4(14pt), Size 5(18pt)... This is bold yellow text on blue background... Ordered list:
Not ordered list:
This text is LEFT justified... This text is CENTER justified... ...This text is RIGHT justified This text has no indent.
Table Of Contents Creating headings
You can mark selected area of text as Heading. Usually headings are used to mark page and paragraph titles and subtitles. HTML “knows” several heading options: Heading 1 (largest text)Heading 2Heading 3... Heading 6 (smallest text)To create heading, select text area that you want to mark as Heading, click --format-- tool in the HTML editor toolbar and choose format option you want to apply to selected text from the pull down menu: Table Of Contents Changing font style
Select the text you want to change. On the HTML Editor toolbar, click a font name in the font selector box Available fonts: This text is Arial You can apply different font styles to selected text area using one of the following tools This text is Bold Table Of Contents Changing font size
Select the text you want to change. On the HTML Editor toolbar, click a font size in the box Available font size option: This text is of size 1 (8 pt)
Table Of Contents Changing font color
Select the text you want to change. On the HTML Editor toolbar, click "A" tool (left) to change font color or "paint can" tool (right) to change font background: In Select Color window click a cell with color you need. Samples:
Table Of Contents Aligning paragraphs
Horizontal alignment determines the appearance and orientation of the edges of the paragraph. There are four types of alignment: left-aligned, right-aligned, centered or justified. To align paragraph, place cursor anywhere inside of the paragraph and click one of the following tools on the HTML Editor toolbar: In a left-aligned paragraph (the most common alignment), the left edge of the paragraph is flush with the left margin. This is a sample of left-aligned paragraph. In a right-aligned paragraph, the right edge of the paragraph is flush with the right margin. This is a sample of right-aligned paragraph. This is a sample of centered paragraph. Justifying allows you to adjust horizontal spacing so that text is aligned evenly along both the left and right margins. Justifying text creates a smooth edge on both sides. This is a sample of justified paragraph.
Table Of Contents Adding ordered list
HTML Editor can automatically create ordered (or numbered) lists as you type, or you can quickly add numbers to existing lines of text.
You can select different numbering formats by clicking Sample of ordered list with Lower roman numbers:
You can turn an existing list into an outline numbered list by changing the hierarchical level of items in the list. Click a number in the list other than the first number, and then press Increase Indent (right) or Decrease Indent (left) on the toolbar:
Table Of Contents Adding bulleted list
HTML Editor can automatically create bulleted lists as you type, or you can quickly add bullets to existing lines of text.
You can change the hierarchical level of items in the list. Click a line in the list other than the first line, and then press Increase Indent (right) or Decrease Indent (left) on the toolbar:
Table Of Contents Using indents
With HTML Editor you can easily increase or decrease the left indent of an entire paragraph.
Sample: This paragraph is not indented...This paragraph is not indented...This paragraph is not indented...This paragraph is not indented...This paragraph is not indented...This paragraph is not indented...This paragraph is not indented...
Using Indent tools you can change the hierarchical level of items in the list. Click a line in the ordered or bulleted list other than the first line, and then press Increase Indent or Decrease Indent button on the toolbar. Learn more about applying indents to ordered lists or applying indents to bulleted lists. Table Of Contents Inserting horizontal rule
Horizontal rule is a horizonal line splitting page content into sections. Horizontal rules may be used to indicate a change in topic.
If you insert horizontal rule at the end of the line, it appears immediately beneath current paragraph like in the sample below:
Table Of Contents Adding local images
Local images are stored physically in the same database as your Mail Master message. To insert local image you must first add image file to the list of images available for the message. All image files available for the message appear on the right from the HTML Editor window. To add image file to the list of images available for the message:
To insert image into your message:
Table Of Contents Adding remote images
Remote images could be physically located at any resource in the Internet available via HTTP. For instance, WebAsyst logo is available at the following address: http://www.webasyst.net/img/logo.gif. To add remote image:
Table Of Contents Adding hyperlinks
You can insert a link to any external resource in the Internet. To insert web link:
Sample: This is the link to WebAsyst Installation Guide (opens in new window).
Table Of Contents Entering HTML Source
In some cases you may wish to add and edit HTML source code into your message. HTML Editor has a special tool which allows you to toggle working area in HTML Source mode where you can modify HTML source code directly. To toggle to HTML source code editing, click NOTE: Direct HTML source editing is an advanced option and you must have at least basic HTML skills to edit document source.
Table Of Contents Sending messages
Mail Master allows you to send messages to contact lists, user groups, or expressly selected contacts from your Contact Manager database. Refer to Contact Manager User Guide for details. To send message from Compose/Edit Message form:
Messages successfully sent receive “Sent” status and appear in brown in the list of messages. Sent messages can not be modified, though they can be deleted or moved to another folder. Messages scheduled for later sending receive “Pending” status and appear in green italic in the list of messages. Pending messages can not be modified, though you can cancel sending and return message into Draft status. To see the list of actual recipients of sent message, open it and click Sending Report tab in the View Message form. To send multiple messages: 1. In the list of messages select messages you want to send. NOTE: You can send only messages that have Draft status.
Table Of Contents Templates
Templates significantly simplify the process of creating new messages. Template is actually a message with the special status “Template” that does not allow you to send it directly. Instead you must create new messages based on template and then send it. Mail Master contains a number of preloaded templates in the installation package. You can use any of preloaded templates to compose your message or you can modify these templates to make it suitable for your needs. You can also create new templates. Templates appear in Blue in the list of messages. To create new template:
To create template from existing message:
Table Of Contents Customizing View
You can customize appearance or your message list:
Table Of Contents Customizing Sender
Every message issued by Mail Master has mandatory From, Reply-To and Return-Path parameters. You can create multiple Sender accounts and expressly specify sender every time you send message. It allows you to personalize sender for every advertising campaign. To create new sender account:
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