Creating an articles newsletter

TODO: review these notes

Before you begin!

Note: To create a newsletter and send articles, a parter should complete the following steps:

1. Setup the Articles Module
2. Create articles
3. These documents provide information to prepare the module and create the articles for the newsletter.

Once articles are published on the website

Note: this document provides additional information on the steps to setup an article newsletter on the Adventist Web Engine. Please look through and prepare the information required and then reach out for assistance from the web support team: web@adventist.cloud

Setting up a newsletter requires the following steps be completed:

1. Purchase an email delivery provider account
2. Newsletter design
3. Configuration
4. Testing
5. Mailing list import
6. Go-live

Step 1 - Get a provider account

Email delivery service providers

To send a newsletter of the website articles, the Web Engine utilizes third party email delivery service providers. This is done because these providers offer this service and take precautions to prevent newsletters from being marked as Spam (and having the newsletter blocked for delivery by some servers)

Currently the system integrates with the following providers:

1. Mailjet: https://www.mailjet.com
2. Mailchimp: https://mailchimp.com
3. Brevo:  https://www.brevo.com/features/email-marketing

If a partner wants to send newsletters containing their articles, they need to obtain an account at one of the service providers listed.

The development team will need access to the email delivery service provider account in order to accomplish the work on the newsletter. It is recommended that an account be purchased at a level which has at least one sub-account. The sub-account is assigned to the development team. Below are suggestions based on service provider websites at the time of writing. Before purchasing an account, it is recommended to follow up with the support team to confirm the provider you are considering to use.

Mailjet 

In the case of Mailjet, it is recommended that the partner purchase at least the "Essential" subscription. The 1 sub-account should be enabled for the development team to be able to configure the newsletter and test it. The Mailjet "Premium" account allows for 20 sub-accounts.

https://www.mailjet.com/pricing

Mailchimp

The partner should purchase at least the "Essentials" level, which comes with 3 seats. The development team will need one seat to configure and test the newsletter.

https://mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/compare-plans

Brevo

The partner appears to need the "Business" level subscription and then possibly purchase an additional seat for the development team to do their configuration and testing.

https://www.brevo.com/features/email-marketing

Step 2 - Newsletter design

In some cases, there may be an existing newsletter design, which the developer can use to shorten the time needed for designing the newsletter. Otherwise, the development team will need from the partner a design for their newsletter. The design will be taken by the developer and implemented per the email delivery provider specifications.

Logos and static content

The partner should send:

1. The design of the newsletter
2. Any logos*
3. Static assets (images, etc.) that are a part of the newsletter*

*The partner is responsible for obtaining the correct licenses for all content in the newsletter. These static assets are needed by the developer before the design work on the newsletter can begin.

Step 3 - Configuration

Website configuration

For the partner website in the backend, under the Website Settings, on the Advanced tab, the developer will need to configure the newsletter. For this, the developer will need to have access to the newsletter email provider (see get a provider account above). So the provider can be integrated with the website, to ensure visitors who subscribe to the newsletter will be placed into the correct email list.

A scheduled job will need to be setup to produce and send the newsletter at scheduled times. The developer will need to know (from the partner, the scheduled dates (weekly, monthly, quarterly) and times the newsletter should be sent out to the recipients.

Website pages

The developer will work with the customer to develop any redirect pages (e.g. confirmation page) needed for the website. Also the developer will need to know from the customer on which pages the newsletter subscription form will need to be placed.

Step 4 - Testing

1. The newsletter will be initially tested by the developer.

2. The newsletter should then be tested by the partner to ensure that the design has been implemented and the data is properly displayed in the newsletter.

Step 5 - Mailing list import

The partner will need to import a list of newsletter recipients into a list under the email delivery provider account. The list will need to be in a format specified by the provider.

These email addresses should have gone through a proper vetting process, and all of the users should have "opted into" receiving the newsletter to avoid data protection issues. The partner is responsible for any privacy or data protection concerns for the email addresses.

Step 6 - Go-live

Once the newsletter has been designed, configured and tested, the mailing list recipients imported and the job scheduled, it should be possible to bring the newsletter online.