Mailster Tutorial

Mailster is a WordPress plugin that makes creating and sending email newsletters free and simple.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to begin creating your newsletter, how to edit your newsletter, adjust the settings and subscriber lists, and finally, how to send your newsletter to your target audience. Mailster also provides you with analytics to help you track user engagement, and a feature to automatically send out notices to subscribers. A video tutorial (13 minutes) is also available on the training videos page.

Skip to: Settings :: Lists and Subscribers :: Statistics Dashboard :: Create a Newsletter

Settings – Setting Up Your Newsletter

The Settings for your newsletter make creating and sending your newsletter easier. To begin, click on the “Settings” option at the bottom of the menu below Newsletter in the Dashboard menu. This will open your Newsletter Settings and you will want to address the specific tabs listed below:

• General – The settings at the top of this tab pertain to the sender information for any new newsletters created. Please change this information from the default, to ensure that your subscribers are not confused by potentially receiving a newsletter from an unexpected or unknown person.
• Front End – These settings will allow you to set up pages that will help your subscribers manage their subscription and set a newsletter homepage. To assign a page ID number for the homepage, open your newsletter archive page in the editor and locate the “ID” number in the URL of the page’s address bar.
• Subscribers – These settings will help you set up notifications when subscribers sign up or cancel their subscription.
• Text Strings – Customize the text of the messages that are seen upon signup or management of a subscription and autogenerated links within your newsletter.
• Tags – These settings can mostly be ignored until needed. These settings allow you to edit or create custom tags to include placeholder information into your newsletter.

Click the “Save Changes” button after visiting each tab to ensure your changes are saved correctly

Lists and Subscribers

To add new subscribers, select the Subscribers option under Newsletter in the Dashboard’s navigation menu, then click the Import button at the top of the page. This will prompt you to upload a CSV file of your subscribers or you can copy and paste a list of subscribers into the “Paste” box on the page. Deselect the “toggle all” check box under the heading for WordPress Users (unless you want to grab this information for your subscriber list), then click the “Next” button at the bottom of the screen. On the following screen you can designate a specific list to add your subscribers to or create a new list.

Statistics Dashboard

The Statistics dashboard contains all of the performance data collected from all newsletters (campaigns) created on your site through Mailster. On this page you can view data on which links were clicked on the most, the rate of emails that were opened, specifically which subscribers have opened their email, and more. As you create and send newsletters, you will notice popular trends amongst your subscribers.

Create a Newsletter

Select the “Newsletter” item in the Dashboard’s Navigation Menu

Click on New Campaign to create a new newsletter.

Details

Enter a title for the newsletter such as “January 2022 Newsletter”. This title is mainly for internal use to recognize and differentiate between newsletter campaigns.

Mailster will automatically update the Subject field with the title, but it can be updated independently.

The preheader will act as subheading or excerpt within an email client and can be used to provide context or a very short description for the newsletter.

From Name – Enter in the name of the person or group that you would like the newsletter to look like it’s from, such as “UF Health Web Services”.

From Email – This is the email address the newsletter will be from. We suggest also making this the Reply-to Email, as well.

Click the Save button to save your changes.

Template

To begin building your newsletter, you will need to choose from one of four email templates (or bases).

At the top right side of the Template editor, select the Base option, to choose one of the options below:

Select the base by name, then choose “Base” below the name to place the template into the editor for you to work in.

Each base will create a basic newsletter template that you can further customize with more modules.

Click the “Update” button to save your work frequently!

Header Image Template

The template for the header image is a “PSD” file that can be edited in Adobe Photoshop or you can use a free online tool, PhotoPea, to edit the image in your browser.

Modules

Module provide you with a way to create visually interesting content for your newsletter.

To add a module, select it from the options on the right side of the template editor. More than one of a module type can be added to a newsletter.

Available modules will vary by base type as they are designed differently.

Modules can be removed by selecting the module and clicking on the Trash Can icon in the upper right side of the module’s highlight window. Note: This will complete remove the module and any content within it and it cannot be retrieved. Make sure you have your information saved elsewhere before removing a module.

Moving a module is easy! Click on the module and drag and drop it to the place you want the module to appear in the newsletter. Mailster will show you a visual guide to show you were your module will appear when you drop it in place. Modules follow a vertical format, and cannot be aligned to the right or left of each other.

UF Health – Blue

• Intro
• Separator
• Separator Line
• Full Size Image
• ½ Column Images
• Call to Action
• 1/1 Text with Image (Image: 640×340)
• ½ Floating Image Left (Image: 320×205)
• ½ Floating Image Right (Image: 320×205)
• Image on the left (Image: 320×205)
• Image on the right (Image: 320×205)
• 1/3 Image on the left (Image: 214×125)
• 1/3 Image on the right (Image: 214×125)
• ¼ Image on the left (Image: 160×100)
• ¼ Image on the right (Image: 160×100)
• 1/1 Text

UF Health – Orange

• Intro
• Separator
• Full Size Image (Image: 600×340)
• Call to Action
• ½ Floating Image Left (Image: 264×192)
• ½ Floating Image Right (Image: 264×192)
• Image on the left (Image: 264×192)
• Image on the right (Image: 264×192)
• 1/3 Image on the left (Image: 168×168)
• 1/3 Image on the right (Image: 168×168)
• 1/1 Text
• ½ Text
• 1/3 Text

UF Health – Dark

• Header
• 1/1 image (Image: 600×400)
• 1/1 content
• 2/2 content
• 2/2 content box
• 1/1 content box
• ½ panel
• 2/2 feature (Image: 300×200)
• footer

UF Health – Orange and Blue

• Header
• Feature Right Image (Image: 295×275)
• 2-2 Content
• 1-2 Left Image (Image: 295×260)
• 1-2 Right Quote (Image: 50×50)
• 1-1 Panel- 1 (Image: 600×230)
• 1-2 Left Quote (Image: 50×50)
• 1-2 Right Image (Image: 295×260)
• 3-3 Thumbnails (Image: 144×144)
• 1-1 Panel- 2 (Image: 600×230)
• 1-3 Left Image (Image: 193×165)
• 1-3 Right Image (Image: 193×165)
• 2-2 Panel (Image: 295×200)
• CTA
• Footer

Sending the newsletter

Select the list of subscribers from the “Receivers” options on the right side of the screen, then click the “Send Now” button next to the “Update” button at the top of the options. This will send out the newsletter according to the settings.

A newsletter can be sent on a designated time/date by adjusting this timeframe in the Delivery options box. Check the “send this campaign” box, then select the date and time to send your newsletter and save your settings by clicking the “Update” button. Mailster will send your newsletter to your subscriber list at the date and time noted.