This document provides a guided tour for sending a bulk email through the BITSAA.org backend administration system. It outlines 8 steps: 1) Locating the email options menu, 2) Selecting the "Create a Bulk Email" option, 3) Searching for recipients from the community directory by applying filters, 4) Applying advanced search criteria using custom fields, 5) Viewing search results, 6) Selecting a format and template, 7) Composing the email content and settings, 8) Adding attachments and placing the email in the queue to be sent. The tour explains how to filter recipients, compose the email content using a rich text editor and macros, schedule the send time, and place the email in the queue

1. (tech-team@bitsaa.org) BITSAA.org Backend Administration Sending a Bulk Email Guided Tour

2. Slide Number : 2 tech-team@bitsaa.org Welcome aboard! Congratulations on joining the limited group of backend administrators at the BITSAA International Portal. The backend admin has all privileges to site-wide content management, member directory management, data management, blogs and email messages etc. As you go along exercising these privileges, you will pick up more details about the same. In the following guided tour, we attempt to tell you how to send a bulk email to all or some selected of the registered members on the BITSAA.org portal. You will learn everything from selecting recipients and sending messages. Not to mention, at any time, if you face a difficulty, you can get back to the BITSAA Technology Team. We are just an email away! Let’s get started!

3. Slide Number : 3 tech-team@bitsaa.org Locate the Email Options in the Menu 1 Description Locate the ‘Directory & CRM’ menu item on the main menu of backend. Under the heading ‘Emails & Newsletters’, you will find multiple options: ‘Create a Bulk Email’ lets you create a new bulk email to be sent to all or select members from the database. ‘Emails on Hold’ let you view emails that are created but not yet authorized to be sent by the admin. ‘Emails in Queue’ lets you review status of emails that are in process of being sent out to members by YMC. ‘Emails Sent/Reporting’ lets you review statistics and click-backs etc for a bulk email sent.

4. Slide Number : 4 tech-team@bitsaa.org Backend Dashboard 2 Description To create a new bulk email, select the ‘Create a Bulk Email’ option from the menu head. Problems Not able to find ‘Directory & CRM’ or ‘Email & Newsletters’ heads in your admin main menu? You may not have sufficient privileges for sending bulk emails to members. This is provided to select admin members only. Please get back to the Tech-Team for further information.

5. Slide Number : 5 tech-team@bitsaa.org Search for Recipients from Community Directory 3 Description You now have to locate the recipients for this bulk email message. This is done by simply filtering the members from the community directory of the BITSAA portal. Use standard fields like the Groups, First Name, Last Name, Company, Email IDs, Member Type and Approval Statuses to filter the members. In case you want to filter based on custom fields, make sure you check the ‘Apply advanced search criteria upon clicking "search" below.’ option before you click on ‘Search’. Lets say you search for 2005 Batch Students members who are Approved, and applying advanced search of course!

6. Slide Number : 6 tech-team@bitsaa.org Applying Advanced (Custom) Search Criteria 4 Description The search results can further be filtered with advanced (custom) criteria like: Username, gender, birthday. Profession, city/state location, country, member activities on the portal, campus, BITS degree, discipline(s), hostels etc. Fill in the required criteria and then click ‘Search’. For example, let us filter the standard results for all students of BITS, Pilani - Goa Campus.

7. Slide Number : 7 tech-team@bitsaa.org Search Results 5 Description The search results list down the members according to your filtering criteria. Number of records found. Here you can find the entire search criteria you specified. The search results are displayed here for you to verify your criteria. Click here to send a bulk email to all these filtered members from the community directory. 1 2 4 3

8. Slide Number : 8 tech-team@bitsaa.org Bulk Email Administration – Step 1 (Select Format & Template) 6 Description You are now ready to create your bulk email from backend. Select the email format : HTML since we usually send emails with pictures. Select a pre-defined HTML template you want to use. You may see a preview of your choice in frame 4. You may also decline choosing any template and insert your own pictures, headers etc later. Check this to include the custom BITSAA footer at the end of your message, It is usually advisable to avoid this if you are not using an existing template. Click ‘Continue’ for Step 2. 1 2 3 4

9. Slide Number : 9 tech-team@bitsaa.org Bulk Email Administration – Step 2 (Create Email) 7 Description You can specify a date and time when to start sending the email.Also, mention the sender’s email address. You can set whether to comply with a member’s opt-out request for emails. In case you want to use this custom made template (made by you) for future use, you can save it . Use this rich text editor to compose your bulk email. You can use Macros as explained at the end of the page to insert select user tailored for every member. The email will NOT be sent until you change its status from "On Hold" to "In Queue" on the following screen. 1 2 3

10. Slide Number : 10 tech-team@bitsaa.org Bulk Email Administration – Step 3/4 (Add Attachment & Edit/Queue Email) 8 Description You may attach a file to the bulk email, if required. You should send a test email to your email address and check the formatting of the message body you have composed. You may even edit the bulk email from here or review the email body just as it would appear in any HTML compatible email client. Finally, you can select this radio button to place the bulk email ‘In Queue’. Remember that once an email is queued, it can no longer be edited. Now, YMC will start sending the email to all recipients. 1 2 4 3

11. Slide Number : 11 tech-team@bitsaa.org You are now good to go! From the Technology Team’s side, you now possess all the basic knowledge to send bulk email messages to members from the portal backend. In case you get stuck somewhere, we are always willing to help. Drop us a line on email. That’s all! We hope that the guided tour was helpful!