Direct Mail Tutorial¶

What does it do?¶

This tutorial is divided into 3 parts. Move from one page, starting at the top and you will create your own mailing easily.

• Part One - Step by Stepexplains how to send newsletters to subscribers.
• Part Two - Creating a Newsletterexplains how to put a newsletter together so that subscribers only get the content they subscribed for.
• Part Three – Setupexplains how to install and setup the DirectMail Plugin in Typo3.

Mail User Administration¶

Installing Direct Mail Plugin

There are 2 parts to this plugin:

An administration page where the users subscribe, and

The Direct Mail Module is the engine that generates the mailing. Newsletters are also stored in subfolders of the module. The newsletters are basically a regular page with content and subsequently; a mailing is created based on the newsletter page.

Make sure you have the following extensions installed and active

• 'Web->Plugin->Direct Mail'
• 'Address list'
• 'Direct Mail Subscription'

Administration Typo3 Template¶

This is how your Mail User Administration Typo3 Template should look.

I went to the Direct Mail Example and copied the template from there.

This ID is the for the 'Direct Mail Module' Folder you are using. You can create a new one in your website or use the one from the example outside your website. They both will work.

The code here needs to be all on one line. I only split it up to make it visible.The template file could also be moved to the fileadmin/media/scripts folder and the link will just have to be changed accordingly here.

There is no need to make any changes to the Setup field

Make sure that there are checkmarks in the Clear Constants and Setup boxes and none in Rootlevel .

In Include Static there are 2 items: content (default) and plugin.feadmin.dmailsubscrip ...

Direct Mail Module¶

In the 'Direct Mail folder' all the subscribers are stored and the newsletters are stored in subfolders. In the "Direct Mail folder" you'll also find a template which determines the design of the newsletters and furthermore there are "Direct Mail records" which represents a 'direct mail campaign' based on a certain newsletter and bound for a certain selection of subscribers.

## CONFIGURATION of the direct mail module:

mod.web_modules.dmail {
  from_name = John Spam Doe
  from_email= john.doe@nothing.test
  organisation = John Does Testsite
  replyto_email =
  replyto_name =

plainParams = &type=99
HTMLParams =

  # UID's of the tt_address records to use for test-sending:
test_tt_address_uids = 13,14

  # table name of a userdefined table similar to tt_address (same fields) which may be used for distribution also.
userTable =

enablePlain = 1
enableHTML = 1

  http_username =
  http_password =
  sendOptions=3

  categories {
    1 = Food
    2 = Books
    3 = Sport
    4 = Religion
  }
}

mod.web_dmail.test_dmail_group_uids=1,2
mod.web_modules.dmail.categories.0=Food
mod.web_modules.dmail.categories.1=Books
mod.web_modules.dmail.categories.2=Sport
mod.web_modules.dmail.categories.3=Religion
mod.web_modules.dmail.categories.4=
mod.web_modules.dmail.sendOptions=3
mod.web_modules.dmail.long_link_mode=0
mod.web_modules.dmail.quick_mail_encoding=0

Direct Mail Typo3 Template¶

This is the Typo3 Template that is associated with the Direct Mail Module.

Constants and Setup fields are empty.

• Clear: Constants and Setup have checkmarks in the boxes
• Rootlevel has no checkmark in the box
• Include Static has template; NEWSLETTER, plugin.alt.plaintext (99) and cSet (default) included (if you include CSet (default) you will have problems with the emails)

Editing Direct Mail Module¶

After testing the Direct Mail Module you end up with a whole bunch of sent mail. How do you gain access to those items to delete them? Simple. Select 'List' in the Typo3 column then click on the 'Direct Mail Module' folder and you will see the screen shot below in your workarea.

Apart from the normal 'Page' and 'Template' sections there are now Address, Direct Mails and Direct Mail Groups sections.

• Address Here you see at a glance all the addresses of your subscribers.
• Direct Mails All the mailing you have sent are listed here.
• Direct Mail Groups All the Groups you have created are listed here.

Configuring the Newsletter HTML Template¶

Now the Newsletter HTML Template has to be included and changed to reflect our customization.

<b>Select Special Categories:</b><BR>
<table>
<tr>
<td>###GW2B###Food###GW2E###</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="FE[tt_address]
[module_sys_dmail_category][0]"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>###GW2B###Books###GW2E###</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="FE[tt_address]
[module_sys_dmail_category][1]"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>###GW2B###Sport###GW2E###</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="FE[tt_address]
[module_sys_dmail_category][2]"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>###GW2B###Religion###GW2E###</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="FE[tt_address]
[module_sys_dmail_category][3]"></td>
</tr>
</table>

Accessing Direct Mail Plugin¶

To access the Direct Mail Plugin

Click 'Plugins' in the Typo3 column

then in the Navigation Column (second colum) click on 'Direct Mail Module'.

You will then see the screen below in the workarea to the right (third column).

From here you can

• access direct mail you have created beforehand
• create a direct mail newsletter
• link to a webpage with the information you want in your direct mail.

Module Configuration¶

Here you

Set Default Values for Direct Mails

Configure Technichal Options

Create Categories

These settings can also be changed in the TScript of the 'Direct Mail Module' Sysfolder in Setup.

Recipient List¶

From the drop down menu select 'Recipient List'

and you will see the screen below

If there are no Mail Groups listed go to chose 'Create new?'

Recipient List Types¶

Once you have chosen either to create a new mail group or clicked on the pencil icon next to an existing group you will see the screen below.

Depending on the drop down menu you choose under Type: you create different mail groups.

By default it opens to 'From Page' Type.

Newsletter¶

Selecting Newsletter from the drop down menu will change your screen to the view below

Now you can select a newsletter that you have created previously. You can select the newsletter by either clicking on the yellow file folder or by clicking on the name of the newsletter.

Or create a new newsletter by clicking on ' Click here to create a new page that you can later send as direct mail '

Selecting an Existing Newsletter¶

After you have selected an existing newsletter file as the base for your direct mail you will get the screen below.

To see how your newsletter looks online in the browser click on ' View Page'

To make changes to your newsletter click on ' Edit Page'

Hold on a minute and don't press the create button just yet!

In the bottom half of the workarea is an other area which needs your attention.

When people subscribe to your newsletter their are asked which categoies they are interested in by selecting the check box. The reason behind this is that now you can create newsletters with information for all categories, but you only want to send it to subscribers to 'Books' for example. By selecting the 'Books check box your newsletter subscriber will only see the information you created for the 'Books' section.

When you're done click on 'Update category setting'.

Now you can create your direct mailing

When you are satisfied that everything is ok you click on ' Create new direct mail based on this page'.

Now you will see the popup window below. As I was testing I kept on creating new direct mails based on the same newsletter and as you can see the program kept track of my attempts.

Create DirectMail¶

This is the screen you see after you have pressed ' Create new direct mail based on this page'. The screen shot below shows the top half of the information.

The Subject is the name you have your newsletter in the 'page header'. I haven't really fully customized the information yet as you can see from the screen shot. Click on ' Edit' to customize the information to the current newsletter you are sending. Everything is pretty much self explanatory.

Mail Page is the ID of the newsletter you are sending.

Parameter, Plain text: &type=99 makes the newsletter is ledgeable in plain text.

Parameters, HTML is ok to be empty to work.

Below Edit you have again the option to have another look at your newsletter. Clicking the yellow folder or on the file name will take you back to your previous screen.

At the bottom of the work area is now the 'OPTIONS:' Menu.

Your next step is now to compile your Direct Mail and you do that by clicking on 'Fetch and compile maildata (read url) from the drop down menu and you will see the screen below

Now you press the 'Read URL' button and wait. Don't do anything else on the computer or it will not work. Multitasking is out of the question or you will have to start to read the URL again. And yes, it does take some time (2-3minutes), so get up and do something else.

Once the URL is read you will back to the screen at the top of this page.

Note Once the newsletter is read it stays in the memory until it is sent, even if it is the next day and you have turned off Typo3 and your computer in the meantime.

Mass-send¶

After the URL is read, you scroll back down to OPTIONS and there will be 2 more added

• Send a testmail and
• Mass-send mail.

Select 'Mass-send mail'Your screen will change to the one below

This screen gives you 2 choices for sending the mail.

'Select a mail group' to send the mail to

'Send Mail - List of Emails'

Send Direct Mail¶

Now you select from the drop down menu 'Mailer engine status'.

Your screen will change to the one below

A newsletter is scheduled to be sent.

Start your Mailer engine by clicking on the text ' Invoke Mailer Engine '

Now things move quite quickly.

The status of the Mailer engine is indicated and a log given of what transpired.

- The time it was started

- The name of the newsletter that was sent- How many copies were sent and which address used (tt_address)- How long it took to send the mail

Under the Mail Engine Status you now can see that your newsletter has been delivered and 2 copies sent.

Compiling the Newsletter¶

I am using the Newsletter #1 that is included in the 'Direct Mail Example' as a reference to explain how to format the newsletters you create so that subscribers only see content for which they subscribed.

This is an overview of the newsletter in 'List Mode'

The sample Newsletter has 9 content sections and is setup to use the 'Normal Column' and the 'Border Column'. See screen shot below.

Newsletter Categories¶

You can link the newletter to the categories now or when you are ready to mail the newsletter. Just don't forget to do it. I placed a reminder in the tutorial under Select Newsletter.

Clicking on Plugins --> Direct Mail Module or the name of the Newsletter you just created will open the Newsletter Direct Mail Edit Page.

Here you see all the newsletter(s) that you have created. You can view them from here, edit them, create your mailing based on them and select the categories that go with each content section.

• Leaving all the check boxes blank will automatically include that section for all subscribers.
• Selecting checkboxes to match subscribers category choices will send that page content only to subscribers.
• At the bottom of the page is an update button to save your settings.

When you set your categories as you create your newsletter you won't have to worry remembering to set them at the time of your mailing. This way if you create your newsletters in advance or in bits and pieces, by automatically setting the categories you are always up-to- date.

Direct Mail Tutorial - 34