Email Newsletters
- Gilbert, Samuel Z - (szgilbert)
- bdowner@arizona.edu
Requesting access to Trellis Marketing Cloud
Want to start an email newsletter? Extension has free access to Trellis Marketing Cloud, which comes with support from central marketing and Extension marketing team.
Submit a ticket using Support Tracker.
Choose ‘Marketing & Outreach’ under ‘Request Type’.
Provide names and emails of everyone you want to have access to manage your newsletter.
You’ll receive emails with links to Edge Learning modules you need to complete before being added to Trellis Marketing Cloud. These include:
Trellis Terms of Service – Course ID 0000014582
Information Security Training – Course ID 332
FERPA Training for Staff – Course ID 0000003270 (You might be assigned several FERPA training courses. You only need to complete the one listed).
Email Ben Downer bdowner@arizona.edu after you’ve completed your Edge Learning modules. It typically takes UITS-Trellis Team) about 2 weeks to give you access after you've completed all Edge Learning modules.
After getting your welcome email from the UITS-Trellis Team, schedule your 50-minute email building training.
Planning your newsletter
Establish a plan for your newsletter.
Outline how your newsletter fits into your overall communication plan.
Set newsletter goals: List out specific purposes for why you are starting your newsletter and how your newsletter will benefit your audience.
Define your audience: Identify their interests, preferences, and what kind of content they’re most likely to read. Look at other newsletters for inspiration.
Create a content calendar: Organize topics, themes, content ideas and publications dates for your newsletter.
Think about upcoming events, common questions, important seasonal themes of your program and more.
Read the article Newsletter Calendars for the basics of creating a content calendar.
Brainstorm other places to share your newsletter content like on social media, your website, articles for a newspaper, etc.
Establish workflows for different newsletters tasks.
What’s the process for collecting content for each issue?
Who needs to review the newsletter before it goes out? It’s recommended that a the person submitting content ensures that links, photos and text are correct.
Set deadlines for content submission, review and publication of each issue.
How will you share the content outside your newsletter? Where will you put content on the Cooperative Extension website?
Building a subscriber list
For existing newsletters:
Put first name, last name and email address into the Newsletter Subscriber Template. First name, last name and email address are required for every contact on your list. Leave NetID blank. Do not delete any column headings.
Submit a ticket using Support Tracker, selecting ‘Marketing & Outreach’ under ‘Request Type’.
Include your Excel file file and the name of your newsletter.
You’ll receive a QR code and shortened link to your newsletter signup page.
For new newsletters:
Submit a ticket using Support Tracker, selecting ‘Marketing & Outreach’ under ‘Request Type’.
Provide the your newsletter name in the ticket.
You’ll receive a QR code and shortened link to your newsletter signup page.
Help resources for Trellis Marketing Cloud
Your welcome email from the UITS-Trellis Team includes the following resources:
Marketing Cloud topical videos - Follow along with these shorter (10min or less) tutorials on Contact Import, navigating Data Extensions, customizing modules in Content Builder, etc.
Recurring Training Sessions - Navigate to the Trellis calendar and register for a Marketing Cloud Content Builder Training or Best Practices Workshop (check out the descriptions to determine what is relevant) that works for your availability. These are open to all Marketing Cloud users, and are not necessarily specific to you.
Teams Channel - monitored by the Trellis team, this is a great place to ask questions and see what other users are working on in Trellis.
WhatFix Browser Extension- Download the new in-app guidance system for Trellis/Marketing Cloud. Our documentation and step-by-step guides will be integrated into your webpage with a moveable “self help” tab.
The UITS Team has also created an extensive library of training materials available on the UITS-Trellis SharePoint. Suggested resources to start with include (updated 12/11/2023):