Creating Editable (and yet Sexy) Email Newsletters and Flyers in Microsoft Outlook 2007

First a Disclaimer:  These instructions only work for Microsoft Outlook 2007.  No, I will not be preparing additional tutorials for other versions.  Please don’t ask.  Also – if you’re sending out to more than 50 customers, seriously consider using a professional service.  The benefits outweigh the costs involved, and you’ll get better feedback than traditional email.

A great email promo (that’s editable) begins with a simple design. To save time, have the designed prepared by a web developer, and posted to your web site.  That way if you screw up, you can always start fresh.  Here are the basics about ‘how’ the design should be created (technical stuff that your dev should already know):

1. The basic shape of the email should be limited to 600px wide.  That way it will be viewable in most email programs.
2. CSS must be applied as an inline style.  Outside CSS is generally ignored.
3. Background images and colors are ignored as well.  Limit your graphics to surface elements only.
4. DO NOT USE: javascripts, roll-overs, Flash elements or other embedded components.
5. Use simple HTML only.  This is the one time that tables are the perfect solution.

Here’s a basic layout, in two styles: Newsletter, and Property. (Note: both samples use CSS (rule violation #2), for developers compare the inline styles to see how to apply the CSS properly) These samples are visible on www.urbancityvancouver.ca, a site belonging to Chris Tioseco a Vancouver BC based realtor.

Once you have your design, you are ready to create your email newletter/promo templates.  Our goal is to create a special file called an Outlook Template or *.oft.  These templates can be edited and reused over and over.  You never have to worry about the graphics, or how it will ultimately look as the *.oft maintains everything.

Note: the design below, and setting up the email took about 2 hours ($170).  It resulted in 2 easy to use templates, that matched Chris’s branding.

The html page, viewed in a browser looks like this:

Step One: Creating the basic template.

1. Open the page design in a browser.  Click anywhere inside the browser window.  Select all (CRTL A) and copy (CTRL C).  Minimize the browser window.
2. Open a new email window in Outlook 2007.  Make sure there is no signature, or text.  Delete anything in the window to be sure.
3. Click inside the blank email (the big white area).  Paste what you’ve copied from the web browser (CTRL V).

Now you should be seeing a centered, but slightly different version of the browser window.  Don’t panic, we’ll edit all that in a moment.

Cut & pasted into your Outlook 2007 email:

Step Two: Determining the How the Flyer Works.

What’s the point of having an email, if it doesn’t link back to you somehow?  In Chris’s example, we are going to add links to his Property Listsings, Resources, Contact Me page, and About Me page.  If at this point you get lost, contact a developer to set the rest of this up.

1. Right-click on the graphic you wish to add the link.
2. Enter the address of the page you wish to link to.  Note that this means the full address (e.g. http://www.urbancityvancouver.ca/contact/index.php is Chris’s contact page)
3. Repeat on each graphic you wish to contain a link.

There’s no technical limit on the number of links, however in my opinion limit it three or four in the basic template (consider you might have another three or four in the body of your message yet to come).

Identify which graphic to add a link:

Then add the hyperlink (the full address):

Step Three: Format the Text.

This means the look – not the content of – the finished flyer.  Simply highlight the text in question, and use the normal editing features of the email program.  Here are some general rules:

1. Use simple text, and limit it to Arial, Verdana, MS Trebuchet, Georgia and Times New Roman.  If you’re using a Mac or a fancy new Vista PC, you can also use Calibri.
2. AVOID CAPITALS ‘CAUSE IT MEANS YOU’RE SHOUTING.
3. Don’t use bold and underline to emphasize what you’re saying.  Leave this to the professionals.  Seriously.  If you do it, I’ll make fun of you in front of the other realtors.
4. Don’t center anything.  You’re not writing poetry. (Leilani, this means you.)

Step Four: Add Content, Content, Content

Content basics:  Every email you send (asides from being requested) needs to have a way to unsubscribe, and a way to contact you in the real world.  Obviously your contact information should be on the page, but also recommend a physical address.

If you don’t list your physical  address – or a way to unsubscribe – you’re a bad person.

Professionalism is key with web-based marketing, and this extends to you email promotion.

Viola – the finished Newsletter:

Step Five: SAVE AS an *.oft file.

This isn’t that hard.  Go up to the Vista Icon (that round thingy at the top left of the email), and click ’save as…’.  When the save screen comes up, do the following:

1. Enter a name you’re going to remember.  Seriously.  This is where even I screw up regularily.
2. In the dropdown menu for file type, select ‘Outlook Template *.of’.
3. Hit Enter.