--- title: "Roadmap Step 2: Outreach" slug: "roadmap-step-2-outreach" description: "Implement communication strategies using Slate's Deliver tool to enhance engagement." updated: 2026-07-16T20:23:58Z published: 2026-07-16T20:23:58Z canonical: "knowledge.technolutions.net/roadmap-step-2-outreach" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Roadmap Step 2: Outreach Most schools are understandably eager to stand up their communications early on. Here are the Slate tools that make communications possible, and how you can implement them in your database. ## Order of operations Schools frequently ask us: “Can we do communications/events/interviews first?” The short answer is: **yes,** **but it’s hard to manage records in two systems at once.** Meaning that, depending what you want to do first, there are certain objects that must be configured and functional in Slate so that two systems aren’t taking in live data at the same time. This usually hinges on your **inquiry form** (configured in the [previous Roadmap step](/v1/docs/roadmap-stage-1-slate-essentials)), and the objects specified by the following priorities: ### Communications first To communicate with prospects or new inquiries immediately, complete your communication plan and build out any other necessary functionality in Slate before publishing your inquiry form or redirecting ongoing feeds like search lists to create new records in Slate. Your communication plan will include both Deliver-based and form-based messages. ➡️ [Jump to communications](/v1/docs/roadmap-stage-2-outreach#deliver-foundations) ### Events first To invite prospects or new inquiries to an event as quickly as possible, establish events in Slate before publishing your inquiry form or redirecting ongoing feeds like search lists to create new records in Slate. ➡️ [Jump to events](/v1/docs/roadmap-stage-2-outreach#events) ### Interviews and appointments first To invite prospects or new inquiries to an interview, establish interviews in Slate before publishing your inquiry form or redirecting ongoing feeds like search lists to create new records in Slate. ➡️ [Jump to interviews and appointments](/v1/docs/roadmap-stage-2-outreach#interviews-and-appointments) ## Deliver foundations With the Slate **Deliver** module, you can: - Create **email**, **SMS**, **print**, and **voice** communications - Personalize messages with **merge fields** and **Content Blocks** - Use **liquid markup** to display content conditionally in messages - Create **drip marketing campaigns** using populations, and much more ### Creating a communication plan When you first create a communication plan in Slate, **focus on your essential communications**. #### ▶️ Action item - Familiarize yourself briefly with [Deliver capabilities](/docs/deliver-overview). - Knowing what’s possible in Slate, **whiteboard a communication plan**. > [!TIP] > ✨ Tip > > If you’re trying to get Slate up and running as fast as possible, don't try to recreate the exact marketing plan you've spent years developing in your previous system. Slate is going to change how you conduct business, so your marketing plan is likely to evolve as well. ### Configuring system emails An easy entry point for Deliver is **system emails**. Find them in **Deliver > Folders > Templates.** ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/base64-converted-image-1784233374161.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) These are standard, transactional email communications triggered by specific user actions. Before any of these default communications go out, customize their content with your institutional details. #### ▶️ Action item Configure [existing system emails, and optionally add your own](/v1/docs/system-emails). ### Configuring email templates In **Deliver > Folders > Templates**, you’ll find an example email template: **Call to Action Button Template**. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Default email template.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) This is a sample template that you can customize with your own branding. #### ▶️ Action item Customize the existing email template, or [create your own templates from scratch](/v1/docs/email-templates). 📖 **Further Reading:** Learn how to [use responsive design](/v1/docs/optimizing-emails-for-mobile-devices-mobile-responsiveness) to make your email templates mobile-friendly. ### Drip marketing campaigns Using your communication plan as a guide, it’s time to build out drip marketing campaigns in Deliver. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to create dynamic content, including **content blocks** and **Liquid market** elements. These will save your marketing team the time and effort of recreating the same message content over and over. #### ▶️ Action items - Create a [drip marketing](/v1/docs/build-a-drip-marketing-campaign) campaign. - Create additional mailings as needed using [dynamic content blocks](/v1/docs/dynamic-content-blocks) and [Liquid markup](/v1/docs/fundamental-liquid-markup-and-conditional-logic). ### Inbox With an outbound email communication strategy in place, we can get started with incoming communications. **Inbox** is a tool that lets you directly manage email accounts hosted by external clients, incoming text messages, and phone communications, all from within Slate. Inbox also lets you automate your two-way communications with [AI chatbots](/v1/docs/ai-chat-bots). #### ▶️ Action item - [Configure Inbox](/docs/configuring-inbox) for email communications. If you go on to configure SMS and phone communications in Slate, you can return here to set up their Inbox equivalents. ## More Deliver features You’ve established the foundations of your communication campaign: automated, two-way email. But that’s only a fraction of what Slate is capable of. With **voice**, **print**, **video,** and **text** capabilities, you have the potential to bring your entire communications strategy under one roof. ### Slate Print Slate Print uses the powerful automation capacity of Slate and applies it to your real-world mailing campaigns. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Slate Print.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) Thanks to our partnership with industry-leading print marketing firm MitteraEDU, we’re able to bring you the cost and labor savings of an established print operation along along with the reporting power that you get from handling communications in Slate. 📖 **Further Reading:** Bring down overhead for real-world marketing with [Slate Print](/docs/slate-print-overview). ### Slate Voice Slate hosts a fully-integrated telecommunications platform called **Slate Voice.** Slate Voice doesn’t require any integrations with third-party platforms or custom interactions. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Slate Voice(1).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) 📖 **Further Reading:** Get started with [Slate Voice](/docs/slate-voice-overview). ### Slate Video **Slate Video** lets you send pre-recorded video directly from the person record. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Slate Video.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) 📖 **Further Reading:** Learn how you can engage applicants with [Slate Video](/docs/slate-video). ### Slate Credits Using some Slate features require the purchase of Slate Credits. These credits cover the nominal communication fees charged by third parties, such as telephony, printing, postage, text messaging, and [Identity Verification](/v1/docs/identity-verification). 📖 **Further Reading:** [Slate Credits](/v1/docs/slate-credits) ## Events **Events** let you schedule both in person and online events, invite attendees, and send automated event-related emails. Your database comes with pre-configured **event templates**, which can be used to create individual events of the same type. These templates also come with **event template communications**, which, once configured and activated, are sent to registrants automatically. ### Configuring event templates Your database has three event templates, **each of which must be configured**. Find your event templates in **Events > Folders > Templates.** ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Default event templates.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) #### ▶️ Action item First, brush up on the setting configurations available to you with [event templates](/docs/events-events-and-interviewsevents#event-templates). Next, the following settings event templates: - **Location:** In an event template, select **Edit > Location** to update the location information. - If the events created from this template are virtual, select one of the two options for *Online Event.* - See [Online Events and Webinars](/docs/online-events-and-webinars) for more about virtual events.![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Update event template location.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) - **Description:** Select the *Description* tab and enter a public-facing description for the event template. - Individual events created from this template will have their own descriptions, so this description should reflect the class of event, rather than any event in particular. - ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Edit event template description.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) - **Registration Settings:** Select the *Registration Settings* tab to configure registration limits. - These limits can be overridden on the individual event level. - See [Managing Waitlist and Capacity](/docs/auto-transfer-from-the-waitlist#auto-transfer-from-the-waitlist) for setting descriptions. - ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Update event template registration settings.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) - **Rescheduling (if applicable):** Select the *Rescheduling* tab if registrants for this type of event are allowed to reschedule. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Update event template rescheduling settings.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) - See [Self-Service Rescheduling](/docs/en/customize-the-columns-on-the-registration-page#allow-rescheduling) for setting details. Lastly, **create additional event templates as needed.** ### Configuring event template communications You can create automated communications associated with an event template that send automatically to registrants. Your database’s event templates come pre-configured with common communications. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Event template communications.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) Each template comes with the following communications. They must be customized before being activated. You can also delete them in favor of your own. - **Confirmation page email:** “Thank you for registering!” - **Confirmation email (24 hours):** “`{{Form-Title}}` Registration Confirmation” - **Reminder email (48 hours):** “48-Hour Reminder: `{{Event-Name}}`" - **SMS reminder (1 hour):** *(No message content by default)* - **No Show email (24 hours):** “Sorry we missed you!” - **Thank you for attending email (24 hours):** “Thank you for attending!” #### ▶️ Action item: Configure the template mailings’ fields & settings To access the pre-configured event template messages, select **Event Communications > Edit Mailing > Edit Message**. If you plan to use these communications, for each of them, you must update: - The **Sender** field - The **Reply To** field, which is empty by default - The **message subject and content**, which are placeholders - The message’s **Active status**, which defaults to *Inactive* ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Configure template communication fields(1).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) With these configured, you can create additional communications as needed. 📖 **Further Reading:** [Event communications](/docs/event-communications) > [!TIP] > ✨ Use your [deliver templates](/v1/docs/roadmap-stage-2-outreach#configuring-email-templates) for a standardized aesthetic. ## Interviews and Appointments Manage one-on-one interviews in Slate using **Scheduler**. With **Availability,** you can use a portal to offer time slots for specific appointments based on a schedule you define. **📖 Further Reading:** [Scheduler](/v1/docs/scheduler) ### (2-year model only) Configuring Scheduler template If your database was provisioned from the 2-year model, you have a pre-configured **Academic Advising Sessions** Scheduler template. To access this Scheduler template, select **Events → Scheduler → Folders → Templates.** Select Academic Advising Sessions #### ▶️ Action item On the Academic Advising Session Scheduler template overview page, select **Edit**. Configure the following settings: - **Location:** Select the *Location* tab. Update the location information. - If the sessions created from this template are virtual, select one of the two options for *Online Session.* See [Online Events and Webinars](/docs/online-events-and-webinars) for more about virtual sessions. - See [Configuring the Location tab](/docs/creating-a-scheduler-template#configuring-the-location-tab) for more information. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Configure Scheduler session template - Location.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) - **Description:** Select the *Description* tab and enter a public-facing description for the session template. - Individual sessions created from this template will have their own descriptions, so this description should reflect the class of event, rather than any event in particular. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Configure Scheduler session template - Description.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) - **Registration Settings:** Select the *Registration Settings* tab to configure related registration check-in settings. - See [Configuring the Registration Settings tab](/docs/creating-a-scheduler-template#configuring-the-registration-settings-tab) for more information. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Configure Scheduler session template - Registration Settings.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) - **Rescheduling (if applicable):** Select the *Rescheduling* tab if registrants for this type of session are allowed to reschedule. - See [Configuring the Rescheduling tab](/docs/creating-a-scheduler-template#configuring-the-rescheduling-tab) for setting details. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Configure Scheduler session template - Rescheduling.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-12T12%3A11%3A26Z&se=2026-10-12T13%3A11%3A26Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=QNCO1g%2FHZhfMNzo1xBA1w706p6VY74ARkNL9AsGKMIM%3D) #### ▶️ Action item: Have users add their external calendars in Availability Staff who conduct interviews can link Slate to their external calendar bidirectionally. When all of your interviewing staff do this, their combined availability can be used to generate a dynamic schedule in a portal. Students can then register for appointments in this portal. When they register, your interviewing staff’s external calendar will reflect this new event, and vice versa: when a staff member is busy, that time is no longer available for students to register in Slate (unless it’s covered by another staff’s availability). Because they’re authenticating with external calendars using their own credentials, these staff will have to perform this step themselves. See [Adding Scheduler Availability](/v1/docs/adding-scheduler-availability) for more information. ## Next up: Historical data migration With foundational data structures established and communications built out, we find this to be a good time to bring over data from your previous system. > [!NOTE] > ➡️ Next: [Step 3: Historical Data Migration](/v1/docs/roadmap-step-3-historical-data-migration)