Outreach mailings are like Deliver mailings that you can send right from an event. Like Deliver mailings, you build out a recipient list, select exports to be used as merge fields, and schedule a send date.

When you create an outreach mailing for an event, an Outreach tab appears on the event page. Recipient RSVPs are recorded in this tab.

Outreach mailings can be configured for person-scoped, application-scoped, and dataset-scoped events.

When to use outreach mailings

These mailings are useful for larger events, for which you might want to send an RSVP email to a specific population of records.

Examples might include:

• A group admission information session for which you want to extend an invite to students who listed you as their top choice

• A group advising session for which you want to send an invite to enrolled students who have not chosen a major

• An alumni event for which you want to send an invite to alumni who live in a certain location

📝 Outreach mailings are not currently available for event templates.

Configuring an outreach mailing

An outreach mailing is one of several options for an event communication trigger.

To set up an outreach mailing for an event:

1. Go to Events.

2. Select an existing event, or create a new one.

3. Select Edit Communications.

4. Select New Mailing.

5. Enter the following configurations in the popup window:

   • Name: Enter an internal name for the mailing

   • Trigger: Outreach Mailing (send as scheduled)

   • Status: Active

   • Method: Email

   • UTM Tracking: Include any UTM parameters if necessary

   • Hide from Timeline: Check this box to hide this mailing from the record's Timeline, if desired.

     

6. Select Save.

7. Select Edit.

8. This mailing should likely allow recipients to unsubscribe. Ensure the Opt Out setting is set appropriately.

9. Select Save.

10. Select Edit Recipient Lists.

11. Select New Query.

12. Configure the following settings:

    • Name: Enter a name.

    • List Type: Select Include to include these records, or Suppression List to exclude them from the mailing.

    • Type: Configurable Joins

    • Category: Records

    • Base: Match the base of the recipient list query to the scope of the form.

      • For example, a person-scoped event’s outreach mailing should have a recipient list query base of Person.

13. Build out the query by selecting exports and filters.

    ✨ Tip

    Include a GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) for records you want to invite. For example, if you include the person GUID as a merge field in the RSVP URL, it can pre-populate fields on the RSVP form. See the next section for details.

14. Use the breadcrumb navigation to return to the outreach mailing’s overview page.

15. Select Edit Message.

16. Add message content:

    • Exports in the recipient list query are available as merge fields. See Form and Event Communications Merge Fields for more information.

    • See the next section for details on collecting RSVP information using the form registration URL.

17. Select Save.

18. Select Send Mailing.

19. Configure settings as necessary. See Sending a Mailing for setting descriptions.

20. Select Save.

An Outreach tab appears on the event overview page, next to Registered, Cancelled, and All Registrants.

📝 Note

Only users with the Deliver Send permission can send mailings. Users with only the Deliver or Deliver (edit all users) permissions can save the send settings, but cannot send the mailing.

Configuring message content to collect RSVPs

Initial responses to an event invitation are collected through an outreach mailing that includes a RSVP link to the corresponding event.

To set up the RSVP link for an outreach mailing:

1. Go to the event’s overview page.

2. Copy the event’s registration form link. Both vanity URLs and standard, Slate-generated URLs can be used with this feature.

   

3. Select Event Communications.

4. On the outreach mailing you’ve just created, select Edit Mailing.

5. Select Edit Message.

6. Paste the event registration form link into the outreach mailing message. This link can be hyperlinked if it is a standard, Slate-generated URL.

   🔔 If you’re using a vanity URL, do not hyperlink the URL.

7. Select the link to edit it.

8. Append /rsvp/ after /register/:

   • If a vanity URL is used, /rsvp/ should be added after the vanity component of the URL. This should come before any other parts of the URL, including GUIDs or query string parameters. For example, for an application-scoped event, the link may look like the following:

     https://admission.slate.edu/register/vanity/rsvp?person={{Application-GUID}}

   • If a URL without a vanity is used, the format of the RSVP URL should be:

     https://admission.slate.edu/register/rsvp?id=EVENT-GUID-HERE&person={{Person-GUID}}

   • Note with the above link that the Prospect ID merge field is used for a person-scoped event. Any additional parameters included in the URL should be appended using ampersands.

9. Append the URL with the query string parameter of the record's unique identifier:

   • Appending the event registration RSVP link with a unique identifier (for example, Prospect ID) will provide the recipient with a unique URL.

   • This will automatically associate the mailing with the recipient's record and pre-populate any mapped fields that already contain data.

     • For a Person or Records-scoped query, append the URL with the Prospect ID export.

     • For an Applications-scoped query, append the URL the Application Slate GUID export.

     • For a Dataset-scoped query, append the URL with the GUID of the Dataset record.

   • See query string parameters for more information.

10. Append the URL with any additional parameters. For example, pre-defined form fields.

Viewing RSVPs in the Outreach tab

Recipients of the communication appear in the Outreach tab on the event’s overview page.

The columns displayed in this tab are:

• Invited: The names of the records included in the Recipient Lists

• Invitation Sent: The date and time at which the outreach mailing was sent to the recipient

• Response Date: The date and time at which the record responded through the RSVP link

• Status: The status of the record's event registration, either Registered, Declined, Cancelled, or Invited

Once the email is sent and a recipient selects the event registration RSVP link, the recipient will see two options: Accept Invitation or Decline Invitation

• If a recipient selects Accept Invitation, the event registration form appears and any appended URL parameters carry through to populate the corresponding form fields.

• If a recipient selects Decline Invitation, either the default message appears or a custom confirmation page and/or email can be configured.

📖 Further reading: Send automated mailings to decliners with Upon Decline Mailings