📧 Newsletter Module - Complete Guide

Introduction

Fotostudio's newsletter module allows you to send email campaigns to your contacts directly from your account. Stay in touch with your clients, announce your latest news, share your updates, and build customer loyalty with professional newsletters.

🚀 Getting Started with Newsletters

Email Sending Configuration

Before sending your first newsletter, you need to configure your sending server. You have two options:

Option 1: Use FotostudioMail

Benefits:

• ✅ Instant setup, ready in seconds
• ✅ No technical configuration required
• ✅ Professional infrastructure already in place
• ✅ Start sending immediately

With this option, your emails will be sent from the address noreply@fotostudiomail.com. This is the simplest and fastest solution to get started. Your name will be displayed in your client's mailbox and replies will arrive in your inbox.

How to configure FotostudioMail:

1. Go to Messaging > Newsletters
2. Choose the option "Use FotostudioMail"
3. Enter your sender name (e.g., "Sophie Martin Photography")
4. Click on "Create my sending server"
5. You're ready! You can send your first newsletter

Option 2: Use Your Own Domain

Benefits:

• ✅ Your emails are sent from your own domain (e.g., contact@sophiemartin.com)
• ✅ Strengthens your professional brand image
• ✅ Increases recipient trust

Drawbacks:

• ⚠️ Requires DNS configuration (technical)
• ⚠️ DNS propagation delay (up to 48 hours)

How to configure your personal domain:

1. Go to Messaging > Newsletters
2. Choose the option "Use my own domain"
3. Enter your domain name (e.g., sophiemartin.com, ⚠️⚠️⚠️ without www)
4. Enter the sending email address (e.g., contact@sophiemartin.com)
5. The system automatically generates 3 DNS records to add

DNS records to configure:

You must add these 3 records with your hosting provider (OVH, Gandi, etc.):

1. DKIM (Authentication): Proves the email comes from you

• Type: TXT
• Name: [automatically generated]
• Value: [provided DKIM key]

2. SPF (Anti-spam): Authorizes Fotostudio to send emails for your domain

• Type: TXT
• Name: @ or your domain
• Value: v=spf1 a mx include:spf.mtasv.net ~all

3. Return-Path (Bounce Management): Allows management of undelivered emails

• Type: CNAME
• Name: pm-bounces (or indicated value)
• Value: pm.mtasv.net (with some providers like Gandi, you must end with a period: pm.mtasv.net.)

💡 Note: Once DNS is configured, click "Verify configuration" in your dashboard. Verification is often instant but may take several hours if you make multiple changes due to an error (DNS propagation time).

📝 Creating and Sending a Newsletter

The process is done in 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Newsletter Content

1. Click on "New newsletter" from Messaging -> Newsletters
2. Give a name to your campaign (internal use, your contacts won't see it)
3. Enter the email subject (what your contacts will see in their mailbox)
4. Choose the visual identity to apply (for the logo at the top of the newsletter and background color). You can manage your identities in My Account -> Customization.
5. Choose whether to include your signature
6. Click on "Edit content" to access the editor

The Editor

Our editor allows you to create beautiful newsletters without technical knowledge:

• Drag-and-drop: Add text blocks, images, buttons, etc.
• Customization: The editor automatically applies your main color as the email background
• Automatic logo: Your logo displays at the top of the email
• Professional layout: Create elegant designs in a few clicks
• Variables: Easily add variables {firstname}, {client_page}, ...

💡 Tip: We don't have predefined templates, but thanks to the editor, you can easily create your own custom layout that reflects your visual identity.

Draft vs Publication:

• While you work, your changes are saved as a draft
• Click "Publish" when you're satisfied with the result
• You can come back to edit the content as long as the newsletter hasn't been sent

Step 2: Select Your Recipients

Once your content is ready, proceed to recipient selection.

Who Can Receive Your Newsletters?

Only contacts who have given their consent (opt-in) appear in the list.

You can manage each contact's consent from their profile:

1. Go to Contacts > Open a contact
2. "Information" tab
3. Enable/disable the "Newsletter subscriber" switch
4. The system automatically records the date and source of consent

📖 GDPR Compliance: It's important to respect your contacts' consent. Only send newsletters to people who have explicitly agreed to receive them.

Automatically Collect Consent

A newsletter consent field has been automatically added to your contact forms to facilitate GDPR-compliant opt-in collection.

By default, your forms now display a checkbox:

• ☑️ "I agree to receive newsletters"

How to customize this field:

1. Go to Modules > Checkboxes
2. Find the "Newsletter opt-in" checkbox

Benefits:

• ✅ Explicit and traceable consent
• ✅ GDPR compliant
• ✅ Consent source automatically recorded ("Contact form")
• ✅ Consent date preserved

When a visitor fills out your contact form and checks this box, the contact is automatically created with newsletter opt-in enabled.

💡 Tip: Be transparent about the type of content you'll send and the frequency. For example: "I want to receive your news and exclusive offers (approximately 1 email per month)".

Recipient Selection

Several methods to select your recipients:

1. All subscribed contacts: Send to all contacts with opt-in enabled
2. By tag: Select a specific tag (e.g., "Wedding Clients 2024") - you can associate tags to your contacts from their profile
3. By saved search: Use an advanced search you created (Contacts -> Advanced search)
4. Saved list: Reuse a previous contact selection

Contact exclusion: You can exclude certain contacts from the selection by manually unchecking them.

Send a Test Email

Before the final send, test your newsletter:

1. Enter your personal email
2. Click "Send test"
3. Check the rendering in your mailbox
4. Correct if necessary

💡 Tip: Always test on multiple devices (computer, mobile) to check the responsive rendering.

Step 3: Schedule or Send

Final step: choose when to send your newsletter.

Option A: Immediate Send

Your newsletter is sent immediately to all selected recipients.

⚠️ Warning: If you have many recipients (see "Progressive sending" section below), the send will automatically be done in multiple batches over several days, only during your first sends.

Option B: Schedule for Later

Choose a specific date and time for automatic sending.

Use cases:

• Send Monday morning at 9am (best open rate)
• Schedule in advance to go on vacation worry-free
• Coordinate with the launch of a special offer

📊 Statistics and Tracking

Once your newsletter is sent, track its performance in real-time.

Key Indicators

📤 Emails Sent

The total number of successfully delivered emails.

👁️ Open Rate

Percentage of recipients who opened your email. A good rate is generally between 15% and 30%.

How we measure: An invisible pixel is integrated in the email. As soon as the recipient opens the email and loads images, we record it. If someone blocks image display, we cannot know if the email is read. There is no 100% reliable way to obtain this information.

🖱️ Click Rate

Percentage of recipients who clicked on a link in your email.

How we measure: All links are automatically tracked. You know which links are most clicked.

⚠️ Bounces

Undelivered emails (invalid address, full mailbox, etc.).

Types of bounces:

• Temporary bounce (soft): Full mailbox, temporarily unavailable server
• Permanent bounce (hard): Invalid email address or no longer exists

Detailed View

For each sent newsletter, you have access to:

1. Complete list of recipients with their status:

• ✅ Sent
• 👁️ Opened (with date/time)
• 🖱️ Clicked (with date/time)
• ⚠️ Bounce
• ❌ Failed
• ❌ Unsubscribes (people who clicked the unsubscribe link automatically included at the bottom of your email)

🔥 Progressive Sending and Warm-up

Why Progressive Sending?

When you send newsletters for the first time (or after a long break), we automatically apply a progressive sending system (warm-up).

Objectives:

1. Build your sender reputation with email servers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
2. Avoid spam filters by demonstrating your emails are legitimate
3. Protect your deliverability long-term

How Does It Work?

The system automatically analyzes your sending history and adapts the strategy:

New Senders (First Sends)

Sends are progressively limited:

• Day 1: 200 emails maximum
• Day 2: 300 emails maximum
• Day 3: 500 emails maximum
• Days 4-5: 750 emails maximum
• Day 6+: 1000 emails maximum per day

Concrete example:

If you have 1200 recipients and it's your first newsletter:

• Day 1: The first 200 contacts receive the email
• Day 2: The next 300
• Day 3: The next 500
• Day 4: The last 200

💡 The system automatically prioritizes your most active contacts first (those who received emails recently, have invoices, etc.) to maximize your initial open rates.

Regular Senders (Good Reputation)

If you regularly send newsletters with good results:

• Limit increased to 1000 emails per day
• If you have less than 1000 recipients → immediate send
• If you have more → daily batches of 1000

Automatic Anti-Spam Protection

The system continuously monitors your sender reputation with strict rules adapted to your experience:

New senders (< 100 emails sent):

• 1 single spam complaint → Immediate blocking
• > 10% hard bounces → Immediate blocking
• → Your newsletter access is automatically suspended

Beginning senders (< 500 emails sent):

• > 0.2% spam complaints (i.e., 1 complaint per 500 emails) → Blocking
• > 5% hard bounces → Blocking
• → Reinforced protection during learning phase

All senders (absolute thresholds):

• > 0.1% spam complaints → Blocking (maximum threshold tolerated by Postmark)
• 3 spam complaints or more → Automatic blocking
• > 10% hard bounces → Blocking (poor quality list)
• > 15% total bounces → Blocking
• Dangerous combination: > 0.05% spam + > 3% hard bounces → Blocking

Blocking severity levels:

• 🔴 Critical: Unblocking only after thorough analysis and complete list cleanup
• 🟠 High: Unblocking possible after correction of identified issues
• 🟡 Medium: Quick unblocking after verification

⚠️ Important: These strict rules protect your long-term reputation. Maintain a clean and up-to-date contact list. Only send to people who have given explicit consent and regularly verify the validity of your email addresses.

Track Progress

During batch sending:

1. Status displays "Sending in progress - Batch X/Y"
2. You see the number of emails sent in real-time
3. The next batch is automatically scheduled for the next day at the same time

Accelerate the Process (Confirmed Senders)

The more you send regularly with good results, the more your reputation improves:

• High open rate: Good recipient engagement
• Few bounces: Clean contact list
• No spam complaints: Relevant content and respected opt-in
• → Your daily limit stays at maximum (1000/day)

💳 Credit System

How Do Credits Work?

Each email sent consumes 1 newsletter credit.

Monthly allocation:

• Your subscription includes a certain number of credits per month
• Credits automatically renew on the 1st of each month
• Unused credits are not carried over

Check your credits:

You can see your consumption at any time in the dashboard:

• Remaining credits this month
• Percentage used
• Renewal date

What Happens If I Run Out of Credits?

If you don't have enough credits for a campaign:

1. The system alerts you before sending
2. You cannot send the newsletter
3. Options:

• Wait for monthly renewal
• Upgrade your plan

💡 Tip: Plan your campaigns according to your monthly allocation. If you regularly send to many contacts, consider a higher plan.

🎨 Customization and Design

Automatic Email Design

Each newsletter is automatically styled with your visual identity:

1. Background Color

The email background uses your main color (defined in your graphic identity settings).

2. Logo

Your logo automatically displays at the top of each email (if you've configured a graphic identity).

3. Responsive Structure

All emails are automatically optimized for:

• 📱 Mobile (reading on smartphone)
• 💻 Desktop (reading on computer)
• 📧 All email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.)

Content Personalization

You can personalize your emails with dynamic variables directly from the editor.

🛡️ Best Practices and Deliverability

Maintain Good Reputation

For your emails to arrive in inboxes (not spam):

1. Don't Buy Lists

Never send emails to purchased or rented contacts. This guarantees a high spam rate and destroys your reputation.

2. Mandatory Opt-in

Ensure all your contacts have explicitly consented to receive your newsletters.

3. Facilitate Unsubscription

Each email contains an automatic unsubscribe link, it's legally mandatory.

4. Regularly Clean Your List

Remove or unsubscribe contacts with permanent bounces (invalid emails).

5. Send Regularly

A regular rhythm (monthly, bi-monthly) is better than sporadic mass sending.

6. Relevant and Quality Content

Your recipients must find value in your emails. If many unsubscribe or mark as spam, it's a negative signal.

Optimize Your Open Rates

Email subject:

• ✅ Short and catchy (50 characters max)
• ✅ Creates curiosity or brings clear value
• ❌ Avoid excessive capitals
• ❌ Avoid spam words ("FREE", "URGENT", too many !!!)

Examples of good subjects:

• "Here are our January news"
• "Exclusive offer: -20% on our wedding packages"
• "3 tips to prepare your family shoot"

Sending time:

Best times vary by audience, but generally:

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: Best days
• 9am-11am or 2pm-4pm: Best time slots
• Avoid weekends for B2B

Optimize Your Click Rates

Clear calls to action:

• One main objective per email
• Visible and attractive button
• Action text ("Discover the offer", "Book now")

Content structure:

• Airy text with short paragraphs
• Engaging images
• Link to your portfolio or website
• Offer or value-added content

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How Many Emails Can I Send?

It depends on your sending history:

• New senders: 200 to 1000 emails/day (progression over 6 days)
• Regular senders: Up to 1000 emails/day
• Monthly limit defined by your credit plan

Can I See Who Opened My Email?

Yes! In the detailed statistics of each newsletter, you see exactly:

• Who opened (with date and time)
• Who clicked on links
• Who hasn't opened yet

What to Do If My Email Arrives in Spam?

Several possible causes:

1. Check your DNS (if personal domain): DKIM and SPF must be correctly configured
2. Suspicious content: Avoid spam words, too many capitals, too many links
3. Bad reputation: Clean your list, respect opt-in
4. New sender: It's normal at first, your reputation builds gradually

Can I Cancel a Scheduled Newsletter?

Yes, as long as it hasn't started sending. Go to the newsletter list, find the scheduled one, and click "Cancel".

Are Links Automatically Tracked?

Yes, all links in your newsletters are automatically tracked. You know how many people clicked and on which links.

How to Manage Unsubscribes?

It's automatic! Each email contains an unsubscribe link. When a contact clicks on it:

1. They're immediately removed from your future newsletters
2. The newsletter_opt_in field is set to false on their contact profile
3. They no longer appear in your recipient selections

Can I Include Attachments?

No, attachments are not supported in newsletters for reasons of:

• Deliverability (emails with attachments arrive more often in spam)
• Weight (slows down sending)
• Security (strict anti-virus filters)

Alternative: Host your files online and insert a link in your newsletter.

How Long Are Statistics Kept?

Indefinitely! You can view statistics of all your past newsletters at any time.

Can I Rename My Server or Domain?

Domain change is possible but requires new DNS configuration. Contact support if you want to modify your email configuration.

What Happens If I Exceed My Credit Limit?

You cannot send a newsletter without sufficient credits. The system alerts you before sending. You must either:

• Wait for monthly renewal
• Contact support to upgrade your plan

Updated on: 31/12/2025