Multiple Mailing List Sending

Multiple Mailing List Sending FAQ
Introduction
Using Multiple Mailing List Sending
Requirements
Configuration
- Configuring
  - merged
  - individual

Multiple Mailing List Sending FAQ

Introduction

Multiple Mailing List Sending in Dada Mail allows you to create one message in Dada Mail's, "Send a Message", or "Send a Webpage" screens to more than one Mailing List at one time.

Multiple Mailing List Sending has the idea of a host mailing list, which is just whatever mailing list you're currently logged into.

Partial mailing list sending, using Dada Mail's Subscriber Profile Fields is supported.

Using Multiple Mailing List Sending

Multiple Mailing List Sending is currently available in the, Send a Message and Send a Webpage screens. If it's enabled and supported, you'll see a field set labled, "+/- Multiple Mailing List Sending".

Once revealed, you should be able to see a group of checkboxes, that will allow you to select one or more other mailing lists to send your message to. The host mailing list will always receive a copy of your message.

If you do not see this field set, you either do not have the feature configured to be enabled, or do not have an installation that supports this feature.

Requirements

You'll need to be running Dada Mail with an SQL Subscriber backend. Any of them (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite) will do.

Configuration

Multiple List Sending is NOT enabled by default. To enable Multiple Mailing List Sending, add the following to your .dada_config file:

 $MULTIPLE_LIST_SENDING = 1;

Configuring

Currently, Dada Mail support two ways to send to multiple lists at once. You can configure which way you'd like it to work in the config variable, $MULTIPLE_LIST_SENDING_TYPE

The two types are,

merged

(This is the default type)

The merged method collates all the subscribers you'd like to send into one mass mailing, weeding out duplicates and sends in a, "on behalf of" style. You're basically going to send a message from one list, to subscribers from another mailing list and it'll most likely look that way to people who receive the message.

For example, all list settings (and tags, for list settings) will be from the host list, so if your host list is using SMTP sending, you're entire mailing will use SMTP sending.

The only tags that will reflect the list the subscriber may be subscribed on (if it isn't the host list) is the, list_settings.list and list_settings.list_name tag. The unsubscription, list screen and other links will probably reflect the list the subscriber is subscriber on, though.

This method is the faster of the two methods, but you don't have much say in which list a subscriber will be sent from. Because of that, it's highly recommended that you never use this method, without also enabling Global Black Listing and Global Unsubscribe.

Generally, this method will make all your Dada Mail List act as if it's one giant mailing list.

To use this multiple list sending type, add this to your .dada_config file:

        $MULTIPLE_LIST_SENDING_TYPE = 'merged';

To Enable Global Black Listing, add this line to your .dada_config file:

        $GLOBAL_BLACK_LIST = 1;

To Enable Global Unsubscribe, add this line to your .dada_config file:

        $GLOBAL_UNSUBSCRIBE = 1;

individual

The individual method mass mails all the mailing lists you'd like to send to, on a per-list basis. Instead of one mass mailing that has subscribers from more than one list, each different list will be mass mailed separately, just with the same message.

Because of this, the messages will appear and actually be from each mailing list you want to send to.

The downside to this mode is that it could be much, much slower to create the mass mailings - to the point that this feature may not work as advertised, if you have large lists. Having individual mass mailings can also be very resource-intensive.

Global Black Listing and Global Unsubscribe do not have to be turned on, as you're basically sending to more than one list, at the same time. This feature also has the option to have, or not have duplicate messages sent, if a subscriber is on more than one list.