Before Training Starts...

Welcome to the Action Network training for Local Groups. This training is to showIf you theare basics of how Action Network works and will help you through the process of sending an e-mail to your group e-mail list.

If your group is registering onaccessing Action Network for the first time, this document will help you go through the setting up process so that you can get the most out of the first training session.

If your group is already using Action Network, some of thisthe willfollowing may already have been done.

Who are your admins?

Once you’ve applied for training you need to confirmConfirm the email address youof wishthose topeople use for yourrequiring ‘admin’Admin’ access to Action NetworkNetwork. and give us any other trusted rebel’s email addresses who also want to help administer your Local Group email list.

You must use a personal email address and not a shared email account.account for this.

Administrators will be able to send e-mails and view details of the subscribers to your Local Group mailing list. All admins will need to have signed the XR Volunteer Agreement, with the email addresses they will use as admins.

Contact email for your Local Groupgroup

You must also have a Local Groupgroup contact email address. Action Network issoftware mostlysends aboutemails, sending mail sobut you will still need an official address for people to reply toto.

which

If you are part of a Local Group, this email should be listed on the Local Group Map, zoom in to where your pin is on the map and check that the information on there is correct.. If the informationemail (or other info) isn't correctcorrect, or your group isn't listed then emailcontact map@extinctionrebellion.uk. If you have lost access to your Local Group email or would like a new one setting up in the style localgroupname@extinctionrebellion.uk you can find about how to apply for a extinctionrebellion.uk email on this page

Note: Thereplease isdon't currentlyset aup problem with using 'proton.me' emailme addresses with(details Actionof Network. It has been seen that if you use it for your 'reply-to' address you get a very bad delivery rate on the emails you send, so they are best avoided.why).

Your Existing Mailing List

If you have an existing mailing list outside of Action Network - then we need to transfer that into Action Network, preferably before training. If you have been using mailing list management software, like MailChimp or have a list of addresses stored on gmail - we can help you to migrate this in a GDPR compliant way, just letLet us know as early as possible that that's what you need. The easiest way to begin this process is to send out an e-mail to everyone on your existing list along the lines of:

We are moving to a new e-mail system which will help us communicate with supporters and activists in [local-group-name] and will no longer be sending out news and announcements from this system/address. To opt into this new mailing system just visit http://joinxr.uk/[your-group-area]* and enter your e-mail address (plus name / phone number / postcode if you wish). You will be ablewant to opt out ofdo this systemand atwe'll any time.

But probably make it friendlier.

*You need to make suresupport you havethrough this shortlink set up and the URL correct. To test it type joinxr.uk/[local-group-name]. If it goes to a pale blue form with your group name then it is working. If it goes to a green box on the front page of the UK website, then it either hasn't been set up yet or you have the URL wrong and you should contact us.

For more detailed information on email list migration see here.process.

We needHave something ready to send

When we meet you online for your training session we will want to take you through the entire process of writing and sending an e-mailemail to your group. YouIf willwould needbe beneficial to write your first email in advance on a word processor ofhave some sortwords soalready that,written duringregarding thean theupcoming training,event or action, that you canare copy/paste it overhappy to thebe Action Network e-mail editor.

You might want to checksent out this short page first: Avoiding formatting issues when copy and pasting content

Your e-mail should probably start with a paragraph like this:

This is a message to let you know that we have recently up-dated our mailing system. This will help us better keep in touch with you and let you know what's going on locally. It also means that, if you don't already, you will get occasional e-mails from our [whatever] region and from the Extinction Rebellion UK At the end of this e-mail you'll find links that let you opt out any of these lists

When you design your page, keep formatting simple. The email editor is capable of quite sophisticated layouts, but that's something you'll want to explore later if the need arises.

You can use text with the usual formatting options of bold and font size. You can also add images and they can really liven up an e-mail but you need to keep them to a maximum width of 700 pixels. Action Network includes a simple resizing tool for this which we can show you. Make sure that any images you want to use are easily available on your computer when we come toduring the training.

After that it's really up to you. Try and find a reason for the mail in addition to telling supporters about the new mailing system. If you have an event coming up, that's ideal, if not then you could find pictures from previous actions or outline more general future plans. If part of your group attended national or regional actions you'll probably find pictures of that on line to add.

You might also read the following short pages to help you.

Deliverability

Readability and Accessibility

Your local group welcome message

WhenIt is advised to have an email that gets sent automatically when someone new joins your grouplist. viaWe the map or the joinxr links, you shouldwill set up ana automaticsimple e-mail in response to new joiners. This can be pretty much anything you like and could be taylored to your particular region, interest group, whatever. You can set this up yourself by following these instuctions OR we can do thismessage for you ifbefore youthe provide some text.training.

Is anybody out there?

DependingFor ongeographically yourbased geographical situation,groups, we may be able to identify supporters who have signed up to XR via the nationalXRUK pagewebsite with a postcode near you, but not yet joined your localLocal group;Group.

this depends on them having included a postcode.

If you can giveprepare usa list of the postfirst codepart sectors (the 2/3 letters/numbers beforeof the spacepostcode inthat aprovides postcode)the we can seach on thosecatchment for supportersyour whoLocal Group (e.g. NG1-NG10). Here are nottwo memberstools ofthat yourmight listhelp andwith addthis them to it.task. ThisDoogle ispostcode afinder usefulor mapthis forGoogle identifyingmaps sectors.based tool

You're all set

OnceYou weshould havenow all the bits and pieces above done, and a few extra that we need to do along the way, we'rebe ready to book ain the training session.session, The sessionwhich is about an hour and by the end orof it you will have created and sent out a mailing to your local group.