Email Star: Getting Started

So you want to send MSU-branded emails? You've come to the right place! 

Here's what you'll need to do to get going creating MSU emails.

1. Get logged into COPE if you haven't already
2. Request Web and Digital Communications setup an Email Star tool for your campus organization, if you don't already have one
3. Request Web and Digital Communications setup an Email Star template and/or header for your organizations emails
4. Login to COPE, select Email Star and drop in your content!

Let's get started.

1. Get logged into COPE

Email Star is another tool within our COPE system. If you haven't been inside COPE yet, please read this primer about COPE and initialize your NetID.

2. Request Web and Digital Communications setup an Email Star tool for you

This means that we need to grant your COPE user account with access to the Email Star tool so when you login to COPE you can use it. If you don't already see Email Star in your COPE tool dropdown (along with Calendar, RSVP, Image Manager...) we'll need to add it to your account. You'll need to submit a websupport request and either:

• Ask for access to your organization's Email Star tool
• Ask for the creation of a new Email Star tool for your organization.

If you're not sure, just submit a websupport request and we'll help you figure that out.

3. Request Web and Digital Communications setup an Email Star template and/or email header for your organization

While you can just use one of the Formats to start from, organizations have pre-made templates containing their blue graphic header and their location and contact information in the footer. Web and Digital Communications will need to setup at least one for you to begin. 

Also, our creative department will need to create your email header so it conforms to our current messaging style and branding. (Some folks can, are good enough, and would like to create their own, but we will do this for you.)

Submit a websupport request and tell us:

• if you need a blue, MSU-branded header created, what you want the title to be. (E.g. "University Communications".)
• which organization under which you would like the template to appear
• your organization's contact information for the footer, including
  • full address including PO box
  • contact email address
  • phone number.

These can take up to 72 hours to create and setup, so let us know with a good amount of lead time, if you can.

4. Login to COPE, select Email Star, and go!

Once you've got all of the above ducks in a row, you'll be able to start creating your emails with Email Star. Again, submit a websupport request and let us know if you have any questions.

You can continue the Email Star training by continuing to our next article called, Building Emails from a Template in Email Star.