Direct mail configuration direct-mail-configuration
Journey Optimizer allows you to personalize and generate the files required by direct mail providers to send mail to your customers.
When creating a direct mail message, you define the targeted audience data, including the chosen contact information (postal address for example). A file containing this data will then be automatically generated and exported to a server, where your direct mail provider will be able to retrieve it and take care of the actual sending.
Before being able to generate this file, you need to create:
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A file routing configuration to specify the server where the file will be exported and encrypt the file, if necessary.
note caution CAUTION To create a file routing configuration, you need to have the Manage file routing built-in permission. Learn more. -
A direct mail surface that will reference the file routing configuration. If you have not configured any file routing option, you will not be able to create a direct mail surface.
Configure file routing file-routing-configuration
To deliver a direct mail message, Journey Optimizer generates and exports the file containing your targeted audience data to a server.
You need to specify that server details so that your direct mail provider can access and use that file for delivering mail.
To configure the file routing, follow the steps below.
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Access the Administration > Channels > File routing configuration > File Routing menu, then click Create routing configuration.
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Set a name for your configuration.
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Select the Server type that you want to use for exporting the direct mail files.
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note note NOTE Currently Amazon S3, SFTP and Azure are supported in Journey Optimizer. -
Fill in the details and credentials for your server, such as server address, access key, etc.
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If you selected Amazon S3, choose the AWS region where the server infrastructure will be located.
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note note NOTE AWS regions are geographic areas that AWS uses to host its cloud infrastructures. As a general practice, it is preferred to choose the region that is closest to you direct mail provider’s location. -
To encrypt the file, copy-paste your encryption key in the PGP/GPG encryption key field.
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Select Submit. The file routing configuration is created with the Active status. It is now ready to be used in a direct mail surface.
note note NOTE You can also select Save as draft to create the file routing configuration, but you will not be able to select it in a surface until it is Active.
Create a direct mail surface direct-mail-surface
To be able to deliver direct mail with Journey Optimizer, you need to create a channel surface to define the settings for the formatting of the file that will be used by the mail provider.
A direct mail surface must also include the file routing configuration which defines the server where your direct mail file will be exported.
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Create a channel surface. Learn more
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Select the Direct mail channel.
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Define the direct mail settings in the dedicated section of the channel surface configuration.
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Select the file format: CSV or Text delimited.
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If you select Text delimited, define the column separator of your choice: tabulation, semicolon, pipe, or ampersand.
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Select the File routing configuration amongst the ones that you created. This defines where the file will be exported for your direct mail provider to use.
note caution CAUTION If you have not configured any file routing option, you will not be able to create a direct mail surface. Learn more img-md center-align w-800 
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Submit the direct mail surface.
You can now create a direct mail message inside a campaign. Once the campaign is started, the file containing the targeted audience data will automatically be exported to the server that you defined. The direct mail provider will then be able to retrieve that file and proceed with the direct mail delivery.