Press Releases: Part 2 - Mail Merge for Excel and Word

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 PART 1-Finding Info | PART 3-Email PRs

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 So here you are. You have done your footwork, and built a snazzy spreadsheet with all of the contact information you could need. Also, you have put together a brilliant press release in Word 2007. 
 What? You have a different version of Word? No worries. As long as you catch the gist of the process, you should be able to figure out how your system handles the differences. I know older and newer versions of Word have mail merge, and a little investigating should reveal how to do this on your version.
 Open your press release. Here is the sample I am using:

  What I would like to do is create one of these for every outlet listed in my spreadsheet. Each one will have information tailored to the specific outlet, and will be "personalized" to that degree. Mail merge is how to make this happen.

 Find the button or link that says "Mail Merge," and open up the wizard:

A utility box will open. On my system, it comes up on the right side of the screen:

  
Make sure that 'Use an existing list' is selected. Below that is the existing file which is selected for the merge. In my system, it is the most recent spreadsheet I used. If this is incorrect, simply click the link 'Select a different list' and choose it from your computer:

A box will pop up, requesting your attention:

 Click 'OK'. Then click the 'next step' link at the bottom of the utility box.

 Now you need to select the text in your press release that corresponds to text in your spreadsheet. Make sure the email is one of the items listed in the heading, so you can copy and paste it when you actually email them. 

When you have the cursor placed where you want the spreadsheet information to be in your press release, then click the 'More items' link in the utility box, under 'Write your letter'. A box will pop up showing all of the column headings in your spreadsheet:

 Make sure 'Database fields' is selected. Choose the column heading for the information you want displayed in your Word document. Click the 'Insert' button.

 Now repeat the 'More items' link wherever you need the spreadsheet information. When you are finished, now is the time to look over your press release for any final revisions.

 After you clean up any residual information, here is what the new press release looks like:

 If the press release is how you like it, click the 'Next' or 'Preview your letters' link at the bottom of the utility box. 

 At some point in this process (it is here with my system), you will want to select 'Edit individual letters.' When the box pops up, make sure 'All' is selected. Then click 'OK':

Once you do this, a magical thing happens. You see a press release in front of you. Not only that, it contains the first entry of your spreadsheet. All of the info is correctly located. The email is in the same exact spot on each one. The greeting is tailored for the press release. 

Now notice a few things:

 First, your scroll bar is tiny. This means that there are many pages. Second, look to the bottom left, and you will notice that there are as many pages as you selected (All) for the merge. Finally, notice that this one, lengthy document has a generic name, and can be saved as a 'Word Document' for later use.

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 PART 1-Finding Info | PART 3-Email PRs

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Stephen L. Wilson
Indie Author/Publisher

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