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Welcome!
This is Bryna from Blackbaud.
Today I’m going to show how to create an email template.
Before you watch this video, I recommend reviewing the Email Process Overview video first.
There are about 6 main steps to creating and sending email effectively in the program.
The email template is just one of these steps,
so watching the overview video before this one will help you understand the big picture better.
From the Email page, click Templates.
Click New template to begin.
On the screen that appears, enter a useful name and description for the template
so other users easily recognize it when they want to make changes to it
or when they want to select it when creating a new email message.
In the Data source field, select a data source for the template.
The Data source determines which type of list can be used for messages created from the template
and which merge fields are available when you write email content.
When you set a data source on a template,
messages created from the template can be sent to only lists that use the same type of data source.
There are several types of data sources available to serve different purposes.
I'll briefly address each one.
Use the Constituents data source to send emails to lists based on queries of constituents from Blackbaud Enterprise.
The Constituents data source provides the largest variety of merge fields for personalized messages.
Select the Registered Users data source for emails sent to users who accidentally register for the website a second time
or for emails sent automatically to imported users with their usernames and passwords.
If you import email lists from CSV files, these lists appear as data sources in this field.
So your list of data sources may be slightly different from ours.
Select an imported list when you want to use a particular list for all messages created from a template.
Select Appeal as the data source for messages sent to users who subscribe to communications, such as newsletters.
When you select None for the data source, you can send the message to any type of list,
however, the message will not include any merge field options for you to personalize messages.
Now that we’ve talked about data source types, let’s select the Constituents data source for this demonstration
because that is the option you will use most often.
When you select Constituents, the Export definition field appears.
If you select an export definition, its fields are available as merge fields for the email.
In the Appeal field, you can select an appeal to associate with messages based on this template.
When you create or edit a message, you can select a different appeal for it.
In the subject, from name, and from address fields,
enter email information to default for messages based on this template.
When you create or edit a message, you can change this information.
If you want to receive responses from recipients at a different email address than the one you’re using to send the message,
enter the address in the Reply Address field.
If you want to receive failure messages when email messages are not delivered,
select Failures and enter an email address to receive failure messages.
Failure can also be called non-delivery receipts, bouncebacks, undeliverables, or delivery status notifications (DSN).
To restrict who can view and edit the email template, select the Targeting & Security tab.
For each user role, you can manage rights to view, edit, delete, and change security.
Click Save. The properties save and the email Design tab appears.
Templates help maintain a similar look and feel to your email.
For example, here’s a template we’ve already started.
It has a header and footer and provides the basic layout for a general email.
Use the tools in the HTML editor to add and format text and pictures.
If you selected a data source that provides merge fields,
you can use these to personalize the message for recipients.
To display the list of available merge fields, click Insert merge fields on the toolbar.
For example, you can insert the first name field
and when a recipient opens the message, it includes his or her first name.
There are a couple of important things to remember about templates.
CAN-SPAM regulations require that you include a physical mailing address
and a link to an opt-out form in every bulk email message you send.
Your website management tool also requires a link to a privacy policy page.
We recommend that you add these links to your templates to ensure that every message you send you meets the CAN-SPAM requirements.
It’s important to remember, this is just an email template.
When a new message is based on this template,
the email content that you have designed here will default to that message,
but you can change it.
Given that, design the email template in a thorough but flexible way.
This saves you and your co-workers time and effort when you create the message.
Now you’re ready to save the design and create a message based on the template.
To do this, click Save to save your final email template.
Then you can click New message, just above the Design tab, to get started sending the email to recipients.
After you create one or more messages based on the template,
you can select the Messages tab to view all emails based on this template.
You can open, edit, copy, or delete an email message from this tab.
That’s all for this demonstration.
Thanks for watching!