This article will guide you through creating and editing an email marketing template in ThinkReservations.
To access Email Marketing, you must have an active ThinkMarketing subscription for your account. See here for more on getting started.
Access your email marketing templates by navigating to Email Marketing from the menu and selecting "Templates" on the left.
Creating and Understanding Templates
To create a new email template, click the New button on the top right. This will allow you to create a new blank template using our smart template creator. Give the template a name, use the tools in the editor to click and drag content and columns, adjust text settings, and add images using the options on the right-hand side. Save your changes to keep this template for future emails.
Think of the templates as frameworks or layouts. You will use the template for future campaigns, with specific text and elements added to each email later. A template lets you create a consistent, branded email you can reuse. For example, you may have a template for monthly email newsletters, but the content and images will vary each month. The part of the email that is consistent is what goes into the template.
Pro Tip: The same options available to you when creating a template are also available when editing this template for a specific campaign.
Editing and working with the smart editor
Top toolbar:
The toolbar at the top features an undo and redo button (circular arrows), a desktop view or mobile view (center buttons), and a preview button on the right (eyeball icon).
Content and options panel:
The double-arrow >> button allows you to hide the panel to make more room to work on the template. When hidden, the double arrow << becomes a button to expand the panel.
The far right buttons allow you to select options for:
Content: Add elements like text boxes and images.
Blocks: Set up your columns and layout structures.
Body settings: Adjust general settings, including text, background color, and fonts.
Images: Browse and insert royalty-free stock images.
Audit: This checks your email to ensure it doesn't have any issues (like broken links or missing tags) before saving.
Editing Selected Content
When you select content in the preview panel, it is wrapped in a blue box to indicate selection. The content panel on the right automatically changes to contextual options for the selected content. If you select an image, you will have image options. If you select a text box, you will have text options.
Working with text
Add a text box by selecting Text, then dragging the box onto the template to the left where you would like it to appear.
When you select a text box, you will see a menu appear on the left, and the editor on the right will display text options.
The menu on the left gives you options for working with the text. Highlight text, and you can adjust it as you see fit, including making it bold, changing its color, adding links, and creating bulleted lists. The options only impacted the highlighted text.
If you wish to delete the entire selected block, click delete (trash can icon). To duplicate the selected block, click the two squares stacked on top of each other next to the trash can icon.
To move the block, click and drag the move tool (four-way arrow icon) to your desired location.
Smart Text allows you to use the power of AI to help you with spelling, phrasing, and changing the tone of the text.
On the right-hand side, you have options that impact the entire selected block. This allows you to change the font, color, text alignment, and padding.
At the top, you have a trash can icon, a copy icon, and an X. The trash can will delete the selected block, the copy icon (two squares) will duplicate the block, and the X will deselect the block and take you back to the main options.
Working with images
Powerful image options for you are available in the template editor.
Add an image by selecting Image from the options and dragging it to where you would like your image to appear in the template on the left.
Select the image block, then use the Upload Image button to upload an image from your computer. For more images, select Stock Photos from the web using the More Images option.
Once your image is selected, on the right-hand side, you will see options to adjust its size, add Alternative (ALT) text (required for ADA conformance), set link settings if you want the image to be a link, adjust padding, and more.
On the left-hand side, you will see the image preview and some options.
The arrows in the blue circle on the right are used to drag the image to a new location on the email template. The trash can icon will delete the image. The pen/paintbrush icon will open the image editor, and the copy button (two squares) will duplicate the image in the template.
The powerful image editor lets you manipulate images, including adding text and stickers, cropping, and resizing.
When you are done editing the image, click the Save button in the top-right corner of the image editor. This will take you back to the template editor, where you can continue making your edits.
When you are done with your edits, make sure to click the Save button on the bottom right to commit your changes to the template.