Head to the “Template Builder” subtab under the “Email” tab in CT Live 2.0
1. Create a new template by clicking the “+” button. Here you will build out your email using various elements such as text, images, buttons, videos, and social media links. Below are the editable elements:
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- Content - drag, and drop into your design template
- Choose Basic design elements
- Or choose from Premade templates
- Content - drag, and drop into your design template
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- Structure - choose from various layout options for your content elements
- Settings - choose from various visual elements to customize the following
- Email width parameters
- Color settings (background, button, link colors)
- Font settings (headings, paragraphs, button text)
After adding a design element to the template, you will have the option to edit your element on-page with a toolbar (similar to Microsoft Word/Google Docs)
2. Edit an existing email template - jump back into a pre-existing template and edit all the above elements
- Any changes made to an existing email template will not affect any email campaigns sent in the past but will affect any future campaigns using that particular template.
3. Save and Close
- After making changes to your template and hitting “Save & Close”, you will be brought to your email template gallery and from there you can title and save your new template by double-clicking on the name of the template.
4. Preview and Testing
- View your template on mobile or desktop. Send yourself a test email by entering your email address in the “SEND YOURSELF A TEST EMAIL” box on the top righthand side under the Save & Close button.
5. After an email template is created, head to the Email “Campaigns” subheader to get started in Creating an Email Campaign in CT Live 2.0. You will be prompted to select a template (at the organization level) from your list.
Additional Information
Adding Merge Tags
Merge tags allow you to pull in and embed event information into your email with the click of a button. Depending on which type of recipient list you import or select during your email campaign creation, the options for utilizing merge tags differ. See below:
1. Insert merge tags via the "Personalization" drop-down menu located above the text box you have added to your email template
For campaigns using participants registration/event information, personalize emails to your athletes with the following merge tags:
Race Details
- Event Name
- Race Name
- Registration Choice
- Race Location
- Race Start Date
- Race Start Time
Participant Details
- First Name
- Full Name
- Email Address
- Athlete Age
- Athlete Gender
- Bib Number
- Wave Name
- Wave Start Time
Links
- Race Result Link
- Athlinks Result
- Finisher’s Certificate Link
- ChronoTrack Profile Link
- Donate Link
- Registration Link
For campaigns using an imported athlete list personalize emails to your athletes with the following merge tags:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Email Address
- Event name
- Coupon Code
Reuse Templates
Users can create an email campaign for one event and reuse the template for multiple events in the future. Changes made to a reused template (for a new campaign) will not change or affect the original campaign from which it was reused. Be sure to save templates before selecting them in a campaign to ensure any new information has been updated.
At this time, there is not a copy & paste function for templates. Starting a new template for each email campaign is recommended, along with sending yourself a test email, for best practice.