Creating an Email Template

Navigation: Communications > Emails > Email Templates

Email Types

Fireworks enables you to create four types of email templates: 

• Direct: A template used to build a personalized email sent to one recipient or a small group of recipients (e.g., an interview request sent from a student’s assigned admissions counselor).
  
  Tip: Direct emails may be sent to any person regardless of their email opt-in status.
  
  

• Global: A template used to build a Direct, Marketing, or Non-Marketing email.
• Marketing: A promotional email typically sent to a large group of recipients
  
  Tip: Marketing emails must comply with the CAN-SPAM Act and can only be sent to recipients who have opted-in and have a valid email status of subscribed.
  
  

• Non-Marketing: A transactional email (e.g., an application received confirmation, an event registration confirmation, an interview confirmation)
  
  Tip: Non-marketing emails may be sent to any person regardless of their email opt-in status.

 

Accessing the Email Template Composer 

1. From the bottom navigation bar, click Communications
2. Click Emails. The Email Manager will display.
3. Click Templates
4. Click +Create
5. Select the Email Type from the dropdown menu. The Email Composer will display.
   
   Tip: The Global template will provide you with the most flexibility because it can be used for Direct, Marketing, or Non-Marketing emails.
   
   
   

 

Using the Email Template Composer 

The Email Template Composer has four sections that you’ll need to complete

Tip: As you complete a section, you’ll automatically be moved to the next section.

• Start
• Headers & Attachments
• Content
• Finish

Tip: Be sure to save your information frequently.

 

Start

Details

1. Template Name: Enter the name the email template
2. Record Type: Select the Record Type from the Record Type dropdown menu (e.g., Person, Organization)
   
   Tip: In most cases, you will choose Person.
   
   
3. Template Status: Select Draft from the Template Status dropdown menu
4. Description: Describe the email template so that other staff members will be able to easily identify it
5. Click Save Changes or Save & Continue
   
   
   

 

Headers & Attachments

Message Header

1. Subject: Enter the subject of the email
   
   
   
   To personalize your subject, you can insert Merge Tags
   
   1. Place your cursor in the subject where you want to insert a merge tag
   2. Click Merge Tags. The Insert Merge Field window will display.
      
      
      
      
   3. Click on the dropdown menu, in the Search field, enter the name of the merge field you want to insert or scroll through the list of merge fields
   4. Click the field name
      
   5. Click Insert Merge Field. The Merge Field will populate in the subject field
      
      
      
      
2. Preheaders: Enter text that will be displayed below the subject of the email 
   
   Tip: Preheader text is used to encourage your intended email recipients to open your email. If you choose to leave the preheader field empty, the first few words of your email will automatically be displayed.
   
   
3. Click Save Changes or Save & Continue
   
   
   

 

Content

The Content section enables you to create an HTML and plain text version of your email template. 

Tip: Creating a plain text version of your email will help ensure your email gets delivered without being flagged as spam.

HTML 

There are two ways to create the content of your HTML email: 

• Use the What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor 
• Copy and paste the HTML code into the Source Code window
  
  
  

Plain Text

1. Click Generate Plain Text from HTML 
2. Click Save Changes or Save & Continue
   
   Tip: We recommend that you review your plain text email and remove any HTML that remains.
   
   
   

SpamAssassin Score

Once you create your HTML and plain text emails, a SpamAssassin score will be automatically generated. This score indicates the likelihood that your email will be delivered to your intended recipient(s) without being flagged as SPAM.

Your SpamAssassin score should be a minimum of 65%. 

1. Click the SpamAssassin Score button to view your score. SpamAssassin will tell you which items (e.g., low text-to-image ratio, overusing certain words or phrases, not having a plain text version of your email, using URL addresses without linked text), if any, have impacted your score
   
   
   
   
2. Fix the issues listed by SpamAssassin
   
   Tip: For the best deliverability, we strongly recommend that you aim for a score of 90% or above.
   
   
   

 

Finish

Tip: Do NOT complete this section until you’re ready to publish (i.e., make your email available for use), schedule, or send your email. 

User Action

Prior to sending your email, you’ll need to determine what, if any, additional action you’d like to post to each of your email recipient’s records. 

1. Category: Select a category (e.g., Campus Event, Communication Flow, Travel) from the Category dropdown menu
2. Action: Select an action (e.g., Counselor Interview,  Academic Interest, College Fair) from the Action dropdown menu
3. Comments: Enter additional information about the the action, if appropriate
4. Click Save Changes
   
   
   

 

Making Your Email Template Ready to Use

1. Return to the Start tab
2. Select Ready to Use from the Template Status dropdown menu
3. Click Save Changes