Click Here to view this article as a PDF.
Author: Joel Kristenson
Last Updated: 2016-05-05
Overview
In 2015 a new feature was added allowing users to select from pre-built ‘Standard Trail Blazer Templates’ to use as a starting point when creating your own templates, and to use for both individual emails and mass email campaigns. As of the time this article was written there were about 12 to choose from, that number is likely to grow as customers put in more requests for different styles. We have some that are fixed-width and others that are mobile-responsive.
Tip: With your Trail Blazer contract you get 1 free template which we will design, and build for you if you can provide rough outline of what you want along with any examples from previous email systems, images, color scheme, social media links, etc.
Steps
To begin creating a new template, navigate to the Templates list under the Application Menu. Requires appropriate security clearance.
If you want to see your current template list click [Search]. In my example there were 134, you can click on the ‘Template ID’ column twice to put the most recent one at the top.
Click the [+ New] button on the search tool strip to begin creating a new template.
Click the File drop-down in the upper-left and select Insert Trail Blazer standard template…
Check the box for Details to view more information about the templates (such as the create date), select the one you want to use, and click [Open]. In my example I selected a newsletter templates called “t_Advanced_600_2_Column_Newsletter".
You can certainly repeat these steps to view what all of the different standard templates look like and which one will work best for your needs, my example is below.
You can now swap out the hyperlinks for your own, change the font, color-scheme, etc. You can also upload and insert your own images, and documents (such as a PDF attachment).
Tip: You can right-click on different sections of the editor to perform many different actions (such as styling the table, and the table cells). This video talks about this in-depth, and these screenshots provides an example:
Img 1 of 2 – Right-clicking a Table Cell to Bring up a Context Menu with Action Items
Img 2 of 2 – Example Table Sell Properties Config.
Once you’ve finished modifying your template, you can save it in the ‘cloud’ for future use (by all of your db users) by clicking [Save].
You can use this template again from any other place in the system i.e. individual emails, and mass email campaigns. Here’s an example from a mass email:
The related resources below provide links to a LOT of useful information on mass email, and template creation. If you need any help getting your email templates up to snuff please don’t hesitate to call or email our live support team.
Related Resources
Article: How Do I Enable A Person To Receive Email Drafts
Article: Email Checkboxes
Article: Sending Mass Emails
Article: How to Create a Hyperlink around a Screenshot of your PDF Newsletter and Hyperlink to the PDF Document
Article: How to Create a Hyperlink around a Screenshot of your Video and Link to the Video from your Trail Blazer Email Template
Article: How to Upload Documents to your System Gallery such as PDF’s, Spreadsheets, Audio Clips, Image Files, Etc.
Article: From and Reply To Email Addresses for Mass Emails
Article: Configuring your From and Reply Email Address Settings
Article: How to Cancel a Mass Email Campaign as it’s Going Out & How to Reschedule a Queued Email Campaign
Article: How to Create Trackable Links in your Email Campaigns, and How to Analyze those Statistics after the Eblast Goes Out
Article: How to Enable Double Opt-in for All of your Trail Blazer Online iFrames Forms
Article: Email Thank You Auto-Responders
Article: Mobile Responsive Email Template – ConstantContact Reference
Article: Sample HTML Email Templates with Inline CSS
Article: Sending Out Test Emails
Video: Thank you’s using mass email
Video: Eblasts Configured email settings before mass emailing
Video: Eblasts –Setting people up to receive test (draft) emails
Video: Scheduled Emails
Video: Eblasts Create and Send Eblasts – Including Image Management
Video: Donation Auto Responders with Merge Fields
Trail Blazer Live Support
Phone: 1-866-909-8700
Email: support@trailblz.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trail-Blazer-Software/64872951180
Twitter: https://twitter.com/trailblazersoft
* As a policy we require that you have taken our intro training class before calling or emailing our live support team.
Click here to view our calendar for upcoming classes and events. Feel free to sign up other members on your team for the same training.
* After registering you’ll receive a confirmation email with the instructions for how to log into the GoToMeeting session where we host our live interactive trainings.
* This service is included in your contract.
