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How to Create/Edit/Preview Automated Communication Templates: https://help.pm.leapevent.tech/a/1115459
It's hard to send out any Automated Communications - including pre- and post- show emails - if you haven't yet created any templates to use! In this article, we'll cover:
- Where to create/edit/clone templates
- Using the template editor
- Standard and custom merge fields
- How to preview an email from one of your templates
- Troubleshooting / "How do I [X]?"
The best way to learn is to get your hands dirty, so let's jump right in!
Before you start creating templates, make sure you've followed the steps in the Automated Communications Setup guide.
If you haven't, you won't get very far!
1. Where to create/edit/clone templates
You're just a couple clicks away:
1.1. Click the app launcher
1.2. Search "automation" and click Automation Templates
1.3. Click new to create a new template; click an existing template to edit or clone it
1.4. If you go into an existing template, edit or clone as desired
- Edit: Click the "Edit" button if you'd like to make tweaks to an existing template
- Clone: Click the "Clone" button to "save as" and create a new template based on it
2. Using the template editor
You'll use the template editor entirely in PatronManager, but the tool is actually powered by BeeFree.io - so it might look familiar!
The best part about the editor? Everything is drag-and-drop. Simply grab elements you want to add from the palette on the right and drag them onto the template on the left. Let's check it out:
We'll cover the basic toolset here, but for more in-depth instructions, check out BeeFree's excellent help articles.
Before you start adding content, use rows to structure your template - maybe up here, you want an image next to text, but down here, you want one big image.
Select the rows tab from the palette on the left to see all your available options and add them to your template as necessary.
This is a rich text editor, so you can change font, bold, bullet points, links, etc. Go nuts!
Once you've dragged an image block into your row on the template, click Browse - you'll be able to upload new images or choose previously uploaded ones.
If you wind up in a "read only" folder when trying to add images, first make sure you have the right Permission Set, then make sure you've clicked into the "myfiles" subfolder in BeeFree where you should have edit access.
Once you've dragged a button into your row on the template, update the properties on the right with a URL and customize the color and shape of it. Click on the button in the template to edit the text on the button with your call to action.
Drag the social media over to your template, then be sure to set the appropriate URLs for each outlet:
On the right, select the Settings tab to change the basics about your template:
3. Where to find available merge fields
Merge field are the bread and butter of email templates. Instead of spending time creating automation templates for each Ticketable Event, utilize merge fields to save yourself time!
Your account is already set up with essential fields from six objects:
- Ticketable Event
- Event Instance
- Ticket Order
- Ticket Order Item
- Venue
- PatronTicket Settings
You can also create custom merge fields on some of these objects and merge them into your templates! It's a great way to bring in special information to your templates (e.g. "Link to plot summary" or "Featured Artist").
Head over to our Automated Communications: Standard & Custom Merge Fields article to learn how to:
- Find a reference list of standard merge fields
- Create custom merge fields
4. How to preview your templates
You can preview your templates in two ways:
- Preview directly in browser
- Pro: see it right away and make changes on the fly
- Con: merge fields aren't merged in yet
- Preview an email sent to your inbox
- Pro: it's exactly what a patron will see
- Con: you've gotta finish setting up pre- and post-show emails before you can take a look
While working on your template, click Actions, then Preview.
Bonus: you can check out how the email will look in both desktop and mobile from the same place!
Once you've set your template as either your default or as one of your custom templates, head to an Event Instance. On the Event Instance, click the Automated Email Preview action, enter an email address, and click Send - done!
Bonus: you get to send both the pre- and post-show emails from the same location!
5. Troubleshooting / "How do I [X]?"
Template not looking quite right? Not sure how to fix it? BeeFree's got you covered!
The template editor is powered by BeeFree.io, specialists in email template design. If you're running into a roadblock, they have some excellent help documentation for you. Check it out right here!
