Structure first, think layout after.
Before designing a template, it's important to know what you need and what it is going to be used for.
Ask yourself questions like:
- What areas of the content are fixed, and can message creators make changes to the content? For example, when the edition date is part of the template, this information cannot be fixed and marketers should be able to modify this.
- Do you need a fixed layout that needs to be applied to all messages? For example, when creating a monthly newsletter, it is a good idea to keep the structure fixed, so that readers become familiar with how the newsletter is set up, what to find where, etc.
Use the locking mechanism to define what content should be fixed (for example, logos, footers with social links, etc) and what can be modified by other message designers.
Next, answer the following questions about content:
- What content should be displayed?
- Is the content used only once in one single message or will it be used for other templates as well? In this case you want to work with data lists, storing your catalog, news articles, etc.
- Do you need items in the template to be displayed in the same way repeatedly? For example, when you want to make suggestions to the readers, with a top 3 best articles, each article is presented in the same way.
- Do you have an external source for this content?
Does the content only apply to a specific template?
For example, a newsletter edition number is content that you do not want stored in a data source, because it's of no use once the newsletter has been sent. This content only is useful in the message itself, thus can be represented by a text component which remains unlocked so that message creators can change it.
Another option is to use variables for content. The user can then select from a series of values and apply the selected one automatically to the message.
Can content be re-used in other templates?
If you need content to be available for use in other templates as well, use a data selection. A data selection uses a data source that contains data on items and all their characteristics (price, image, description, category, etc.). These items in the data source can then be used as content in subject lines, text, images, etc. wherever personalization is allowed.
Is the content similar and repeatable?
A Repeater component can be used in combination with a data selection to display multiple related items. In a repeater, the layout and styling (font, colors, etc.) are determined in the template, but the actual content for each item is filled in when the message is sent. The content will be filled out automatically from the data selection, or manually by the user.
Stored items can be easily selected and re-used in different content. Keep in mind that, when an item is stored in a data source and it is changed, the change will not be visible in previously sent newsletters, but in the web versions only. The previously sent item will look as it was in the contact's mailbox, but when they view the newsletter in a browser, the change will be visible.
