Creating a Marketing Cloud template, primarily within Content Builder, is a foundational step for efficient and consistent email and content creation. These templates provide reusable layouts and structures, streamlining your marketing efforts and ensuring brand consistency across all communications.
Navigating to Content Builder and Initiating Template Creation
Content Builder is the central hub for creating and managing all your digital content, including email templates, content blocks, and images. It provides flexible tools, from drag-and-drop interfaces to HTML editing, to cater to various design needs.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Email Template
Follow these steps to create a new email template in Marketing Cloud:
-
Access Content Builder:
From the Marketing Cloud Engagement Apps bar, click Content Builder and select Content Builder. This action takes you to the Content Builder dashboard, where all your content assets are organized. -
Navigate to Templates:
Under Local Folders in the left-hand navigation pane, click Templates. This folder is dedicated to storing your reusable template designs. -
Start New Template Creation:
In the upper right corner of the screen, click the Create button. A dropdown menu will appear, offering various content asset types to create. -
Select Template Type:
Click Email Template from the dropdown menu. This specifies that you intend to create a full email layout. -
Choose Creation Method:
You will then be presented with several options for how you want to build your template:- From Existing Template: Select From Existing Template to leverage a pre-built layout or one you've previously saved. This is an incredibly efficient way to maintain brand consistency and speed up the design process by starting with a proven structure.
- Paste HTML: Choose this option if you have custom HTML code ready for your template. This is ideal for developers or designers who want complete control over the template's structure and styling.
- From Scratch: Build a template using the intuitive drag-and-drop editor. This method is excellent for visually constructing your template using various content blocks and layouts without needing to write code.
- Layouts: Utilize pre-defined basic layouts provided by Marketing Cloud. These serve as a starting point, offering common email structures that you can then customize.
Once you select your preferred method, you'll be directed to the editor where you can design, populate, and save your new template.
Understanding Different Template Creation Options
Each template creation method offers distinct advantages, catering to different levels of technical expertise and design flexibility.
From Existing Template
This method is perfect for maintaining brand consistency and efficiency. You can clone an existing template, make necessary updates, and save it as a new version or for a different campaign. This ensures all your communications align with your brand guidelines without starting from zero every time.
HTML Paste Templates
For those with advanced coding skills or when working with external design agencies, the HTML Paste option provides ultimate control.
- Benefits: Allows for highly customized, unique designs and integration of complex interactive elements.
- Considerations: Requires a strong understanding of responsive HTML and CSS to ensure proper rendering across various email clients and devices. Always prioritize mobile-first design.
From Scratch/Layout Templates
These methods leverage Marketing Cloud's powerful drag-and-drop interface, making template creation accessible to users without coding experience.
- Drag-and-Drop Editor: Allows you to visually build your template by dragging content blocks (text, image, button, dynamic content, A/B test blocks) and structural layouts onto the canvas.
- Layout Templates: Provide pre-built grid structures, such as one-column, two-column, or mixed layouts, which you can then fill with your content blocks.
- Modularity: This approach promotes modular design, making it easy to swap out sections or reuse content blocks across multiple templates.
Creating Content Block Templates
Beyond full email templates, Marketing Cloud also allows you to create reusable Content Block Templates. These are individual sections of content (e.g., a standardized header, a common footer, a product showcase module) that can be inserted into any email or landing page.
- Process: Similar to email templates, navigate to Content Builder > Create > Content Block > Template. You can then build your content block using HTML or the drag-and-drop editor.
- Benefit: Enhances content reuse, ensures consistency for specific elements, and speeds up email assembly.
Essential Tips for Effective Template Design
Designing effective templates goes beyond just layout; it involves strategic thinking to maximize engagement and usability.
- Consistency is Key: Ensure your templates strictly adhere to your brand's style guide, including colors, fonts, logos, and imagery.
- Prioritize Responsiveness: Design templates that render beautifully and function perfectly on all devices, especially mobile phones. Use fluid layouts and media queries.
- Embrace Modularity: Break your template into reusable content blocks. This makes it easier to update individual sections and assemble new emails quickly.
- Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs): Design prominent, easy-to-spot CTAs that guide your audience to the desired action.
- Thorough Testing: Always test your templates across various email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail) and devices to catch rendering issues before deployment. Tools like Email on Acid or Litmus can be invaluable.
- Plan for Personalization: Design your templates with dynamic content and personalization in mind, leaving placeholders or sections that can be populated with subscriber-specific information.
- Accessibility Matters: Ensure your templates are accessible to all users. Use sufficient color contrast, provide alt text for images, and maintain logical reading order.
- Naming Conventions: Implement clear and consistent naming conventions for your templates and folders to keep your Content Builder organized and assets easy to find.
Template Types and Their Applications
| Template Type | Best For | Creation Method Example | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email Template | Full email layouts (newsletters, promotions) | From Scratch, HTML Paste, From Existing | Reusable, consistent email structure |
| Content Block Template | Reusable content sections (headers, footers, CTAs) | HTML Paste, Drag-and-Drop Editor | Standardized components, faster email assembly |
By following these steps and incorporating best practices, you can efficiently create and manage robust templates in Marketing Cloud, ensuring consistent branding and streamlined content creation for all your marketing campaigns.
For more detailed guidance, refer to the official Salesforce Marketing Cloud documentation on Content Builder Email Templates and Content Builder Basics.
