Using Layout and Element Blocks in Emails

Article Contents

• Creating Emails from System Templates
• Editing Created Emails
• The Content and Layout Panel
• Adding Layout Blocks
• Using Elements with Layout Blocks
• Reordering Layout and Element Blocks
• Editing Layout Blocks
• Duplicating Layout and Element Blocks
• Making Layout and Element Blocks Dynamic
• Deleting Layout and Element Blocks

Creating marketing emails has never been quicker. Produce beautiful marketing emails in minutes. Launch campaigns on the fly with out-of-the-box, professionally designed templates.

To create emails from a designer template, do the following:

1. Click Email in SharpSpring's left toolbar. 
2. Click Email Templates.
3. Click either of the following System Templates folders:
   
      •   Designer Templates
      •   Simple Templates
4. Hover over the desired template.
5. Click + Create Email.
6. Enter a name for the email.
7. Optionally, if applicable, do the following:
   
      •   If you have Granular Unsubscribes
           enabled, choose an unsubscribe category.
   
      •   Click the Make Available as a Smart
           Mail in Contact Manager checkbox to
           send the email as a Smart Mail.
   
      •   Click the Include “view in browser” link
           checkbox to have the email open in a
           browser window. 
8. Click Add Email.
9. Click Save.
10. Click directly in the email's body.  
11. Utilize the features in the email designer to modify the email.
12. Click Save.

You can edit created emails as necessary.

To edit emails, do the following: 

1. Click Email in SharpSpring's left toolbar. 
2. Enter the email's name into the Filter Emails search bar.
3. Locate the target email.
4. Hover over the email.
5. Click    Edit Email.
6. Click directly in the email's body.  
7. Utilize the features in the email designer to modify the email.
8. Click Save.

The    Content and Layout panel provides several different kinds of customizable blocks for your emails. This panel allows you to access the drag-and-drop function of the email designer. Themed layouts, simple content blocks, and individual content elements are all able to be placed into an email.

Once placed in the email, the content blocks can be customized as needed by using the available features found in the Content Editor. 

Layouts in the    Themed tab are prebuilt sections that are used to hold various content blocks.

They can be dragged-and-dropped or reordered in emails.

Themed blocks are available only in emails created from designer templates.

Content blocks in the    Simple tab are premade layouts with simple, generic visual structures that can be dragged-and-dropped into layout sections in the email designer. Available simple layouts include:

Small, centered text that normally precedes header content. 

Block contains text.

A block of information that normally contains a company logo, slogans, social links, and other introductory content. Best placed at the top of an email.

Block contains an image and text.

A way to present information in a compact and visually arresting way. Informational text is funneled down into a call-to-action button. Content is placed over a larger image.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

A block of text that extends across the width of the entire email. Text is presented in a single, large column.

Block contains text.

A large-sized image that extends across the width of the entire email. A single column of text is placed below the image, and it also extends across the width of the entire email. A call-to-action button is placed below the text block.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

Two medium-sized images sit atop blocks of text, which sit atop call-to-action buttons. Images, text, and buttons are separated into two equally sized columns.

Block contains images, text, and buttons.

A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the left side of the email. A large-sized image sits on the right side of the email. The text and button take up one-third of the available email space, and the image takes up the other two-thirds.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

A large-sized image sits on the left side of the email. A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the right side of the email. The text and button take up one-third of the available email space, and the image takes up the other two-thirds.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

A single large-sized image that extends across the entire width of the email, including its margins.

Block contains an image.

Three small-sized images sit atop blocks of text, which sit atop call-to-action buttons. Images, text, and buttons are separated into three equally sized columns.

Block contains images, text, and buttons.

A medium-sized image sits on the left side of the email. A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the right side of the email. The text and button take up half of the available email space, and the image takes up the other half.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the left side of the email. A medium-sized image sits on the right side of the email. The text and button take up half of the available email space, and the image takes up the other half.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

A small-sized image sits on the left side of the email. A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the right side of the email. The text and button take up two-thirds of the available email space, and the image takes up the other one-third.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the left side of the email. A small-sized image sits on the right side of the email. The text and button take up two-thirds of the available email space, and the image takes up the other one-third.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

A single large-sized image that extends across the entire width of the email, stopping at its margins.

Block contains an image.

A small-sized image sits atop a single-column block of text, which sits atop a call-to-action button. Text is presented in a single, large column.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

Two blocks of text sit atop call-to-action buttons. Text and buttons are separated into two equally sized columns.

Block contains images, text, and buttons.

Three blocks of text sit atop call-to-action buttons. Text and buttons are separated into three equally sized columns.

Block contains images, text, and buttons.

Two blocks of text sit atop call-to-action buttons. Text is presented as numbered lists. Text and buttons are separated into two equally sized columns.

Block contains images, text, and buttons.

A large-sized image sits on the left side of the email, extending into its top, bottom, and left margins. A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the right side of the email. The text and button take up half of the available email space, and the image takes up the other half.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the left side of the email. A large-sized image sits on the right side of the email, extending into its top, bottom, and right margins. The text and button take up half of the available email space, and the image takes up the other half.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

A block of text sits on the left side of the email. A call-to-action button sits on the right side of the email. The text takes up two-thirds of the available email space, and the button takes up the other one-third.

Block contains an image, text, and a button.

A collection of phone, email, and social media links. Contains space for a logo. Information is presented in three columns. Best placed at the bottom of an email.

Block contains images and text.

A compact collection of social media links, phone numbers, and addresses. Information is presented in one column. Best placed at the bottom of an email.

Block contains images and text.

A block of text that extends across the width of the entire email. Text is presented in a single, large column.

Block contains text.

Items in the    Elements tab are, as the name implies, the basic elements that make up a content block. They require a parent layout and cannot be placed outside of layouts. Elements include:

A single large-sized image that extends across the entire width of the email, stopping at its margins. Dimensions can be edited independent of one another.

An image with editable dimensions. When the height or width is edited, the other will be automatically resized to have the same dimensions.

A block of text that extends across the width of the entire email. Text is presented in a single, large column.

An editable call-to-action button.

An editable block of empty space.

An editable horizontal rule.

An editable collection of social media service icons and other information.

The email designer allows you to drag, drop, and reorder layout blocks into your email to further customize it.

To add layout blocks, do the following: 

1. Click Email in SharpSpring's left toolbar. 
2. Create or edit an email.
3. Click    Content and Layout in the Email Designer toolbar.
4. Click the Themed or Simple tabs.
5. Drag-and-drop Themed or Simple layouts into your email.
6. Click    Move to reorder layout blocks.
7. Repeat as necessary.
8. Click Save.

Click to enlarge.

You can add elements to layout blocks. Elements are individual portions of layouts that you can add to preexisting layouts to enhance their design or compensate for something missing from your intended design.

To add elements to layout blocks, do the following:

1. Click Email in SharpSpring's left toolbar. 
2. Create or edit an email.
3. Click    Content and Layout in the Email Designer toolbar.
4. Click the Elements tab.
5. Drag-and-drop the desired element into your email.
6. Click    Move to reorder the element.
7. Repeat as necessary.
8. Click Save.

Click to enlarge.

• Adding Images to Emails
• Adding Text to Emails
• Adding Buttons to Emails

• Adding Space to Emails
• Adding Dividers to Emails
• Adding Social Media Services to Emails

After inserting a layout or element, you may want to reorder them and modify their placement in an email.

To reorder layout blocks or elements, do the following:

1. Click Email in SharpSpring's left toolbar. 
2. Create or edit an email with layout blocks.
3. Hover over an added layout block or element.
4. Left-click and hold the button on    Drag to Reorder.
5. Drag the layout block to the desired purple line.
6. Release the mouse button.

Click to enlarge.

Layouts do not need to be, in a thematic or design sense, the same throughout your email. You can edit individual layout blocks to meet your needs.

To edit layout block formatting, do the following:

1. Click Email in SharpSpring's top toolbar. 
2. Create or edit an email with a layout block.
3. Hover over an added layout block.
4. Click    Edit Block.
5. Edit settings as desired in the Layout Editor panel that appears.
6. Click Done.

Click to enlarge.

Adds an image behind element content. The image can either come from image files uploaded to the File Manager or be entered as URLs from online image hosting websites.

Sets the overall space between the content in a layout block and its surroundings in the email.

If you like the overall look and feel of a customized layout block and would like to use it elsewhere in the email, you can copy the block. Doing so will create an identical duplicate of the original layout block.

To duplicate a layout block or element, do the following:

1. Click Email in SharpSpring's left toolbar. 
2. Create or edit an email with a layout block.
3. Hover over an added layout block or element.
4. Click    Duplicate Block.
5. Click Copy in the modal window that appears.
6. Move the layout block as needed.

Click to enlarge.

If you have dynamic content enabled in the email, you can set individual layout blocks to change what content they display. Layout blocks can display different content, depending on which dynamic rules or personas are set to the block.

To make a layout block dynamic, do the following:

1. Click Email in SharpSpring's top toolbar. 
2. Create or edit an email with a layout block.
3. Click    Dynamic Content Rules in the Email Designer panel.
4. Add a dynamic rule group, if necessary.
5. Hover over an added layout block or element.
6. Click    Add a Rule Group to Make This Element Dynamic.
7. Select one of the following:
   
      •   An enabled dynamic rule
      •   Persona rules
8. Select the desired persona or rule entry from the list of available personas or rules.
9. Edit the content as necessary.
10. Select other personas or rule entries from the list of available personas or rules as needed.
11. Click Done.
12. Click Save.

Click to enlarge.

There may come a time when you no longer need to use a particular layout block in your email.

To remove a layout block, do the following:

1. Click Email in SharpSpring's top toolbar. 
2. Create or edit an email with a layout block.
3. Hover over an added layout block or element.
4. Click    Delete Block.
5. Click Delete in the modal window that appears.

Be aware that deleting a layout block will remove all content within the layout from the email.

Click to enlarge.