Comms Templates
Effective communication with Attendees, Sponsors, and Staff is vital for the success of your event. Creating content for your email and SMS campaigns is easier and faster with Templates.
The Templates feature allows you to create, customise and archive Templates for both Email and SMS purposes. Email Templates can be saved globally within your instance for reuse in other events. The drag-and-drop Editor eliminates the need for coding or design challenges.
Types of Templates
Our Email and SMS Templates offer flexibility for different purposes, such as:
- Session
- Event Ticket
- Event General
- Touchpoint
- Registration Reminder
- Survey
- Vendor Announcement
Notes:
- The Email Templates list displays Status, a helpful guide to easily categorising what is approved for sending. Please note that 'Pending' Templates can still be sent as part of a Campaign. The status is only a visual guide and does not affect Campaigns or Campaign sends.
- For more details on creating Templates, please see the articles: Email Templates and SMS Templates
View a Template
- Navigate to Event Configuration > Templates
- Select the media type (e.g., Email, SMS, e-Ticket) and choose the desired Template, or apply any available filter (e.g., Event Ticket, Survey, etc.) to narrow the results
- Template details and a preview will be displayed on the right side
Notes:
Templates are colour-coded based on their status:
- Green or yellow for active Templates
- Grey for archived ones
Starter Templates
Typically, Templates are saved for use within a single event. However, you can convert an Email Template into a Starter Template, making it available for copying to other events.
Starter Templates remain available throughout a current subscription to Jomablue. If your subscription expires, Starter Templates will be retained for 3 months.
Create a Starter Template
- First, create an Email Template within an event in the Jomablue portal by navigating to Event Configuration > Templates
- If the Template you wish to use is archived, select Show Archived on the right-hand side
- Locate the desired Template either by Name on the left or by using the Preview button on the right
- Click the Save as Starter Template button on the right side of the record
- Enter a Name and Description to help identify the Template’s content and purpose
- Once saved, you can select and edit it as needed
Use a Starter Template
- Navigate to Event Configuration > Templates
- Click the New Email button options on the top right
- Choose the type of Email Template you want
- Select the Start from a saved Starter Template button
You will be offered a list of Starter Templates available for this Type of email.
An option to Show all Templates is displayed to see other Types - please see the Additional Notes section below. - Locate the desired Starter Template by Name and Description on the left, or use the Preview button on the right
- Click Use Template on the right side of the record to create an email in the current event
- Proceed to edit the Template as needed
- Select Save to exit
Merge Tags
Merge Tags are variables that enable you to personalise your messages, enhancing customer engagement. By incorporating Merge Tags into your Email or SMS, you can address customers by their first names or reference a specific Session by its title. Different Merge Tags are available depending on the type of Email Template you select.
Merge Tags for WYSIWYG Editors
Merge Tags enable you to insert information from a data source into a specified location. For example, merging the First Name of email recipients into an Email Template.
Within the Jomablue Community, various Merge Tags are available for use in certain Blocks such as:
- WYSIWYG Block
- Custom Ad Block
- Internal Link Block
Merge Tags for all Canvas types
You can use the following Merge Tag for all Canvas types:
*PAGE_NAME* - This displays the name of the parent page (e.g., Vendor name, Session name, or Custom Page name). For instance, inserting this in a WYSIWYG on a Session Canvas will show the Session name as it appears in the Session record associated with the Canvas.
Merge Tags for Session Canvases
The following Merge Tags are exclusive to Session Canvases:
Merge Tags | What It Does |
*SESSION_START_DAY* | Inserts the day of the week that the Session starts. |
*SESSION_END_DAY* | Inserts the day of the week that the Session ends. |
*SESSION_START_DATE* | Inserts the date that the Session starts. |
*SESSION_END_DATE* | Inserts the date that the Session ends. |
*SESSION_START_TIME* | Inserts the time that the Session starts. |
*SESSION_END_TIME* | Inserts the time that the Session ends. |
Inserting the above Merge Tags in a Session canvas will display corresponding information as it appears in the Session record.
Apply Merge Tags in the WYSIWYG Editor
- Navigate to the WYSIWYG editor, Internal Link, or Featured Page Block where you wish to insert a Merge Tag
- In the WYSIWYG editor, click Insert
- Click Insert Template
- A modal will open, displaying a dropdown list:
Select the Merge Tag you wish to use: Note: You can also type the tag text directly using the formats listed above.
When editing the WYSIWYG Block, the tags will appear as plain text:
However, when viewing the same Block in the Community, the appropriate values will be displayed with the Tags merged in:
Ensure Merge Tags display correctly in SMS and email
During the campaign setup, you were required to send a test SMS or Email. This step allows you to review the content one final time before scheduling the campaign.
The test will display all Merge Tags according to the selected test recipient, using fallback values if the selected person lacks specific data for merging.
Important: Test Sends will merge actual values for the selected test recipient, so ensure you do not see un-merged tags in your Tests.
Example of a test SMS with unmerged tags:
Note: DO NOT PROCEED TO SEND THE CAMPAIGN.
Example of a Test SMS with correctly displayed Merge Tags:
The difference between a Test Email/SMS and a Production Campaign
The primary distinction between a Test Email/SMS and a Production Campaign is as follows:
Email:
- The subject line of a Test Email is automatically prefixed with "TEST:"
- In contrast, the subject line of a Production Campaign Email does not include "TEST:"
SMS:
- The body of a Test SMS is prefixed with "TEST:"
- However, "TEST:" is not included in the body of a Production Campaign SMS.
Additional Notes
When creating a new email based on a different Email Type (e.g., a new Event General email based on an Event Ticket email), be aware that content such as mail Merge Tags may not function correctly.