Inform supports full HTML emails that allows you to add images, hyperlinks, full font formatting, and contact specific information.
Formatting options are all available on the email toolbar:
Tip: Some HTML features, most notably images, may not display correctly when viewed on some smartphone browsers. For this reason, you may also want to enter a plain text version of your email under the Plain tab, which will be used if the recipient opens the email on a phone.
You can also add contact specific email fields and set up email templates.
Add contact specific email fields
To personalize your email. you can include information directly from your Customer Contact. You may want to verify that the information in these fields is accurate and formatted correctly:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Title
- Company Name
- Reward Balance
- This Month Rewards
- Last Month Rewards
- Right-click in the email text area where you would like to insert the contact's information.
- Choose an option from the list: First Name, Last Name, Company Name, Email Address, etc. Your font settings will apply to this information.
- After you select an option, the information displays in the body of the email with three asterisks on either side ***Contact First Name***. When you send your email, the name of the contact will be inserted for each email, and the asterisks will not be displayed.
HTML templates
Create HTML email templates to enhance and standardize the appearance of your company's email communications. Templates allow you to save header and footer images, fonts, colors, and text alignment, as well as hyperlinks and backgrounds. Saved templates can be used in emails to both customer and vendor contacts, and in mass marketing or individual emails. You can save an unlimited number of HTML email templates.
Templates may be created for HTML emails only. If you want to include images in your template, create the images ahead of time and save them to shared location on your server. Be sure that images are saved in a format that displays in most email clients. If you want to create multiple templates, save each one to a designated server location where any user with the proper permissions may access them.
For design purposes, it may be easier for you to create templates outside of the system and open them in Inform when you are ready to use them. Any templates created outside of Marketing Manager should be saved as .html files. The latest version of HTML may not display correctly in your email. See Tips for managing marketing campaigns in the Marketing Manager.
Create an HTML Email Template
- Open a test customer in the Customer Master screen, and then click the Contacts tab.
- Click the email address for one of the contacts.
- On the Send Documents pop-up, click the Design tab. Create the email layout using the various features available from the toolbar.
- On the toolbar, click Save, and then give your template under an applicable name, such as Holiday Sale or Generic Customer Letter. You can continue to edit and save your template.
- To access the template again, open the Send Document screen through a contact or the Inform Marketing Manager, and then click the Open button and choose the appropriate template.
Use the HTML email template
After you create an HTML email template, you can use it to send emails to customer or vendor contacts. This applies to templates created within Inform Marketing Manager and those created using third-party programs. Any template created outside of Inform should be saved as an .html file.
Depending on the template, you may need to add your own text or make minor layout changes. As long as you do not click the Save button, these changes apply only to the current email, not the template.
- Open the Send Document screen:
- For a single, direct email, open a customer or vendor contact, and click on the contact's email address.
- For a mass marketing email, go to CRM > Inform Marketing Manager. Follow the steps for selecting customers and contacts to access the Send Document screen. See Manage targeted email marketing campaigns.
- On the Send Document screen, click the Open icon . Browse for the correct file, and double-click on the template name to open it.
- Compose your email in the body of the email provided, and then when you are ready to send it to customers, click Send.