Creating Emails from Templates in Pardot | Campaign Organization Instruction with Screenshots
This article walks through the process of creating a list email from an email template in Pardot. There are 3 parts:
- Setting up campaign architecture
- Defining an email template
- Creating a list email from template
The article is assumes the assets have or will be created.
1st order of business: Stay organized & consistent. This will help keep your efforts (emails, templates, lists, assets, folders, tags) associative. Whether you are working solo or within groups, this is a habitual strategy for success. Solid organization is key in campaign architecture.
Setup of Example:
In the example, assume “2020 Eappeals” is going to organize all email efforts for the 2020 calendar year and that our first email List is going to be for internal testing. List not required to complete example, but highly encouraged for organizational exercise.
At each point in the campaign setup process, input fields become available to associate “Folders”, “Campaigns”, and “Tags” — order is important. Some associative fields are required and others offer a convenience. Retroactively setting association fields adds a lot of searching, clicking, and busy work.
Let’s get after it:
Part 1: Setting up the “2020 Eappeals” Campaign Architecture
Add the folder, create the campaign, and add the testing list.
1) Create the Folder: “2020 Eappeals”
Location: Home > Folders > click “+Add Folder”
2) Create the Campaign: “2020 Eappeals”
Location: Home > Marketing > Campaigns > click “Create Campaign”
3) Create the List: “2020 Eappeals — Internal Testing”
Location: Home > Marketing > Segmentation > Lists > click “+Add List”
Part 2: Importing the “2020 Eappeals” Template Assets
Once the Folder, Campaign, and internal testing List have been created, upload email template asset files and create the email template draft. Pardot uses “draft” to signify that an email or template has not yet been published. A template draft has to be published before being accessible in email creation.
1) Upload the Template Files: “2020 Eappeals — Email 1 Header”
Location: Home > Marketing > Content > Files > click “Upload File”
*note: using batch upload — files have to be moved to the “2020 Eappeals” folder and then individually edited to update campaign & tag association fields.
2) Add Email Template: “2020 Eappeals Template”
Location: Home > Marketing > Emails > New Email Template > click “+Add Template” in the Email Template Drafts section
*This step implies the template has already been created.
List Email Drafts = emails yet to be sent
Email Template Drafts = templates yet to be published
Part 3: Create Email Versioned from the “2020 Eappeals” Template
When you create a list email from a published template, the platform presents a modal with required fields for name, folder, campaign, and email type.
1) Create New List Email (from Template): “2020 Eappeals–Email 1”
Location: Home > Marketing > Emails > New List Email > click “Send New List Email”
- Add the Name*: 2020 Eappeals — Email 1
- Add the Tags: 2020 Eappeals
- Add the Folder*: 2020 Eappeals
- Add the Campaign*: 2020 Eappeals
- Add the Email Type*: Based on your template
- A/B Test: Optional
- Click Save
- Apply the published “2020 Eappeals Template” template
- Next screen will apply the template and allow for building, testing, sending
Once the template has been selected, the following screen has 3 tabs for building, testing, sending the email:
Building = modifying template content & assets
Testing = select list to send tests. Pardot will send proof emails to the list (automagically added in the subject line) and will populate personalization data for testing (if leveraged in the email). Drafts remain in “home > marketing > emails > drafts” until sent.
Sending = select lists (send to and suppression) and define sender information & subject line. Once these required fields are complete, the email can be scheduled or sent.
Article Wrap:
Organize & Stay Consistent. Notice the reuse of names and the naming conventions used in each of the steps. Be clear, be repetitive, be descriptive. Words that can easily identify a collection of efforts will make organization much easier and adds value beyond the interface — essential to campaign attribution.
If you found this helpful, like > follow > share > comment.
CR Rollyson is a Digital User Experience & Web Manager for a S&P 500 Fintech company and is the COO of Side Role, a marketing team in Charlotte North Carolina partnering with In-house Teams & Agencies, Non-profits, and Start-Ups. Learn more about Side Role here.
