Learning Path 3: Manage customers and assets in Dynamics 365 Customer Insights - Journeys

Practice Lab 3.2: Create an email

Lab Overview

Scenario

For this campaign, the marketing team plans to do a large blitz around its newest smart coffee machine. They plan to send a three-email series. The first email will promote Contoso’s smart coffee machine. The second email is intended to encourage owners of the regular Airpot to upgrade to the new smart machine. The third email is a reminder about the new product launch.

This lab will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.

Lab Overview

This lab comprises three exercises:

  1. In this exercise, you will create an email using an email template.
  2. In this exercise, you will create an email by copying another email.
  3. In this exercise, you will create an email by copying another email.

What you’ll need:

  • A computer with a Dynamics 365 Customer Insights - Journeys environment

Exercise 1: Create a marketing email

Task 1: Create an email from a template

  1. Log into Dynamics 365 Customer Insights - Journeys and navigate to the Real-time journeys area.
  2. Navigate to Emails under the Channels group.
  3. Select +New to create a new email.
  4. From the template gallery, scroll down to the Layouts section. Select 1-2 column, then select the Select button.

  5. In the upper-left corner, select Email 1 and rename it to Smart Machine Campaign Email.

    [!TIP] Hover over Email 1 to make the text box editable.

  6. Select the From Name/Subject box in the designer to display the Email header details.
    • Type the following in the Subject: Finally, a coffee machine that gets me.
    • Select Contoso Coffee(Default brand sender) as the sender (if it is not already). The From name and From email fields should populate and should be read-only.
  7. In the Toolbox menu on the right, select the Theme tab (paintbrush icon), then configuring the following:

    [!NOTE] The details in this section affect the entire email. If you add new text elements to the email, it will default to the font, size, and color listed here. You can then update those elements as needed.

    • Change the Font family to: Segoe UI
    • Change the Body text color color to: #404040.
    • Change the Email Background to #CCCCCC.
  8. In the email itself, find the first section and select it. An Edit layout tab will appear. Change the Section background color to a shade of gray.

Task 2: Update images

In this task, we will update the logo.

  1. Select the image in the first section on the designer.
  2. In the right pane, hover over the image and select Replace, then select Browse library.
  3. Select the Contoso logo, then select the Select button.
  4. Enter Contoso logo for Alt text field.
  5. Select the Link to to drop down, and then select URL. Enter www.contoso.com
  6. In the Size and alignment section, turn off the Auto width toggle, then enter 150px for the width. The height updates automatically.
  7. Next, we will update the second image in the email. Select the image in the section below the logo.
  8. Select Replace image and Browse library.
  9. Select the hero-page.jpg image, then select the Select button.

Task 3: Update a headline using personalization

In this task, we will update a headline to reflect the recipient contact’s first name.

  1. Locate the Preview Text field below the Subject.
  2. Select the Personalization icon next to the field, then select First name from the dropdown. Ensure Contact is selected, then select Choose.
  3. Add a comma and a space after .
  4. Select the Text block in the designer and change the placeholder text to: “We’ve got your coffee breaks covered.”
  5. Highlight the text, make it bold and change the font size to 26.
  6. Change “your email with fonts…” to “The New Airpot XL Intelligent Coffee Machine is like having your own personal barista.”
  7. Select all the text and change the font size to 18.

Task 4: Design the rest of the email

  1. Select the two-column section below the text. Change the Section background color to a shade of blue.
  2. In the left column, select the image placeholder, then select Replace image. Select Browse library, select coffee-machine.jpg, then select the Select button.
  3. Enter Coffee Machine for Alt text field.

    [!NOTE] If the image properties pane does not open automatically, select the image and then select the bottom image icon in the Toolbox menu on the right.

  4. In the Link to field, select URL, then enter https://dynamics.microsoft.com/
  5. In the Size and alignment section, turn off the Auto width toggle, then enter 150px for the width. The height updates automatically.
  6. In the right column under the sub header, select the image placeholder, then select Replace image. Select Browse library, select barista.jpg, then select the Select button.
  7. Enter Barista for Alt text field.
  8. In the Link to field, select URL, then enter https://dynamics.microsoft.com/
  9. Select the section with the social media icons. Change the Section background color to a shade of gray.
  10. Select the section with the copyright information. Update the copyright from 2022 Company Inc. to 2024 Contoso Coffee.
  11. Make any other changes as desired. Feel free to be creative and use any design experience you have. What do you find eye-catching when recieving a marketing email?

Task 5: Save and test the email

  1. On the toolbar, select Save.
  2. Select Preview and test.
  3. Select Edit sample data. In the Preview personalization pane, enter the first name of a contact you created, then select the contact to watch the personalization change.
  4. Return to the Preview and test screen. Preview the email on all screen sizes.
  5. Select the dropdown arrow next to Check content, then select Accessibility checker to to see if there are any other issues within the email. Mitigate any issues as you see fit.
  6. On the toolbar, select Ready to send.

Exercise 2: Create an email by copying an email

Task 1: Create an email to existing customers

  1. Log into Dynamics 365 Customer Insights - Journeys. In the bottom-left corner, select Real-time journeys from the Change area.
  2. Under the Channels group, navigate to Emails
  3. Open the email you created in Task 1.
  4. In the command bar, select the dropdown arrow next to Save, then select Save as.
  5. In the Quick Create pane on the right, set the name to Upgrade Airpot Email
  6. In the Subject field, enter Is it time for an upgrade?
  7. Select Save and Close. A pop-up will appear with the message Your changes were saved. Select View record to open the new email.

    [!NOTE] You can also navigate back to Emails and open Upgrade Airpot Email directly.

  8. On the designer, select the header text block and replace the text with , coffee your way, at your fingertips.
  9. Select the text block below the header and replace the text with Your coffee order is as unique as you are. Time to try our new Airpot Smart Coffee Machine.
  10. Select the two-column section below. In the Layout field, change the layout to 1:2.
    • In the left column, make the following updates:
      • Remove the text.
      • Remove the button.
    • In the right column, make the following updates:
      • Remove the image.
      • Change the text to: Half-caf Americano, or double shot latte? However you choose to fuel your day, Contoso Coffee has you covered.
      • Change the font size to 16 and select Italic
  11. Update the button.
    • Select the button.
    • Select URL for Link to field
    • Enter https://dynamics.microsoft.com/.
    • Change the Button text to EXPLORE THE NEW SMART MACHINE
    • Expand Size and alignment. toggle Fit to text off, then set the width to 200px.
  12. On the toolbar, select Save.
  13. Select Preview and test to preview the email.
  14. Select Check content and correct any errors if needed.
  15. On the toolbar, select Ready to send.

Task 2: Create a follow-up campaign email

  1. Log into Dynamics 365 Customer Insights - Journeys. Ensure you are in the Real-time journeys area.
  2. Navigate to Emails under the Channels group.
  3. Open the email you created in Task 1.
  4. In the command bar, select the dropdown arrow next to Save, then select Save as
  5. In the Quick Create menu on the right, name the email Smart Machine Campaign Reminder.
  6. In the Subject field, enter “Have you seen the news?”
  7. Select Save and Close. A pop-up will appear with the message Your changes were saved. Select View record to open the new email.

    [!NOTE] You can also navigate back to Emails and open Smart Machine Campaign Reminder directly.

  8. On the designer, select the header text block and replace the text with: The new Airpot Smart Machine: available this fall!
  9. Change the copy below the header to: Our new Airpot Smart Machine is a new way to make coffee. Learn more about the first-of-its-kind coffee machine today.
  10. Remove the two-column section.
  11. On the toolbar, select Save.
  12. Select Preview and test to preview the email.
  13. Select Check content and correct any errors if needed.
  14. On the toolbar, select Ready to send.