Create an Email Experience with Location-Based Dynamic Content

Before you can add a map to or use location-based dynamic text in an Open-Time Email experience, you must upload a location list to Location Manager. See Upload a Locations List for the steps.

Once the upload is complete, you can use the map and location-based dynamic text options available in Content Builder.

Using Maps in Email Experiences

When you create an Open-Time Email experience that uses location-based targeting, including a map may be helpful. By using Content Builder, you can create one dynamic image that is able to show each recipient the closest location to them.

  1. Click EXPERIENCES in the top navigation bar, and then click Email.
  2. Click CREATE EMAIL EXPERIENCE.
  3. Click UPLOAD IMAGE to add an image as the default content, or click SHOW NOTHING.
  4. In the Dynamic Content section of the Email Experience editor, select a location-based target from Target based on. If you want to include a map in the experience, then selecting Near Locations is recommended.
  5. Click ADD DYNAMIC CONTENT, then click IMAGE, and then CHOOSE to select an image from Content Manager to serve as the background for the map, or click UPLOAD to upload the image to serve as the background for the map.
  6. After the image you selected or uploaded in the Dynamic Content section of the Email Experience editor appears, click edit that appears near the image's file name, and then click EDIT in the Select Content modal to launch Content Builder so that you can add the map to the image.
  7. In Content Builder click Add Layer and then select Map. The settings that appear on the Map Properties modal allow you to configure the following:
    • Location pin color
    • Location pin size
    • Map type (road map, satellite, terrain, or hybrid)
    • Zoom level
    • Saturation
    • Custom location pin image
  8. Preview the results of the changes you make in the map preview on the Map Properties modal.
  9. Click SAVE to exit the modal.
  10. Adjust as necessary the size of the map layer in relationship to the image, and make any other changes to the image layer. Click PREVIEW to better get a sense of how the two layers appear together.
  11. When you're satisfied with the dynamic content you've created, click SAVE and then click CLOSE AND RETURN to exit Content Builder.

From here, most users add location-based dynamic text.

Using Location-Based Dynamic Text in Email Experiences

You can use location-based dynamic text with a map layer in Content Builder to create a nearest-location image for all email recipients.

  1. Open the email experience to which you've already added an image with a map layer.
  2. Scroll to the Dynamic Content section of the Email Experience editor, click edit that appears near the image's file name, and then click EDIT in the Select Content modal to launch Content Builder so that you can add the dynamic text to the image.
  3. In Content Builder click Add Layer and then select Text.
  4. Resize the textbox as necessary, and then move it to the desired position on the canvas.
  5. Double-click the textbox to open the text toolbar, then click Add dynamic content on the toolbar, and then select from Properties the dynamic content type that you want to appear in the textbox.

    The actual information that each email recipient sees is based on the locations listed in Location Manager.

  6. Repeat steps X through X to add multiple dynamic text content types to the same textbox.
  7. Create fallback text that appears if the dynamic text doesn't. An example of fallback text is an alternate phone number in case Location Manager doesn't have one for a particular location.

    If you add multiple dynamic text content values to the same textbox, only one value must be met for the dynamic text to appear for an email recipient. If you include multiple dynamic text content values in separate text boxes, each value must be met. Otherwise, the fallback text appears.

    1. Click a textbox with dynamic content to automatically create a Fallback text entry in the Layers panel.
    2. Click that entry, click the textbox on the canvas, and then type the fallback text.
    3. Use the formatting and styling options in the text toolbar as necessary to alter the appearance of the fallback text.
  8. Click SAVE and then click CLOSE AND RETURN.

The Email Experience editor loads, and the edited image appears in the Dynamic Content section.

Adding Dynamic Links to Email Experiences

A dynamic link pulls URL information from the list in Locations Manager to display on an image in Content Builder. Each email recipient sees the URL that corresponds to their closest location based on the information in Location Manager.

  1. Open the email experience to which you've already added an image with a map layer.
  2. Scroll to the the Dynamic Content section of the Email Experience editor, click edit that appears near the image's file name, and then click EDIT in the Select Content modal to launch Content Builder so that you can add the dynamic link to the image.
  3. In Content Builder click Add Layer and then select Clickzone.
  4. Resize the zone as necessary, and then move it to the desired position on the canvas.
  5. Click the clickzone entry in the Layers panel, and then click DYNAMIC.
  6. Select a URL option from Dynamic link, and then input an alternate URL into Fallback URL, which appears if Location Manager doesn't have a URL for an email recipient.
  7. Optionally, configure the following settings for the URL:
    • Add to Alt text a description of the link's destination.
    • Define its CSS class.
    • Define the relationship between the image and the link's destination.
    • Select an option for how you want the link to open in the email recipient's Web browser.
  8. Click SAVE and then click CLOSE AND RETURN.

The Email Experience editor loads, and the edited image appears in the Dynamic Content section.

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