Designing a DMS Mail

When communicating with your donors through DMS Mail (Bulk Email), it's crucial to add visual components in order to attract new donors or encourage your existing donors to contribute again.

This article will show you how to add a variety of visual elements to your DMS Mailing to really make it pop.

DMS Mail: Events Newsletter Example

Below is an example of a monthly newsletter built using the DMS Mail feature. Check out the instructions below to see how we arrived at this final product. 

Events Newsletter Example

Building your Emails

Before sending a DMS Mail, you must first choose the Contacts that you would like to receive your email. Please first follow the steps to create a Group or Smart Group and draft and schedule DMS Mails

Add or Remove Blocks

1. Drag and drop Blocks in the order you would like your email to be configured.

Drag and drop Blocks

2. The order of Blocks can be modified by selecting the blue up/down arrows:

Reconfigure the order of your Blocks

3. Duplicate or Remove existing Blocks:

Duplicate or Remove Blocks

Reuse Photos

Select the Gallery button to view all existing photos in your DMS Gallery to reuse any photos from previous mailings.

View existing photos in Gallery

Add New Photos

When you've added a new Block with space for a photo, you can Drag and Drop a photo from your computer in 2 ways:

1. Drag the photo directly to the photo space
2. Drag the photo into the Gallery

Add new photos in 2 ways

Modify Content and Links

1. Select a Block that you wish to modify and select Content on the top left corner of the Email Builder.

Modify Content within Each Block

2. Depending on whether your Block has images and/or buttons, the Content selection may look different.

• At the top, select the toggles for Title, Buttons or Images to display or hide

Display or Hide visual elements

• Add a URL, if desired, to your Images and Buttons so that your donors can interact with the email

Add a Link to the Image

• Add Alternative Text, which will display for email recipients who are unable to load the images
  

Modify Colours and Fonts

Change Colors, Fonts, and Formatting

1. Select a Block that you wish to modify and select Style on the top left corner of the Email Builder.

Modify Style within each Block

2. Modify Main Style

• Select a preset Color or add a specific HEX code (i.e. #3f3f3f) for the Background Color and External Background
• We recommend adding your charity colors for consistency in your branding!

3. Modify Title

• Choose from a selection of Fonts
• Select a preset Color or add a specific HEX code (i.e. #3f3f3f)
• Choose a text Size

4. Modify Paragraph

• Choose from a selection of Fonts
• Select a preset Color or add a specific HEX code (i.e. #3f3f3f)
• Choose a text Size
• Select a different Link Color so any links that you may add stand out in the body of your email

Select a Link Color or add a HEX code

5. Modify Button

• Choose from a selection of Fonts
  
• Select a preset Text Color or add a specific HEX code (i.e. #3f3f3f)
• Choose a text Size
• Select a preset Button Color or add a specific HEX code
• Modify the Corner Radius (the curve of the button)
  • Increase: rounder
  • Decrease: sharper

Edit Text, Insert Links, and More

When a text box is selected, a text editor will display:

Modify text, add links, merge fields, and colors

• Bold or Italicize your text
• Modify the text Color to override the color you've set in the Style menu
• Modify the Background Color to override the color you've set in the Style menu
• Add a Horizontal Line
• Add a bulleted list
• Modify Formats (Headings, Inline, Block, Alignment)
  • Alignment (center, left, right)
• First, highlight the test you would like to change, select Formats then Blocks and Div

Modifying Text Box alignment

• Leave text highlighted, then select Formats, Alignment, and your preferred alignment (i.e. center)

Text box is aligned to the Centre

• Clear formatting and restore to default
• Add Merge Fields (i.e. recipient first or last name)
• Insert, edit, or remove a Link
• Paste text into the text box
• Modify HTML source code, if relevant

What's Next?

Now that you know how to design a DMS Mail that's beautifully branded to your charity, check out how to save and manage a design as a Template for future use.