Newsletters are one of the most important features in CampusESP - they power much of the engagement in the portal. All users automatically receive a standard newsletter design, but you can use the Newsletter Designer to create a custom newsletter template to better align with your institution's branding. You can also create different newsletter templates for current and prospective families! Learn to navigate the Newsletters page, create or edit newsletter templates, and activate and prioritize templates.

From the admin area, navigate to the Newsletters page by hovering over the Configuration area, and choosing Newsletters in the left menu. You can also navigate directly to the Newsletters page by visiting https://[your-portal-url].campusesp.com/admin/newsletter_templates.

On the Newsletters page, you'll see all Active and Inactive newsletters in your portal, as well as the audience, total sends, average open rate, and average click rate for each. If you haven't yet created a custom newsletter, you'll only see the default newsletter template listed.

From the Newsletters page, click the Create Newsletter button in the upper-right corner to create a new newsletter design. This will open a live, editable preview of a new newsletter template. Here, you'll enter your newsletter details, choose an audience, and design your Newsletter to your liking.

In the right-hand column under the Details tab, you'll enter details about your new newsletter template including its name, subject, audience, and a few branding elements. See below for a breakdown of the information you’ll need to choose in this area. Once you've entered your newsletter details, you can click the Content tab to design your newsletter.

Use the Template Name field to give your newsletter a name that will help you and your team recognize it later. This name is internal only; no parent/family users will see it.

Use the Email Subject to enter a subject line your recipients will see in their inboxes. This helps you set the tone of your newsletter. You can also insert merge fields using the Merge Field button. See our article on Mail Merge to learn more about this feature.

If your institution uses CampusESP for communicating with both prospective and current families, and/or students, you'll have the option to select any one of those audiences, or you can choose All Families so all types of users receive the same newsletter design.

By default, your newsletter's email preview text (the text that's shown as a preview in the recipient’s inbox after the subject line) will consist of the first three posts that make up the newsletter. Click Customize preview if you'd like to choose your own text as the preview message.

If you'd like to set a custom background color for your newsletter, you can select that in the Email background color field. By default, newsletter backgrounds will be #f5f5f5.

If you'd like to set a custom link color for your newsletter, you can select that in the Link color field. Newsletters will match your portal's branding by default, and this field will be blank if you don't choose a different color here.

After you've entered your newsletter details, click into the Content tab to edit, move, or delete existing content blocks, or add new ones. The center of the page shows a live preview of your template.

Across the top of the preview area you'll see a few different buttons and links:

When you create a new newsletter template, you'll see some pre-configured content blocks. These include a Header block, a Text block with introductory text, some Automated Messages, a Discussion Board summary, Upcoming Events, and Top Posts.

To move any existing content blocks, hover over the block until you see its name appear. Click and drag the move icon (✥) to move the block above or below its current position.

To edit a content block, hover over the block until you see its name appear. Click the pencil icon (✏️) to open the block in the Content area on the right. Based on the type of block you select, you'll see different options when editing. Be sure to click the Save Changes button to see the updates to the block reflected in the preview area.

To delete a content block entirely, hover over the block until you see its name appear. Click the pencil icon (✏️) to open the block in the Content area on the right. Click the trash button (🗑️) to delete the block.

In addition to the default blocks, you can add additional content blocks to your newsletter template, including Videos, Call to Action buttons, and Advertisements. Simply drag and drop a content block from the Content area into the preview area where you would like it to appear, and enter the details as prompted.

Alternatively, hover between existing blocks to see the Add Block button. Remember to click the Create Block button to save the content block.

Before you activate your new template, you'll want to preview how it will look to your users. Use the Send Preview link to receive a preview of a newsletter using your new template straight to your inbox.

After you've designed your custom newsletter template, you'll need to activate it. From the Newsletters page, you'll see your new template in the Inactive section. Click the Make active button to activate the newsletter.

Users whose role matches your newsletter's audience will begin receiving the customized newsletter you created on their next scheduled delivery date.

If your institution uses CampusESP for both current and prospective families, you may have multiple custom newsletter templates, so you'll need to set a priority order. Priority influences which newsletter version is sent to families, ensuring that they receive the most relevant version based on their roles and subscription preferences. Active newsletter templates are listed in priority order; users will receive the first newsletter for which they match the audience targeting.

To move a template and change its priority, hover over an active newsletter template until you see the move icon (✥) appear. Click and drag the move icon to change your template's priority order.