Shape’s email templates simplify and enhance email communication, allowing you to save time, increase consistency, and personalize messaging across manual emails, automated drip campaigns, and bulk sending.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know to maximize email efficiency inside Shape! 🚀
📝 What Are Email Templates?
An email template is a prewritten email that can be accessed and customized before sending. Templates help streamline email writing, ensuring a professional, consistent experience for both users and recipients.
Shape provides two ways to create and manage email templates:
🔹 Email Templates: Standard HTML or plain text templates for one-off emails, bulk sending, and automated campaigns.
🔹 Advanced Email Template Builder: A drag-and-drop editor for customizing email layouts, branding, and responsiveness.
📌 Creating a New Email Template
1️⃣ Go to Settings → Click the gear icon in the top navigation bar.
2️⃣ Find "Email Templates" in the settings sidebar (use the search bar to find it faster).
3️⃣ Click "Add Email Template" in the upper right corner.
4️⃣ Fill out required fields:
✅ Template Title – Internal use only (Make it recognizable!).
✅ Subject Line – The first thing your recipient sees (See best practices below!).
✅ Email Body – Use merge tokens for personalization.
✅ Send Settings – Define who the email is from and who will receive it.
5️⃣ Click Save – Your template is now ready to use! 🎉
✉️ Best Practices for Subject Lines
Your email subject line is the first impression—it determines if your email is opened or ignored. Here’s how to optimize your subject lines for maximum impact:
✅ Keep It Short & Clear – Aim for 40-60 characters to avoid getting cut off.
✅ Personalize – Use merge tokens (e.g., {Lead.FirstName}) to increase engagement.
✅ Avoid Spam Triggers – Refrain from all caps, excessive punctuation, and spammy words like “FREE” or “LIMITED TIME.”
✅ Make It Actionable – Use strong verbs that encourage readers to open the email.
✅ Test, Test, Test – Run A/B tests to see what subject lines work best.
📌 Example Subject Lines:
🚀 "John, Your Exclusive Offer Awaits!"
📆 "Reminder: Your Consultation is Scheduled for Tomorrow!"
🔥 "Increase Your Conversion Rates in 3 Simple Steps!"
🎨 Using the Advanced Email Template Builder
For more control over your emails, use the Advanced Email Template Builder:
📌 Why Use It?
✅ Drag-and-drop customization
✅ Supports HTML imports from external editors like BeeFree.io
✅ Ensures mobile-friendly email designs
📌 How to Import an External Template:
1️⃣ Export the HTML file from your email builder.
2️⃣ Go to Advanced Email Template Builder in Shape.
3️⃣ Paste the HTML code into the editor.
4️⃣ Preview & Save! ✅
📌 Adding Merge Tokens for Personalization
Merge tokens dynamically pull contact data into your emails. You can find them in the "Insert Personalization Token" dropdown inside the email editor.
📌 Common Merge Tokens:
🔹 {Lead.FirstName} – Inserts the recipient’s first name
🔹 {Lead.Email} – Inserts the recipient’s email
🔹 {User.FirstName} – Inserts your name
🔹 {Calendly.Link} – Adds your booking link
🔥 Pro Tip: Use personalization strategically—emails with a personalized subject line see a 26% higher open rate! 📊
📞 How to Send Emails in Shape
📌 Manually Send an Email:
1️⃣ Open a lead/contact record.
2️⃣ Click the email icon in the left sidebar.
3️⃣ Select a pre-made email template or write from scratch.
4️⃣ Click Send! ✅
📌 Send a Bulk Email:
1️⃣ Go to "All Records" or filter a specific contact list.
2️⃣ Click Bulk Actions → "Select Entire List".
3️⃣ Click Bulk Actions → "Send Email".
4️⃣ Choose a template, send immediately, or schedule it for later.
📌 Track Email Performance:
✔ Email Report → See open rates, clicks & deliverability.
✔ Bulk Email Report → Monitor batch emails & campaign performance.
📍 View reports in Shape: Email Report
📌 Common Email Issues & Solutions
🔴 Email Not Delivering?
✔ Check if the email address is valid & correctly formatted.
✔ Ensure your account has enough email credits.
✔ Ask the recipient to check spam/junk folders.
✔ Check DMARC settings (strict settings may block emails).
🔴 Email Going to Spam?
✔ Avoid spammy words & excessive punctuation.
✔ Use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication for better reputation.
✔ Ask recipients to whitelist your email domain.
🔴 Email Formatting Issues?
✔ Always use the HTML editor instead of pasting formatted text.
✔ Use the "Insert Image" feature instead of copy-pasting images.
✔ If embedding a Loom video, use the iframe embed code.
📍 For more troubleshooting, check: Email Report
🔗 Connecting Your Calendar to Email Templates
Want to schedule meetings effortlessly? Add your Calendly (or other booking tool) link to your email templates! 📆
📌 Steps to Add a Scheduling Link:
1️⃣ Go to User Profile → "Email & Calendar" tab.
2️⃣ Paste your Calendly/Acuity/TidyCal link.
3️⃣ In your email template, insert {Calendly.Link}.
4️⃣ Now, every email sent will include your personalized booking link!
🛠 Automating Emails with Drip Campaigns
Automate follow-ups & nurture leads hands-free with drip campaigns.
📌 How to Set Up a Drip Campaign:
1️⃣ Go to "Sales & Marketing" → "Drip Campaigns".
2️⃣ Choose a pre-built campaign or create your own.
3️⃣ Select trigger conditions (e.g., status change, inactivity).
4️⃣ Choose email templates for each stage.
5️⃣ Click Save & Activate! 🎯
🔥 Pro Tip: Use A/B testing on subject lines & call-to-action (CTA) buttons for better performance!
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