Content Designer

The Content Designer provides a graphical, user-friendly interface for building email content. The Content Designer is primarily intended to be used by marketers who prefer not to work with HTML. The Content Designer automatically produces responsive email messages that adapt automatically to small screens, such as that of a smartphone.

The Zeta Help Center provides access to a wide range of enablement videos on many Zeta solutions that you can take as needed. Click here to browse to the video on how to use the Content Designer.   

Structure vs. Content

For maximum flexibility, the Content Designer separates the structure of the message from its content. This means, for example, that you can have rows of content that use different formatting for different sections of the message (e.g. full-width background colors, a different number of columns, etc.) without negatively impacting the responsiveness of the message on mobile devices.

The Content Designer is divided into two main areas: the main message editing stage in the center of the screen (referred to as the "Workspace"), and a panel on the right. The right-hand panel serves a dual purpose -- a menu of element types, and a set of properties and options available for a selected element.

In general, you drag content elements from the right-hand menu, and drop them onto the Workspace. The tool uses highlighting and the label "Drag it here" to help guide you toward valid drop targets. If you then click on the element within the Workspace, the property options specific to that element type are displayed in the right-hand panel.  

In addition to the content (text, images, etc.), the Content Designer allows you to define the structural elements (rows, columns) in your email message. Rows with different structures allow you to organize content in a way that is different from the preceding and following rows. For instance, you may need:

  • a single-column row with a large image to introduce your online store’s new promotion, and

  • a two-column row below it to display some of the store’s best-selling products.

Whenever you need to switch to a different number of columns, you will introduce a new section by using the Rows panel.

The right-hand panel is divided into three tabs:

  • Content: Select and edit the specific content elements that make up your message, such as buttons, images, personalization, text blocks, Live Clicker etc.

  • Rows: Select different structural elements (e.g. a single-column vs. a three-column row) to organize your content.

  • Settings: Define overall settings that affect the entire message, such as a default font family.

Access

The Content Designer is not a standalone screen, and therefore isn't directly accessible from the System Tray. The Content Designer is available for the following features:

Note: If you don't have the Content Designer feature enabled in your account, the Advanced Editor is displayed, instead of the Content Designer.

Features

This section describes the features and options available within the Content Designer. Content Designer supports the language that is set your Cheetah Digital by Zeta profile. The following languages are available for selection:

  • Japanese

  • French

  • Spanish

  • German

  • Portuguese 

Working with Designs

When you use the Content Designer, you can save the content as a repeatable asset called a "Design." The features related to Designs are described below. You can also manage your Designs from the Designs screen. 

In the Content tab, you will be provided with the options to select between Content Designer and Advanced Editor. Once you select Use Advanced Editor to create the content, you can NOT toggle back to the Content Designer.

Select Use Content Designer to use the following features:  

Select an Existing Template from Template Library

When building the content for an Email Campaign, you can select an existing Template from the Template Library and use it as the basis for the Campaign. You can choose from an expansive library of over 1500 beautiful and professionally designed templates.

To use an existing Tempate:

Select an Existing Design

When you use the Content Designer, you can save the content as a repeatable asset called a  "Design." When marketers are building the content for an Email Campaign, they can select an existing Design, and use it as the basis for the Campaign.

Create a New Design

To create a new Design:

  1. On the Campaign screen, click the Content tab.

  2. Click Use Content Designer. Then click Create your own in the displayed options. The Content Designer is displayed, with a blank Workspace.

  3. Build the content for your new Design (see below for more details on the specific features of the Content Designer tool).

  4. Click save as design. The Save as Design pop-up window is displayed.

  5. In the Name field, enter the name of the new Design.

  6. Select the folder where you want to save the new Design.

  7. Click save.

    Note: To overwrite an existing Design, enter the name of the existing Design in the "Name" field, and select the same folder where the existing Design is saved. The platform displays a warning dialog box; click save and overwrite.

Rename an Existing Design

When you use the Content Designer and create the Designs for repeatable use in your campaigns, they are saved in Cheetah Digital by Zeta. You can rename a saved Design as needed.

To rename an existing Design:

Add Content Elements to a Design

To add a Content-related item to your Design:

  1. Click the Content tab.

  2. Optionally, if you want more space on the screen to build your Design, click the Expand Advanced Editor button. The system collapses several of the user interface elements in order to make the Workspace larger. Click this button again to revert back.

  3. Drag-and-drop the desired content item from the menu on the right, into the desired location in the Workspace.

    Note: The custom fonts uploaded in the campaign's setting will be available for selection for the Content Elements: Title, Paragraph, List and Menu. This can be selected from the Font family list in the Content Properties. To upload custom fonts, see Email Campaign > Upload Custom Fonts.

  4. By default, the Workspace shows the Desktop version of the message content. Optionally, click the "Mobile" toggle in the top-left corner of the Workspace to see the Mobile version of the message content. The Mobile version automatically applies content item settings, such as "Hide Item." To switch back to the Desktop view, click the "Desktop" toggle. 

  5. If you need to roll back a change to the Design:

    To undo the last change, click the "Undo"  button in the lower-left corner of the Workspace.

    To revert back to an earlier version, click the "History" button in the lower-left corner of the Workspace. The pop-up menu displays a timeline of changes including a description of the change, and a date / time stamp. Select the desired version.

  6. In the Tool Bar, click save.

Clone a Content Item

To create a duplicate of a content item:

  1. Click on the desired content item to select it.

  2. Within the Workspace, click the clone button (or click the clone button within the content properties panel). The tool creates a duplicate of the content item.

Rearrange Content Item

To move a content item within the Workspace:

  1. Click on the desired content item to select it.

  2. Click and hold on the "handle" icon to the right of the selected content item.

  3. Drag the content item to its new location, and drop it.

Delete a Content Item

To delete a content item from the Design:

  1. Click on the desired content item to select it.

  2. Within the Workspace, click the delete button (or click the delete button within the content properties panel). The tool removes the selected content item.

 Using the Image Editor

 Add Structural Elements to a Design

 Configure Design Properties

 Clear Content from a Design

 Comment and Collaborate on Design Components

 Quick View - Dark Mode Access

 Switch to the Advanced Editor

Working with Format Versions

Cheetah Digital by Zeta allows you to define HTML and Plain Text format versions of your email message content in order to accommodate the different devices and applications used by consumers to view your message. If a consumer has an email application that's not configured to view HTML messages, he or she can still see the Plain Text version of your message. For more details, please see Format Versions. The features related to format versions are described below.

 Create a New Format Version

 Delete a Format Version

 Promote / Demote a Format Option

 Disable / Enable a Format Option