Members - Setting up your Team
This step by step guide will help you set up your Smore account in order to streamline communication most effectively. Whether you have been asked to use pre-set or branded templates by your school, or district, sending streamlined and consistent communication will help improve engagement levels and strengthen your relationship with the community.
Want to dive straight in and create a newsletter? Learn more here
Step 1: Create folders to organize your newsletters
Create an archive of all your newsletters to keep track of your engagement rates by organizing your newsletters into different folders.
To create folders click on Newsletters in the Navigation bar and select +New folder. Add the folder’s name, and click Create.
Pro tip: Make the folder names clear and specific. This way if you end up sharing the folder with others in the TEAM your colleagues will easily be able to recognize the folders they need.
Step 2: Create set templates for each newsletter folder
Streamline your communication in order to increase engagement rates. Create a branded template that you duplicate each time you send a newsletter. Your audience will begin to recognize your newsletter and know exactly what to look out for.
To access the Editor click on the orange Start a Newsletter button. You can then choose a basic template and select start editing. ( All sections of the basic templates can be fully personalisable). You will see all your recent newsletters listed there too!
Once in the Editor you can begin personalizing the newsletter to fit your brand guidelines and mission in order to strengthen your brand identity.
To Start, decide on a design by clicking on the drop down menu, and then proceed by adding your logo, background and editing the Header and Title. To edit the header, hover over it and click Edit.
Once the look, font and colors are chosen, look at creating a consistent structure using the Title widget to create Section Headers.
Simply click on Title under the Add content box and then select where you want to add it. This will also help guide you with what information to include in each newsletter.
Pro tip: A consistent structure will help engagement levels as your audience will know exactly where to find the information they are looking for.
To save the newsletter template click Publish. Make sure to do this every time before leaving Smore.
Pro tip: If you haven’t been given any specific guidelines from your school or district, create a personal brand that holds your mission and values. Your readers are more likely to recognise the newsletters in their inbox and you'll see open rates increase.
Pro tip: Once you have published your newsletter click on preview so that you have an overall view of the newsletter before you start adding any more content.
Empty Template:
Customized Template:
Step 3: Add the template into the correct folder
Keep your account organized and make accessing the templates simple and clear by adding them to the correct Template folder.
Once in your newsletter page you can hover over any newsletter and select Add to Folder. You can then type the name of the Folder into the Drop Down and click Add to folder.
(Newsletters can be added to more than 1 folder at a time, so you can add them to your team folder to allow for other team members to add their relevant input and also the correct template folder for your team to duplicate)
Step 4: Opening a set template
Save time and streamline communication by duplicating a set branded templates created by yourself, school or district.
Access your newsletters via the Navigation Bar and search for the correct folder.
Open the correct folder and hover the newsletter template you need. You will see an options button which you can click before selecting ‘duplicate’.
This will duplicate the newsletter into your own newsletter library so you can start editing and personalizing the newsletter needing to be sent out.
If you are duplicating a template from a Shared Folder, your permission will determine what you can do with the newsletters. (Not sure what a Shared Folder is? Look at step 5)
If you have 'Viewer Permissions' you will be able to view or duplicate newsletters.
If you have 'Editor Permissions' you will also be able to Edit Newsletters in the folders.
Pro tip: Add the newsletter back into the correct folder before editing to be sure it is accessible to those who need it.
Step 5: Create shared folders so you can share templates and collaborate with colleagues
Send consistent newsletters faster, with less back and forth between collaborators by creating shared folders with your colleagues.
To create Shared Folders go to your Newsletter Tab and click on + New folder.
Add a name and click Create.
You can then add your colleague/colleagues by clicking on ‘Share this folder’ -search for a specific name in the drop down.
On the dropdown next to the member’s name select which permission you want them to have.
To enable them to edit the master copies, set them as an Editor.(Editor permissions allow the user to edit, duplicate and view newsletters in the folder).
When you are ready click Done.
Pro tip: If you simply want colleagues to view and duplicate the newsletters, set them as a viewer, where they won’t have the option to Edit the Master copy itself.