Creating emails with different content blocks is one of the most powerful features in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC). This approach allows marketers to create modular, reusable components that can be rearranged or updated easily. It also makes it simple to personalize content based on user data, providing a customized experience for each subscriber.

Why Use Content Blocks?

• Modularity: Build flexible emails that can be reused across multiple campaigns.
• Personalization: Each content block can be dynamically personalized based on subscriber attributes.
• Ease of Maintenance: Update content blocks once, and the change will reflect everywhere that block is used.
• Consistency: Ensures brand consistency by using standardized content across all emails.

Types of Content Blocks

Here are the primary types of content blocks you can use to create your email:

1. Text Block: Used to add plain text or HTML formatted text to your email.
2. Image Block: For inserting images into your email. Images can be hosted in SFMC or external URLs.
3. Button Block: Adds clickable buttons that can link to landing pages, offers, or other resources.
4. Social Block: Displays social media icons, making it easy for subscribers to share content or follow you.
5. Dynamic Content Block: Content blocks that change based on subscriber data (e.g., showing different content for different user segments).
6. HTML Block: Used for inserting custom HTML code, giving you flexibility for complex layouts.
7. RSS Block: Automatically pulls in content from a blog or feed, updating the email with the latest posts or articles.
8. Video Block: Allows you to embed video content directly into emails (though be mindful of compatibility with email clients).

Steps to Create Emails with Content Blocks in SFMC

1. Creating a New Email in SFMC

1. Log in to Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) and navigate to Email Studio:
   • Go to Email Studio → Content Builder.
   • Select Create and then choose Email.
2. Choose Your Layout:
   • Blank Email: Start with an empty canvas, allowing full creative freedom with content blocks.
   • Template-Based: Select an existing template and then add or remove content blocks as needed.

2. Add Content Blocks to Your Email

After selecting your email layout, you can begin adding content blocks.

A) Text Block

1. Drag a Text Block from the left-hand panel into the email layout.
2. Type or paste your content into the text editor.
3. Use HTML formatting if you want more control over the style, such as bold, italics, or font sizes.
4. Personalize the text using AMPscript or personalization strings (e.g., %%FirstName%%).

Example of personalized text:

<p>Hi %%FirstName%%,</p><p>Welcome to our exclusive offer!</p>

B) Image Block

1. Drag an Image Block into the email.
2. Upload your image, or if you’ve already uploaded images to SFMC, select one from the image library.
3. Add alt text to the image for better accessibility.

C) Button Block

1. Drag a Button Block into your email.
2. Add a button label (e.g., “Shop Now”).
3. Link the button to a URL (e.g., a landing page or product page).
4. Customize the button’s style (e.g., color, border radius).

D) Dynamic Content Block

• Dynamic Content Blocks allow you to display content based on conditions (e.g., user behavior, purchase history, subscriber attributes).

To create dynamic content:

1. Drag a Dynamic Content Block into the email.
2. Define the rules (e.g., if the subscriber is from a specific region, show a specific offer).
3. Add content variations for each rule.

Example of Dynamic Content Rule:

• If the Loyalty_Tier is Gold, show a message like:
  • “Enjoy 20% Off Your Next Purchase”
• If Loyalty_Tier is Silver, show:
  • “15% Off Your Next Purchase”

E) HTML Block

1. Drag an HTML Block into the email.
2. Paste your custom HTML code for complex layouts.
3. You can also add AMPscript or personalization tokens inside HTML blocks.

F) Social Block

1. Drag a Social Block into the email.
2. Select the social media platforms you want to include (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).
3. Customize the icon style and link to your social profiles.

G) RSS Block

1. Drag an RSS Block into the email.
2. Provide the URL to the RSS feed.
3. SFMC will automatically pull the latest posts or articles, which will appear in the email.

H) Video Block

1. Drag the Video Block into your email.
2. Add a link to a hosted video (e.g., YouTube or Vimeo).
3. Ensure your email clients support video embedding (not all email clients support it).

3. Personalizing Content Blocks

• Personalization Strings: Use SFMC’s personalization strings to pull data about each subscriber (e.g., %%FirstName%%, %%emailaddr%%).
• AMPscript: Use AMPscript to create more advanced personalization logic and dynamic content.

Example of AMPscript for personalized offers:

%%[VAR @offerSET @offer = AttributeValue(“Loyalty_Tier”)IF @offer == “Gold” THEN  SET @message = “Enjoy 20% Off Your Next Purchase!”ELSEIF @offer == “Silver” THEN  SET @message = “Get 15% Off Your Next Purchase!”ELSE  SET @message = “Here’s 10% Off Your Next Purchase!”ENDIF]%%<p>Your personalized offer: %%=v(@message)=%%</p>

4. Preview and Test Your Email

• Preview your email by clicking the Preview button in SFMC. This allows you to see how the email will appear in a subscriber’s inbox.
• Test the email by sending it to yourself or a test group. Ensure all dynamic content, links, and personalization are working properly.

5. Save and Send

• Once you’re satisfied with your content blocks and the email design, save your email.
• You can then proceed to send the email, schedule it, or set up an automated email campaign.

Best Practices for Using Content Blocks

1. Reusability: Create standardized content blocks (e.g., headers, footers, disclaimers) to use across campaigns.
2. Mobile Optimization: Ensure your content blocks are mobile-responsive, especially for images and buttons.
3. Consistent Branding: Use consistent colors, fonts, and styles across your content blocks for brand uniformity.
4. Personalization: Make your emails more engaging by dynamically adjusting content based on the subscriber’s data (name, preferences, location, etc.).
5. Test Dynamic Content: Always test dynamic content to make sure the correct variations are being shown to the right audience.

Conclusion

By leveraging content blocks in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, you can create highly customizable and modular email templates that are personalized, responsive, and easy to update. The combination of drag-and-drop blocks, dynamic content, and personalization gives you complete flexibility in building powerful and targeted email campaigns.