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How to get Team CMC what we need & how we need it:
Email Copy via G-Docs
In most cases, new copy or copy that was previously used but requires substantial edits (beyond date changes or similar light adjustments) should be shared with us via a Google Doc or G-Doc.
You may add a new document to your folder on the CMC Drive, Please log in to view your G-Drive folder link.
If you create the doc on your own G-Drive, please make sure you share it, including full edit privileges, with the following CMC team members:
Please log in to view the list of email addresses.
If you are re-using email copy from a different campaign/workflow or a different version of the campaign/workflow, you may choose to have us push a copy of all emails from the old campaign into a new one and then have your copy editor edit the copy directly from the campaign canvas or flow setup.
If you are not sure the best way to handle copy for a specific Work Request or scenario, please connect with CMC Project Manager via Slack, and tag Hannah, who can guide you.
Elements that need to be included on the G-doc:
Campaign (Marketing Funnel or Delivery) Emails Organized by Sequence
- Use the g-docs that have been set up and provided to you, paying close attention to which emails go on a specific doc based on the g-doc’s title.
- If we have not provided you with pre-made G-docs for your emails, the title of the G-doc should be the same as the campaign or offer to which it applies and the purpose. Example: “Emails to invite the list to register,” “Emails to follow up to attend the event,” etc.
URL(s) for the CTA(s)
Usually, a campaign/workflow sequence will have a single CTA with one URL that all emails will use. However, if you have more than one CTA, or precisely what text in the email copy you would like to be hyperlinked is not absolutely clear, please note the placement of the hyperlink AND to which URL that text or image should route.
Bottom line: too much detail is better than too little. If there’s a chance of confusion, please provide additional info related to the placement of hyperlinks.
Order of email in the sequence
NOTE: the order of the emails in the campaign/workflow should correspond to the order of the email on the G-doc, but including a label helps to ensure accuracy, especially for long or complex campaigns.
Example: Email 1 or Invite to List 1
Date the email is to deploy OR the number of days to delay from the previous email or campaign/workflow action:
Subject: Email Subject
Sub-subject: Email Sub-subject
Email content should include ALL desired formatting such as columns, linebreaks, paragraph breaks, and style formatting (colored font, bold, italics, etc.)
Note: if you want text hyperlinked that is not clearly a CTA, such as “click here,” please also note what should be hyperlinked by placing pointed brackets at the beginning and end, <like this.> We will add the hyperlink and remove the brackets.
Images OR notation of image location
Note: the actual image files won’t be ripped from the G-doc as the resolution will be poor. The image files should still be provided per the instructions below.
Your Preferred Signature
P.S., closing CTA, or similar as desired below the signature
A note about new versus recycled/re-used/repurposed copy:
How to most efficiently handle re-using copy that has been utilized for a different but still active funnel, an old funnel, a date-dependent funnel that is being converted to evergreen, or any of a number of possible scenarios will be up to the CMC project manager to determine.
In most cases (unless there is a change from one email marketing system to another, CMC will duplicate the old emails into the new funnel “as-is,” then the client team will edit to bring them current. If there is a change of system or the emails require substantial re-working, CMC may request that the emails be uploaded to a g-doc, edited to current specs, then CMC will load them into the new funnel as if they were brand new emails.
Webpages that are reused, either in whole or in part, will be evaluated with the same eye to the most efficient method for achieving the desiered end result.
CMC is not responsible for editing or updating pre-existing copy to current status, including dates, references, and/or links.
Landing and Sales Page Copy & Similar
In most cases, by the time copy is being written, the basic layout, including the identified sections of the page and what type of copy is needed, is already set and available to use as a guide.
Based on the layout, the g-sheet for webpage copy should include:
The working title for the copy
Example: “Registration page for 1-2-3 Webinar”
Section notation in square brackets
Examples: [Hero Section], [Benefits Section], etc.
The copy for the section under the [Section Title]
Note: you can include basic formatting for clarity or guidance as to how it should appear once on the page such as centered text, bullets, etc., but the majority of the formatting will be determined once the copy is on the page. You do NOT need to make the g-sheet approximate the desired end result.
Images
- Format: JPG (jpeg)
- PNG only IF the image requires a clear background
- DPI no greater than 72 px/in
- Dimensions* in px no larger than 1.5x the size they’ll be displayed in the application intended.
As a point of reference, a typical email template is 600px wide. - Website hero images – for desktop presentation, 2560px x 1080px or a 16:9 ratio (the same as a video cover image) is a good starting point. The mobile version will vary depending on the design elements that need to be presented on a small screen. Sometimes the same image as used for desktop can work, but other times, not. Scale up if you are not sure because we can reduce if needed. If you are not sure what size, please ask!*
- For branded program images, in particular, for use in a portal, we will typically need the following sizes:
– 600px x 600px
– 900px x 600px
– 1200px x 300px
Other image sizes based on application:
- Video Overlay: 800px x 450px
- Woocommerce Shop Display: 1500px x 1500px 96 dpi (Note: this resolution is slightly higher than other types of images.)
Image files should be shared with CMC via:
- Dropped into ClickUp in your Client Task Request list: Log in to access your ClickUp List.
- Your CMC Dropbox folder, Log in for quick access your CMC Dropbox folder.
- A Dropbox folder shared with Team CMC (see “Copy” section at the top for list of email addresses for sharing.)
- Your folder on the CMC Google Drive, Please log in to access your G-Drive folder
A note about the hero and similar types of background images:
The responsive nature of modern websites dictates that background images, especially large format images designed to be positioned in the primary section above the fold, i.e., the “hero image,” should include background and supporting images only.
These images should NOT include text, copy, CTAs, buttons, or similar detail, as those will be added using the builder elements to ensure a quality presentation across multiple screen sizes.
Additionally, if the image includes a headshot (or anything you don’t want to cut off at the top), make sure to build in space above the headshot or critical element, as the image will get pushed up on larger screens.
Audios
Audios should be uploaded as mp3 or m4a files to Amazon S3. Team CMC will log into your Amazon S3 to access the URLs as required.
IF you have only a few audio files to host, and the files are relatively small, hosting on the site may be an option. However, Amazon S3 is preferred.
If you prefer us to upload your audio files, you can, but that step can be time-consuming and is usually not the best use of your hours. However, if you prefer to have us upload or need to have us upload, please push your mp3 or m4a audio files to your CMC-client Dropbox folder.
*Please do not provide iCloud-hosted files, as this creates additional steps.
Amazon S3 is a simple, cost-effective cloud storage solution from Amazon Web Services.
CMC will need direct access, via your username and password, to your Amazon S3 account.
Amazon S3 can become unwieldy quickly. Organizing your AS3 Buckets and employing consistent nomenclature rules will ensure everyone can locate the correct file for your product, program, or service.
Buckets are the top-level organizing structure inside of your account. For course/program content, we recommend creating a unique Bucket for each, naming the bucket a short but recognizable version of the course/program name following Amazon’s rules for nomenclature (letters, digits, no spaces).
Once a Bucket is created, you can upload your files directly into the Bucket, or you can create Folders for further organization. In general, follow the organizational structure of the course/program or ask us for guidance.
Files may be uploaded in bulk. The most important thing to know about files is that Amazon will pull the file name at upload and incorporate that file name into the URL. You will not be able to adjust or change this after upload, so make sure your file names are as you want them before uploading.
Permissions can be set at the Bucket, Folder, or File level and must be set for Public access.
Videos
Video content, whether for marketing purposes or for product content, should be provided to us fully edited, and uploaded to one of the recommended hosting services below. If you need to send us raw video files, please let us know in advance that we will need to handle either editing, uploading, or both, for you to ensure we have the bandwidth to do so. **We do not have an in-house video editor, so while we can likely handle very basic editing, anything complex should be sent to someone for whom video editing is a specialty.
Like audios, videos must be hosted on a video-specific server, and either links or embed codes are utilized to add the video to your site. Preferred video hosting:
- Vimeo
Also suitable:
- YouTube (must have an upgraded account)
- Wistia
Not suitable:
- AmazonS3 (Note: it is ok to have a copy of your video content on AS3 as a backup, but it is not designed for streaming and is highly unreliable.)
- Zoom
- G-Drive
- Dropbox
- Crowdcast
Requirements may vary based on your specific needs as a client, but generally, global requirements include:
- Marketing videos should be free from controls. Just play and pause.
–No full-screen.
–No visible run-time.
–No downloads.
–No embed EXCEPT on designated sites. - Settings for videos that are behind a pay-wall will vary depending upon your needs but in general, will include:
–Full user-control options.
–Full-screen.
Please, follow the recommendations provided by CMC.