Inserting a Picture Using a URL

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You can make a Mailer interesting and informative by inserting pictures in it. You can insert a picture from a file or using a Web path (URL) or a Property.

You can perform this operation only in Mailers whose Template Type Property is Email.

In a Mailer, a Property can be used in the following ways:

•   To store the entire URL.

•   To store part of the URL in it, such as, just the file name.

Example   For example, http://www.mywebsite.com/<<Picture>>.gif. When the Mailer is opened by the Target, the Picture Property is updated to render the relevant picture.

•   To store different parts of the URL in it, such as, the name of the site and the file name.

Example   For example, http://www.<<WebSite>>/<<Picture>>. When the Mailer is opened by the Target, all the Properties inserted in the URL are updated to reflect the relevant value. In this example, the Website Property is updated with the name of the Web page, and the Picture Property is updated with the relevant picture for the Target.

Using a Property to insert a picture in a Mailer will not send the picture in the Mailer, thereby keeping the size of the Mailer manageable. The picture itself is rendered from the appropriate Web page when the Mailer is opened by the Target. The Target will not see the URL in the Mailer.

Talisma enables you to render different pictures using a single Mailer. To do so, you must create an additional Property for the base Object or Target Object, and insert this Property within a URL or use the Property to store the URL.

Example   WorldWaves wants to send information about its partner companies to its Targets. The information to be sent to all the Targets is the same, but the logo for each company is different. WorldWaves wants to create a single Mailer in which different pictures can be rendered for different Target groups. Creating a different Mailer for each of the partner companies would be very tedious and expensive. Worldwaves decides to insert the logos using a Property.

This feature is especially useful when you send out repeated Mailers with updated pictures.

Example   John Smith from WorldWaves wants to send Mailers with the logo of GoodShoes Inc to Targets in New York, and Mailers with the logo of BetterShoes Inc to Targets in Houston. He follows these steps: 1.  Creates a text type Property for the Target Object. For example, Company Name. 2.  Uses a Filter to identify the group of Targets in New York to whom the Mailer must be sent with the GoodShoes Inc. logo. 3.  Sets the value for the Company Name Property for the relevant Targets. To make this task easy, John can select multiple Targets and set this Property using a customized script. Please contact your administrator for more information about using scripts. 4.  Repeats steps 2 and 3 for the group of Targets from Houston, who must receive a Mailer with the BetterShoes Inc. logo. 5.  Inserts this Property in the URL. For example, http://www.mypictures.com/<<CompanyName>>.gif. 6.  Sends the Mailer. The Mailer is sent to each Target with the appropriate URL. The picture itself is not sent in the Mailer. It is rendered from the specified URL when the Target opens the Mailer.

To Insert a Picture Using a URL or a Property

1.  In the Mailer window, select the Message tab, and position the cursor in the Message area of the Mailer.

2.  From the Insert menu, select Picture, From URL.

The Talisma Insert Picture dialog box is displayed.

3.  In the Specify the URL of the picture area, type the URL or Web path where the picture is stored, and its file name. For example, http://www.mywebsite.com/mypicture.gif. You can also specify an FTP path instead of a URL.

4.  To insert a base Object or Target Property, click Insert Properties.

The Insert Properties dialog box is displayed with Properties of the Base Object. The List of Properties area lists the base Object and Target Objects, their associated Properties, and Properties of the Objects related to base Object and the Target.

5.  Click the plus sign (+) to view the Properties of the base Object or Target Objects.

6.  Select the base Object or Target Property to be inserted.

7.  Click Insert.

The selected Property is inserted. You can use this Property to store the entire URL, or parts of it. Repeat steps 4 through 7 to insert additional Properties.

8.  Click OK.

The URL and the inserted Properties are displayed in the Message area of the Mailer.

Note  •   When the Message type Property for a base Object is set to Text Type: ◦   If you use a Property to insert a Picture in a Mailer, the Property is displayed as a merge field in the Edit tab of the Mailer, but when the base Object item opens the Mailer, the link is displayed as text. ◦   If you add content to the Text tab of the Mailer, the Edit tab and Text tab are no longer synchronized, and only the content in the Text tab is sent to the Contact. •   To preview the Mailer when creating the Campaign Workflow, right-click the Send Mailer Node and select Preview Mail Merge. •   When a Target opens a Mailer with a picture that has been inserted using a URL, the picture is rendered only if the Target is online. •   If, instead of a Property, you type the Web path of a picture in the Insert Picture dialog box, the picture is inserted in the Mailer, and sent along with it.