Create Snow Report Emails

This article is for clients using Ascent360's ESP (email platform) who want to create a snow report and/or powder alert email. Pre-requisite: you should have a page on your website already built that houses your snow report and/or current snow conditions.

There are four main tasks to complete:

  1. Create a Snow Report Signup Form in Landing Page Builder
  2. Create your Segments in Audience Builder
  3. Create the Email in Email Designer
  4. Automate the Email in the Email Sending Steps

Task 1: Create a Snow Report Signup Form

Navigate to Landing Page Builder using the left side bar. Click to create a new form

We recommend you include the following fields at minimum:

  • Email Address
  • First Name
  • Snow Report Amount -- this allows people to opt-in to receive a powder alert email (if you receive either 3", 6" or 12" of snowfall on a given day) 
  • Snow Report Day -- this allows people to sign up to receive snow reports on certain days every week

Sample Snow Report & Powder Alert Form:

You can also omit the snow report amount and snow report day fields if you want the subscribers to receive a snow report every day of the week

It's important to capture opt-in status on this form, so when someone submits the form, their email permission status is "Yes" (or "opted in"). Talk to your CSM or to the Help Desk if you need assistance with this step. 

Once your form is finalized, you'll need to embed the form code onto your website. 

Task 2: Create your Segments in Audience Builder

On the left side bar, click Audience > Audience Builder. This is where you will create your audiences, aka "segments".  

Use the following fields:

  • Email Permission
  • Snow Report Day - use this field for daily snow reports
  • Snow Report Amount - use this field for powder alerts

If you are sending "day of the week" snow reports -- you'll need 7 audiences total; one per day of the week.  Here is a sample audience, or segment, for people who sign up for Saturday snow reports:

If you are sending a daily snow report to everyone (no "day of the week" preference was given to subscribers) -- you'll need just 1 audience. 

Depending on how you set up the form, your audience would incorporate: email permission = yes  AND  Source Name = name of your snow report form.

Once you have created your audience(s), you're ready for the next step.

Task 3: Create your Snow Report Emails

In the Email Designer, create a new design. Follow the steps outlined in this article to set up "page scrape" functionality within the email. 

If you are sending "day of the week" snow reports -- Make sure you have an email created for each day of the week (you'll need 7 total). 

If you are sending a daily snow report to everyone (no "day of the week" preference was given to subscribers) -- You just need one email.

Send a few tests, then you're ready for the final step.

Task 4: Automate the Emails

Complete the email sending steps to automate your snow report emails. 

If you are sending "day of the week" snow reports -- in the "schedule" sending step, make sure you select weekly recurrence and the appropriate day of the week. For example, for a Saturday snow report, I would configure it like this:

If you are sending a daily email to everyone (no "day of the week" preference was given to subscribers) -- you will only automate one email. It would have a daily recurrence, like this:  

Once you complete the sending steps, your emails will go out according to the schedule.