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Google regularly releases new Gmail features that enhance the experience of sending and receiving emails. One exciting new feature allows Google Workspace users to easily create branded emails using professional newsletter templates in Gmail.
This guide will walk you through how to use this feature to create stunning branded emails for your audience right in Gmail.
<a href="#use-branded-emails-gmail" class="anchor-link">How to create professional-looking branded emails in Gmail</a>
<a href="#why-use-layouts-gmail" class="anchor-link">Why use layouts to create branded emails in Gmail?</a>
<a href="#use-gmail-newsletter-templates" class="anchor-link">Using Gmail newsletter templates in Streak’s mail merge feature</a>
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Launched in August 2022 for Google Workspace users, the branded newsletter templates in Gmail make it possible to build professional newsletters and other branded emails with just a few clicks.
To use Gmail layouts, follow these steps:
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Open Gmail and click “Compose” in the top left to write a new email.
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At the bottom of the compose window, click the button that looks like a collage (or a Streak logo…). When you hover over it, the button should say “Choose layout."
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When you click the button, you’ll see previews of the 10 different layout templates on the left side of the screen, each with a title like “Call to action” or “Announcement.” You can click on each one to see a larger preview of it on the right.
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If it’s your first time using the branded email templates, click “Default styling” in the bottom left corner.
On the next screen, you can customize aspects of your layouts that will apply to all templates. These include:
You can change these at any time, but once you customize your layouts to match your company branding you shouldn’t have to edit these details often.
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Don’t forget this part! When you’re done customizing the designs, click “Save & continue.” You will see the changes you just made reflected in the template previews.
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Select the layout you like and click “Insert.” The layout will appear in the body of the email.
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Now that your layout is in the email, you can customize each section, including text, images, links, and buttons. Click on each section of the layout to see your customization options.
If there’s a button in the layout, make sure to add a link to the button so it takes readers to the intended page.
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Think about how many emails you receive in a day. It’s most likely a lot.
Your email recipients are probably facing similarly crowded inboxes, so you have to make sure your emails are worth paying attention to. Creating professional, branded emails is one of the best ways to do that.
Using newsletter templates in Gmail requires less effort than other email marketing tools, saving you time and frustration.
If you’re still not sold on the value of branded emails, consider these benefits:
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Emails can act as your brand’s first impression with potential new customers. To create the strongest possible first impression, your email should be professional and recognizable from your brand to avoid being seen as spam. A striking branded email will help you achieve that effect.
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Branded emails help convey your professionalism and experience to your audience, increasing your brand’s credibility. Which would you trust more: a plain text email with no branding whatsoever or an eye-catching email with a brand logo and business contact information?
The answer is clear.
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Over time, if you continually send branded emails with a clear logo and brand colors, you’ll grow brand recognition for your business. Your audience will increasingly associate the colors and logo with your brand and your brand may come to mind when they’re searching for products or solutions in your market.
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Branded newsletter templates in Gmail are very useful, but they’re even more powerful when you use them in Streak’s mail merge feature.
With mail merge, you can use Gmail’s branded email templates to send newsletters and other promotional emails to your entire contact list at once.
To do so, follow these steps:
Once you send the mail merge, you’ll be able to see the promotions and newsletters you have sent to each contact in each Streak box as well as the mail merge lists in Streak. Note that mail merge variables and Streak snippets don’t currently work with the Gmail layouts.
If you haven’t used Streak before, you can install Streak for free to send your first mail merge with Gmail layouts today.