How to Share Content to Different Social Networks Dynamically in Social Forward

Prerequisites

This example assumes that you have an attribute in a subscriber list or sendable data extension named SocialNetwork. The information contained in that attribute for each subscriber determines which social network icon that subscriber views. You should also be familiar with creating and using dynamic content. Please read about dynamic content if you're not already familiar. 

Why Share Content to Different Social Networks Dynamically

Depending on your subscribers' preferences, they may prefer to use only certain social networks to share content. Subscribers may also maintain accounts on only certain social networks and will not use additional icons included in their emails. You can share different content areas with users depending on their SocialNetwork attribute value.

For example, you can set up a default content area that applies to all social networks.

However, if your subscriber has stated a social network preference for MySpace, you can send them content specific for only that social network.

The same email send could also include content specific to Facebook or another social network.

Using dynamic content in conjunction with Social Forward allows you to determine which subscribers receive certain content and where they can share that content.

How to Create a Content Area for Each Social Network

Follow these steps to create content to share with different social networks:

1. Click the Content tab. 
2. Click my contents and click Create Content.
3. Enter the name of your content box and choose the location of your content. Click Next.
4. Choose the content box of your choice, select the type of content you wish to enter, and enter your content.
5. Click the Edit menu and select Social Properties. Click the Allow Content To Be Shared checkbox.
6. Enter the name of the shared content slot and the title and description of the web page to be shared. You can also select a CSS stylesheet to modify the appearance of the shared web page.
7. Click OK.
8. Click the Insert menu and select Social Forward.
9. Select the social network with which you want to share the social content slot and choose the appropriate content slot in the dropdown menu. Click OK when you're finished.
10. Click Save.
11. Repeat these steps for each social network or combination of social networks with which you want to share content.

Note: Be sure to create a default content section in case a subscriber doesn't have a social network preference or has listed a preference for which you haven't created content.

How to Set Up the Dynamic Content Area

Follow these steps to create the dynamic content area containing the social content to be shared:

1. In your email, click the content area you want to hold the dynamic content and select Create Dynamic Content.
2. In the dropdown menu at the top of the Dynamic Content window, choose the subscriber list or sendable data extension that contains the SocialNetwork attribute.
3. In the Default Content section, click Browse and select the content displayed if there are no matches for a subscriber's preferred social network.
4. For the dynamic content rules, click the first dropdown menu and select Social Network.
5. In the second dropdown menu, select Is Equal To.
6. In the third dropdown menu, select the social network for which you created a content area.
7. Click the Browse button under the rule and select the content that corresponds to the social network you choose in step 6.
8. Click Add Rule and add another rule for each social network for which you have content.
9. When you have covered all of your social networks, click OK. The dynamic content area will display the default content you have specified.

The email will display the correct dynamic content area based on the subscriber's preference from the subscriber list or sendable data extension.