Promotions are often the best way to display different content in your emails, web pages, SMS, and more. However, in some cases, it's easier and better to use a Variant Group Block instead of a Promotion.
Agillic's Best Practice for Using Promotion or Variant Group Blocks
Promotions
Promotions are great for showing different versions of content wrapped in the same layout. The layout of a Promotion is specific to the Content Block from your template. However, the content in each Proposition changes depending on how you configure it. For example, you can show different text or different images.
When using a Promotion, you can within 'Additional Settings' for the Promotion Block enable 'Collapse block' which ensures that the Promotion disappears if a recipient doesn't meet any of the Propositions in your Promotion. However, if you only have a single Proposition you should, in most cases, consider using a Target Group Block instead.
Pros
- The content for each Proposition is saved in the Promotion meaning it can be reused in other communications.
- Once you've set all of your Propositions, you can see a complete list of the versions you need in your email.
- Agillic remembers exposure activity for each recipient which you can use for reporting and in future configurations.
Cons
- You must use the same template block for each proposition meaning the layout of the content stays the same.
- You must create Promotion fields to house the different content for each proposition. Learn how to create a Promotion field.
Variant Group Block
A Variant Group Block is used to display content if a recipient is a part of a Target Group. If the recipient is not a part of any Target Groups, the Variant Group Block will collapse instead. You can set any variant as default. A default variant will be displayed to recipients that don't meet any of the other Target Groups.
Pros
- You can use different template Blocks for different versions of the content.
- Quick to set up once you've created the needed Target Groups.
Cons
- Content saves in the individual email/webpage and therefore you can't reuse the content unless the content is saved as a library Block. You can read more about working with library blocks here.
- The structure of multiple Target Groups in a Multi Content Block must be re-configured for each use unless it's saved to the library.
- Unlike a Promotion, Agillic doesn't log exposures for a Variant Group Block.
Promotion in a Variant Group block
A more advanced configuration in Variant Group Blocks can be set up by using Promotions within a variant. For example, you could use a Variant Group Block where the first variation is shown to any recipient without a preferred coffee type.
Any recipient left would continue to the next Block, where a Promotion shows different types, based on the recipient's preferred coffee type.