Create a Design Digest

The first idea that popped into my head was to aggregate all of the publication feeds that I wanted to read each morning. So I sat down, plugged in the RSS feed URLs into the code that I detailed below and set up the email to send to me every morning.

I can now wake up each morning and have a brand new email sitting in my inbox – which I DO actually check everyday – containing the two most recent articles from each of my favorite publications.

No more running News Feeds every morning. Now everything I want is sitting in the one place I do check everyday: my inbox.

How It Works

With a simple short code users can drop entire entries from any blog they want into an email. Plus, the number of sources is unlimited. Just drop in this code wherever you want the RSS feed to appear:

*|FEED:Feed URL [$count=Number of Posts Included]|*

Feed Merge Individual Items

If the default layout of the basic feed merge isn’t looking as clean as you would like, you’re in luck. The shortcode below will allow you to break the feed up into individual elements. That way you can actually have some aesthetic control over what you’re displaying.

*|FEEDBLOCK:URL|* *|FEEDITEMS:|*
INSERT INDIVIDUAL ITEMS HERE
 *|END:FEEDITEMS|* *|END:FEEDBLOCK|*

For a full list of individual items available in shortcode form – plus a much more in-depth tutorial on how to use this feature, head to the MailChimp support page.

Get Clever

Creating a simple and customized digest is just the tip of the iceberg with field merge. I took a real world problem and used this feature to fix it. To me, it’s a game changer. We now have the ability to:

1. Build a custom designed eblast with infinite dynamic content sources.
2. Aggregate relevant content the way YOU want it to be display and delivered.
3. Give your readers a wider range of related content during your outreach.
4. Build a daily relationship with your readers that adds value beyond your content.

If you’re curious about this feature or would like your clients to see a digest like this come from your company, contact us here. Questions or ideas? Please comment below.

Sign Up for the Vital Design Digest: Graphic Design Edition!