Emma by Marigold is The University of Alabama’s platform for external email marketing and mass communications. For Student Life departments who need access to Emma, please complete the Emma request form below.
Access
Before submitting your request, identify who on your team needs access and which access level is appropriate. For each user, you will need to include their mybama username and indicate whether they are a student or staff member. There are three different access levels available to Student Life departments:
Editor
Can create mailings, export contacts and edit Audience settings. Editors cannot send mailings. This is the highest level of access available.
Author
Can create mailings but cannot send them. Authors cannot export contacts or edit Audience settings.
Response Only
Cannot create or edit mailings. This access level is limited to reviewing stats and working in the Response tab.
How to Sign In
Once access is granted, our team will email you to confirm. Use your mybama credentials to sign in.
Emma Approval Requests
As part of Student’s Life commitment to compliance with accessibility standards and brand management, all student life emails will be reviewed by the communications team before they can be sent. Once you have created your campaign in Emma, make sure you review our checklist for submitters. To submit your campaign for review, simply create your email and schedule it. It will automatically be routed to our team for review.
Turnaround Time
Due to the high volume of requests, please allow up to 2 business days for Emma approval requests to be processed.
Once your request has been approved or rejected, you will receive an email from Emma with comments outlining any updates made or additional items that must be addressed.
Accessibility Review for Attachments
If your newsletter includes attachments such as PDFs or PowerPoint presentations, those files will also require an accessibility review. Depending on the length and complexity of the files, this might delay the review process.
To avoid delays, please submit all attachments in advance through the Design Approval Request Form. Be mindful of the amount of content being submitted close to your deadline.
Checklist for Submitters
Headings
- Use the Title block for headings and make sure they follow a logical order.
- Each newsletter should only include one Heading 1 (H1). All additional section headings should use Heading 2 (H2) or Heading 3 (H3)
- Hero images should not replace headings. If a hero image includes heading text, include the same text as a live heading within the newsletter.
Images
- Add alt text to all images and keep it under 150 characters.
- If an image contains text, include the same information in the surrounding text.
- Avoid uploading transparent images; use images with solid backgrounds to ensure they display properly in both light and dark mode.
Links & Buttons
- Use descriptive hyperlink text so readers understand where the link will take them
- Underline button text to clearly indicate that it is clickable.
Writing & Readability
- Use bulleted or numbered lists when appropriate to improve readability.
- Avoid using all caps, as some screen readers may read the text letter by letter instead of as words.