Using marker symbol to point at the polygon instead of the leader line?

Question

I am labelling polygons in ArcMap (10.5, standart licence, using Maplex). In case the label does not fit in the polygon I want to use marker symbol (triagle, like an arrow) to point! at the polygon the label refers to - to use this instead of the leader line

• for what I want it to look like see green triangles on the right picture (triangle being next to the label and pointing the direction where the "label's" polygon is!!) (vs clasical arrow leader line - see black line with red arrow on the left picture):

• I tried to use leader with line decoration (like on the left pict.) to make it arrow leader and chosen the color of the leader line to white and the smallest line width ("no color" led in leader nor triangle showed up!). That actually helped but the tringle stayed (as expected) at the same position - but it needs to be next to the label!

• I thought of finding a way how to set a leader line length and setting that to a really small number so that it was not (or barely) visible - but did not find the way to make this possible to set;
  see also Way to set a label leader line length (not using annotation) in ArcGIS Desktop?

I want just one marker sign per label.
The solution should be useful also for situations where all the labels cannot be at the same direction from the polygon.
I cannot use annotations for this unless the whole thing stays dynamic.
I do not want the labels to be too far from the polygon border, say max. offset around 25 pts (to be able to place the arrow too).

Answer 1

I hope i understand what you want.

Option1: - Open Layer properties and select Label tab - select symbol button - select edit symbol - select Advanced text tab (The below Image)

- Under the Text Background button, click properties.You see the editor

window.Select marker Text Background (Show in the below image)

• Select Symbol button. type "triangle" and search symbols.
• click ok twice. In the editor window, General Tab, you can change the triangle symbol position with X offset and Y offset.

Opthion 2:

Create a new label class :

• layer properties => label tab => Method: Define classes of features and label...

• Click Add button and create a new label class.

• Label this class with text background (select a triangle symbol) same as the option1. In the general tab of the Editor window, change color to No color.
• Set default label class to your labels (text). Now you can change positions and other settings of these two labels: Layer Properties => Label tab =>Label styles In Label Style Selector window => click properties => Placement Properies.