Events can be a great way to generate and nurture leads for your business.  A number of elements that go into setting up online registration for an event, as well as promotions to attract people to register. Voodoo lets you manage your events painlessly.

Let’s say you have a multi-city roadshow and you’re responsible for the whole shebang. Voodoo handles it all with ease and eliminates unnecessary calls and emails to your event staff in each location.

• Set up separate invitations and registrations for each city with simultaneous centralized and local registration management.
• Set up local events to send real-time notifications to whomever you need—so Denver’s conference center knows to expect 332 attendees, and Dallas' caterer is ready to serve 210.
• Automated reminders keep people pumped up and ensure maximum attendance.    

After the event, using capture forms, list automation, and message templates, you’ll reach out with unique content tailored precisely to those who attended and those who didn’t.

Voodoo is a great tool to use for any events, for both the registration process and the pre-event promotion. There are many different ways to utilize Voodoo for your events, and this post will walk you through a set up for the most common and simplified way. 

Keep in mind once you set up one event in Voodoo, you can easily make a copy of everything for your next event.

1) Create your Email Templates:

Initial Invitation Email - the email that will go out to the list of all contacts you invite to your event

Registration Confirmation - the email that will be sent automatically after a contact registers for the event

Reminder of Event - a reminder automatically sent to contacts that have registered for the event, reminding them of the event, and including all the pertinent details

2)  Create Contact Lists:

Contact List for the Initial Invitation - everyone who should receive the invitation email

Create an Empty Contact List to collect the Event Registrations in your Sales Funnel - for those who fill out the registration form, and who will receive the confirmation email and reminder. See Step 3.  

3)  Create a Sales Funnel:

The Sales Funnel is what you will use to build your registration (contact) form, and schedule your confirmation and reminder emails.  Be sure to enable the funnel by clicking the Enable box.  

Attach the Registration Contact List to the Funnel.  Any contacts who fill out the registration form will be added to this contact list.

Create your Contact form in the Sales Funnel on the Contact Form tab.  Be sure to Enable it by checking the box. Add your content using the Page Header, Form Header, Page Footer and Confirmation Page. Also here is where you select what form fields you want to include on the form. Be sure to Save.

Also copy the URL, so you can paste it into your Inititial Invitation Email (it will link to the registration form).

Add Your Confirmation Email Template and Reminder Email Template to the Sales Funnel. 

Don't forget to hit Save.  Once your funnel is set up and enabled, be sure to fully test all components before you send your Initial Invitation email.

Also, once you have set up a Sales Funnel for an event, you can easily copy an entire funnel to use as a template for your next event. 

One thing to keep in mind when copying funnels: you should always create a new Event Registration List for your new funnel.  Also, your new funnel will have a new and different capture form URL you will need to copy into your new Initial Invitation as a link to the registration form.

Business Builder, Email Templates & Image Library, New Feature, Sales Funnels & Auto Scheduler events, registration, email reminders, sales funnels

Voodoo lets you create Trackable Links to any internet content and track exactly who clicks on the links in your email campaigns.

But did you know, you can also upload a file and make it trackable? Upload items not otherwise available on the web such as private whitepapers, reports, other PDF files, audio files and more.  Each file you upload becomes trackable and can generate Automated Action Alerts to notify you about click-throughs in real time.
 
A powerful use of this feature is for Add-to-Calendar links. When contacts sign up for an event, they like being able to click a link or button to add the event to my calendar. That way, they get easy access to event details right in their calendar.  Now you can leverage this functionality for event invitations and confirmations you send from Voodoo.
 
The screen capture below shows how Voodoo customer Trans-West inserts an Add-to-Calendar button on the email confirmation each event attendee receives after they register for an event.


 
So Voodoo Business Builder users, let’s find out how to set up one of these links for your next event.
 
Voodoo Feature #399 – Creating an Add-to-Calendar Trackable Link

The three main steps are:

Create an iCalendar (.ics) file and save it to your computer, create a trackable link and insert the trackable link into your email template. 

1) Create an iCalendar (.ics) file:

Every email client is a little different so you may need to access your help documentation.
Here is a link explaining how to create .ics files from Microsoft Outlook.

In Outlook, you create the event in your calendar, forward it, then use Save As to download the .ics file onto your computer.  This is the file you will later upload to make a Trackable Link.

2) Create a Trackable Link:

a) Access Trackable Links from Customize Email icon or the QuickLinks drop down menu on the Dashboard

• Enter a Link Name - this is for your reference only
• Enter Custom Tag Name - this is for your reference only
• Enter Link URL - Click Upload File and upload the iCal file you saved on your computer
• Add a Description - this is for your reference only
• Enter Link Display Text - this is the text that will appear on your email template. 
• Note - as an alternative to Display Text, you can upload an image to use as a click-through link (i.e. an Add to Calendar button by using the Image icon in the toolbar shown below.)

d) Click Save

3) Insert the Trackable Link into Email Template

1) Access the Email Template

2) Scroll below the email content to the Voodoo options

3) Click the drop down box for the Trackable Link option

4) Select the Link you just created

5) Place your cursor in the email template exactly where you wish to place the link

6) Click the Insert button next to the Trackable Link Option

7) Save your email template.  Be sure to Preview your template and test the link.

Your Add-to-Calendar link is now inserted into your email. 

Voodoo Business Builder users, give it a try right now by logging into your Voodoo account.  And eVideo Launcher users, well...this is yet another reason to upgrade to the full-featured version of Voodoo.

Email Templates & Image Library, New Feature, Video Library & Trackable Links, Business Builder add to calendar, event, invite

We've updated our HTML Editor. Clear your cache to load the new version.

If you build your own email templates in Voodoo, you'll love the subtle but important improvement we rolled out today.  The HTML editing toolbar has been updated for
greater stability and to produce cleaner HTML5 code behind the scenes.  It looks and feels familiar but will perform more predictably across all kinds of browsers. 

To see the newest toolbar, simply refresh your browser.   This will force the new icon images to download.  In most cases, simply pressing the F5 key does the trick. 
(If not, you'll want to clear your browser cache manually.  Check your browser's Help menu and search under "clear cache" or "clear browser cache").

Click here to log in, clear your cache and make some magic.

Business Builder, Email Templates & Image Library, eVideo Launcher, New Feature html editor, clear cache

Let's explore a vital step in your communications process: testing your emails.  Why is this so important?  Well, it's happened to all of us. We craft the "perfect" email only to discover a typo or incomplete link after it's been broadcast to a large number of recipients.

This feature tip contains the steps you should take to test your email campaigns before you send them out.

Voodoo offers multiple ways to test emails.  You can Preview the email from the email template, send a test email right from the template editor (Sales Magic Users), or build an actual campaign to send the email to a test list you have created.  These are all useful features to get you through the creative and testing processes.

By far the best way to test your emails (we cannot stress this enough) is the last of those 3 options.  Always send an actual Test Campaign to your test list (including yourself) before sending to a larger group. This will allow you (and/or other team members) to click through to check your video, survey or trackable links, your tracking stats, etc.  You'll receive the real campaign email, see exactly what your contacts will see, and make sure everything is working perfectly.  It's that easy to avoid heartbreak and embarrassment!

Voodoo Feature #222 - Previewing and Testing Emails

eVideo Launcher users: to create your internal test list and fully test your email templates follow these steps:

1)  Login to your account and access the Email Template.

2)  On Step 2.  Choose Recipients, select to enter your test contacts one at a time.

3)  Name your contact list so you can easily identify it as your permanent test list (i.e. Testing, Testing Only).

4)  You’ll use this small test list to send your campaigns to yourself and/or other colleagues so enter your testers' email information (email, first name, last name, company name). Click Next.

5)  Add any personalization you would like to test.  Click Next.

6)  Preview your email and launch your test email by clicking Send Campaign.

7)  Check your email for typos and be sure to test all the links.

8)  Once tested you can send out your broadcast to your larger group of recipients.

Campaign Manager users: to create your internal test list and fully test your email templates follow these steps:

1)  Access your Contact Lists and click Add New Contact List.

2)  Name your contact list so you can easily identify it as your test list (i.e. Testing, Testing Only).  Click Save.

3)  Click on the Contacts tab and Click Add Contact.  Enter the details for your testers and click Add.

4)  After you have created your email template (and saved it), from the template you can first preview the email.  Click the Preview Email button to see how your email looks and how your embedded links are performing. These previews contain your active links, so you can test and make sure each link will take your recipients right where you intend them to go.

5)  You can also Send Test Email directly from the email template.  Just click the Send Test Email button to send yourself a copy of the template to check its content, formatting and video link, as delivered to your in-box. Note: This test email is NOT identical to an actual campaign broadcast: 

It does not have a reference Contact List to access for the RecipientFirstName and other custom fields.   

Because of this missing active content, the test is more likely to get identified as junk or SPAM.

The test delivery will NOT be monitored in your tracking stats. It’s for your reference only.

6)  Because step 5 will not give you an email that is identical to the one broadcasted, it's important to send an identical one to your test list.  Access the Campaign Wizard or Build/Send Campaign and send your email template to your internal test list to see exactly what your recipients will see.

7)  Check your email for typos and be sure to test all the links.

8)  Once tested you can send out your broadcast to your larger group of recipients.

After creating your internal test list one time, you will use it over and over again.

Build Campaigns, Business Builder, Email Templates & Image Library, eVideo Launcher, New Feature preview, test, testing

Video is the most powerful way to tell a story.  Personalized and custom-branded video content makes your messages feel more relevant to the people who receive your communications via Voodoo.  

But there's more to Voodoo than video!  Let's take a look at a Sales Magic feature proven to increase your email open rates and click-throughs:

Voodoo Feature - Using Custom Merge Fields in your Subject Lines

It's easy to leverage this type of personalization in your Voodoo campaigns.  When creating or editing an email template here's what you do:

1) Locate the Subject field for your email template.

2) Put your cursor where you want to merge personalized information.

3) Select the custom merge field you want from the Insert Custom Field drop-down list.

4) After making your selection, you will see the custom field name (e.g., RecipientFirstName) right where the merged data will appear in your email Subject line.

5) Don't forget to Save your template.

Of course, if you plan to use first names in your Subject lines, make sure you have first names in your Contact List!

Campaign Manager users, give it a try right now by logging into your Voodoo account.  And eVideo Launcher users, this is just one more reason to consider upgrading to the full-featured version of Voodoo. 

Business Builder, Email Templates & Image Library, New Feature custom merge fields, subject line

Voodoo has performed numerous strategic A/B/C tests to determine what Email Styles, and what type of embedded links produce the best results.

Even experienced marketers assume “text-only” emails will be perceived as boring and, therefore, less likely to generate click-throughs.  Voodoo statistics from hundreds of campaigns confirm the opposite is true.  The key is keeping text-based emails brief and authentically personal, so they don’t feel like a form email.  

We tested the following three Email Styles:

Personal Email—similar to a note you’d receive from a friend.  It contains a personal-sounding subject line, merged recipient first name, text-only content, with an overall casual tone.

Semi-Personal Email—like a note you’d receive from a friend, but with a bit more “professional” graphic content.  It contains a personal-sounding subject line, merged recipient first name, text with some HTML graphic content, with an overall casual tone.

Commercial Email—like most commercial emails you receive from established companies, with some added personalization.  It contains a promotional subject line, merged recipient first name, all HTML graphic content, with an overall promotional tone.

Are text links, video play buttons or product photos more likely to encourage click-throughs?  

Statistics: Click-Throughs by Email Type and Link Type

Personal Email

43%     Text link (within body copy)
31%     Video Play Button (showing frame from video)
26%     Product Photo only

Semi-Personal Email
39%     Text link
34%     Video Play Button
27%     Product Photo

Commercial Email
37%     Video Play Button
36%     Text link
27%     Product Photo

Comment: This appears to indicate that people respond most readily when the Style and type of link are consistent.  Text-based Personal Emails would normally and naturally include a text link, while HTML-heavy Commercial Emails are expected contain a video play graphic.  

Which type of email gets the best Deliverability and Response rates

(i.e., Opens and Click-throughs to watch related videos)?

Average Deliverability Rates* (as a percentage of total sends):
97%     Personal Email
93%     Semi-Personal Email
86%     Commercial Email

*This drop in deliverability is caused by the inclusion of additional “active” HTML content/links and promotional keywords.  ISP algorithms identify this content as typically “commercial,” and therefore likely to be spam or junk.

Comment: Personal Email is the clear winner here, as “lighter” HTML content is more ISP-friendly and likely to make it all the way to the in-box of the recipient.

Average Open Rates (as a percentage of total sends):
27%     Personal Email
23%     Semi-Personal Email*
8%       Commercial Email**

*The drop for Semi-Personal Email is directly attributable to the drop in deliverability rates, as the tested subject lines were identical to their Personal Email counterparts
**The Commercial Email drop is much larger than the drop in deliverability rates and therefore indicates a greater skepticism and lack of response to email which is perceived as promotional, even when coming from an approved sender

Average Click-Through Rates (as a percentage of total opens):
11%     Personal Email
9%       Semi-Personal Email
2%       Commercial Email

Voodoo’s Conclusion:  Keep it Personal!

Our statistics make it clear that the most effective way to communicate is the one that feels the most personal, i.e., a Personal Email with a Text Link to your video.  The Personal Email produces the highest Deliverability, Open and Click-Through rates.  What’s more, using this style of email, using a simple Text Link to your video is likely to produce 12% higher click-through than the next-best option. 

Business Builder, Email Templates & Image Library, eVideo Launcher, Tracking Statistics email statistics, benchmarks, kpi, testing, results