Voodoo's Trackable Link feature allows you to create a link to anything online, then you can embed it in your email template, survey or post to social media or website.  Having the link be "trackable" allows you to track the clicks to it using Voodoos  Reports and Statistics. 

But did you know that Voodoo Business Builder users can also upload a file to create a Trackable Link in the Trackable Link details screen? This allows users to easily add linked files (that are trackable) to your email templates.  

Just follow these steps to Upload a File to a Trackable Link:

1.  Login to your Voodoo account and access Trackable Links by either going to Customize Emails then Trackable Links or using the QuickLinks drop down menu.

2.  Click Add Trackable Link 

3.  Enter the information for your Trackable Link 

Link Name:  Enter a name for your Trackable Link. This name is only used for your reference in the system.

Custom Tag Name:  Enter a custom identifier name that will show up in your custom fields drop down menu when creating an email template

Link URL:  Here you will click upload a file (instead of using a link).  Select Upload File and browse to find the file on your computer.

Description: This will display a description for your trackable link that is used for your reference only.

Link Display Text: This is the text that will be displayed for the link to your custom Trackable Link. This is the text that will show in your email template. 

4.  Save the Trackable Link. 

6.  Now, when you are in your email template you can easily insert this Trackable Link into the text.  Scroll down below the email text and find the option for Trackable Link under the Customization & Tracking Options:

7.  Using the drop down menu select your Trackable Link and click Insert. Be sure to save your Email Template. 

Once you launch your campaign, visit My Reports to view stats on your Trackable Links. 

New Feature, Tracking Statistics, Video Library & Trackable Links, Business Builder tracking statistics, trackable link

Voodoo has now made it easier for eVideo Launcher users to preview their videos in their custom branded video frame

You can preview each of the emails and now also the videos that are associated with the specific campaign by clicking on the email & green play arrow button icons. 

Previewing the videos also allows for copying your unique branded and personalized video page URLs for "outside" Voodoo eLauncher use, creating text and graphic links in Websites, Landing Pages, Social Media & Email Signatures.

Just log into your eVideo Launcher accounts and start a new campaign.  In Step 1 where you choose your campaign you will now see green play arrow icons that you can click to preview your video.  Once the video opens you can easily copy the URL and use it anyway you choose.  

Build Campaigns, Email Templates & Image Library, New Feature, Video Library & Trackable Links, eVideo Launcher video, website, preview video, get video URL

Voodoo has just released another update to the system to improve the way users work with Custom Fields.

Campaign Manager users can now sort Custom Fields in the Custom Fields page and Contact Form’s Input Fields list using the drag and drop feature.

Just click on and drag the drag handle of any given row and drop it in the desired row position within the list.

From the Custom Fields Page: 

From the Contact Form’s Input Fields List: 

Business Builder, Contact / Database Lists, New Feature custom merge fields, custom fields

Data is the primary focus in technology today.  There are endless opnions on what you should track and store and how you should use that data. 

While every company's data needs are different, Voodoo has fields set up for the standard set of data most users need to communicate effectively. Common fields such as name, address, email, phone, website, etc. are stored within the Contact Record. 

Many Voodoo users don't realize you can expand on the standard set of fields built-in to Voodoo, by creating Custom Fields to store other important data about your contacts.

Voodoo customers often use Custom Fields to parallel data they have in other systems like their CRM.  For example, they store the Customer Number from their CRM into a Voodoo Custom Field, allowing them to easily align data from two systems.

Expanding on the data you store in Voodoo can benefit you greatly and make it easier to market to your lists. For example, storing the Product (or Type of Product) that a Prospect has shown interest in can allow you to easily create contact lists by this type, and then send out relevant content to this segment of your prospects. (Ready to get really advanced? Ask about Contact List Rules.  This special free feature allows automated sorting of contacts based on your choice of Custom Field criteria.)

Here's how to create  Custom Fields that will be used to store additional data in Voodoo:

Voodoo Feature #385 - The Power of Custom Fields

Campaign Manager Users: 

1) Login to your Voodoo account and access Custom Fields under the Manage section

 

2) Click the Add New Custom Field button

3) An Add New Custom Field window will open. Enter the Field Label Test, Custom Tag Name and then select the Field Type.

4) Click Save

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

Business Builder, Contact / Database Lists, New Feature custom fields

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

In Voodoo Feature #289 we talked about using customized videos from your Voodoo Video Library on your company website.  

This tip highlights some Voodoo customers who have implemented this feature.

The most flexible way to post videos on your company website is to place a small thumbnail image from the video on your website, then link the thumbnail to a Voodoo video.  When visitors click-through, they'll see a full-size version in your company's custom frame.

Partners Technology

Kudos to Partners Technology for leveraging their Voodoo library throughout their company website by using thumbnail images that link to each full-sized video.

Telexperts

Telexperts created a video library of all product videos placed under the Resources section of their company website. Website visitors can easily access all product videos in one convenient location.

Why not use your OWN customized videos to engage visitors and generate more leads from your website?  Here's how:

Voodoo Feature #289 - Using Customized Videos on Your Website

Work with your web designer to create a thumbnail image that is the ideal size for your website/webpage.  Next, link this thumbnail to your video (from your Voodoo video library). Follow these steps to obtain the URL for the video you wish to post:

1) Login to your eVideo Launcher account and click Start a New Campaign.
2) Your list of campaigns will appear, find the campaign that contains the video you would like to post and click the Preview Email icon to the right.

3) In the preview window for the email, click the link to access the video.
4) Copy the entire link from the URL bar at the top of your web browser window.

5) Since the URLs are often long we recommend you use the Google Link Shortener or
any number of other free services to make it short. 
6) Use this URL as the link from your thumbnail image that is displayed on your website.
7)  If you would like to use Voodoo's trackable links to track the link clicks on your website, please click here to read how to post Voodoo links on social media to learn how to set it up.

Voodoo Business Builder Users:

1)  Login and access My Videos.
2)  Click the green play arrow for the video you want to post.

3) Copy the entire link from the URL bar at the top of your web browser window.

4) Since the URLs are often long we recommend you use the Google Link Shortener or
any number of other free services to make it short. 
5) Use this URL as the link from your thumbnail image that is displayed on your website.
6)  If you would like to use Voodoo's trackable links to track the link clicks on your website, please click here to read how to post Voodoo links on social media to learn how to set that up.

eVideo Launcher, New Feature, Video Library & Trackable Links, Business Builder video, website

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