Overview
You need to follow a few steps to create an event invitation. Below is a list in the order we recommend following. You may also wish to watch the video below as an overview of the steps involved.
Contents
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Prepare a list of contacts
In InterAction create your marketing list as you would normally do.
Note: Make sure you include a RSVP additional field in your Marketing list. If you need to add dietary requirements or any other additional field, be sure to add them to your list.
Create the email invite
Follow the steps in this article to create your email. Make sure you include a Registration hyperlink / button that links to the RSVP form, so your contact can sign up to attend the event.
Setup the RSVP forms
The RSVP form allows the recipient to confirm their contact details and register for an event. As part of your Vuture setup we have created default RSVP forms for you to use.
There are two types of RSVP forms:
Prefilled RSVP
When your contact clicks the Registration button on the invitation, the RSVP Prefilled form pre-populates their contact details in the form, they simply accept or decline.
Blank RSVP
Is used when the invitation is forwarded and does not pre-populate the contact details.
To setup the RSVP Prefilled form
- In the Landing pages select the RSVP Prefilled
- Click on field on the form to open the Form Editor window
We recommended to make the First and Last name, and Email Address fields on this form Read only. That way if your recipient forwards or shares the invite with another person, the other person doesn't override the data. . The forwarded recipient would instead, click on a link to access the Blank RSVP Form, to submit their contact information and register to the event. We also recommended that you make these fields required.
Step 1: Click on the First Name field, place a check mark beside Read only and also select Required, then repeat for the Last Name and Email Address field.
Step 2: We now need to add a RSVP Additional Field.
- Click any field in the form to open the Form Editor.
- Choose Add a field tab and from select list select your Marketing List.
- Select the RSVP field from the Select InterAction Field drop down. We suggest that the RSVP field always be Required.
Note: The values for Additional fields may be edited in the Form Editor without affecting the values in InterAction. For example, the name of the field in IA could be “Diet” the Label on the form may read “Do you any dietary restrictions?”
- Click Add Field. This field will be added to the bottom of the form.
- Click onto the RSVP field to view the field settings and make this field required.
- While you are still on the RSVP field, you can decide whether you'd like to pre-check the Accept option to make it easier for those who wish to RSVP yes. You may also wish to reorder the boxes, by using the arrow buttons to the right.
Step 3: You will also need to set your redirect pages for when someone submits the RSVP Form.
- Click the drop-down arrow below Accept and choose the Thank you Accept Landing page
- Click the drop-down arrow below Decline and choose Thank you Decline Landing page
Step 4: Click on the Form Settings Tab and scroll down until you see "Form data options". Make sure that this is set to "Pre-fill contact details".
Step 5: Click Save when complete, then publish your RSVP Prefilled landing page.
Edit the link in your RSVP Prefilled form
You might want to give you recipient the option to complete a blank form because they are not on your list.
Add a text box with text like ‘If this is not you please click here to register’
- Use the word here as the hyperlink
- The Insert/Edit Link window will open
- From the Link List select the RSVP Blank, and edit the Title field to ‘Register here’ or similar
- You may personalise this Landing Page using the Insert field, for First and Last name to say ‘This invitation is meant for {First name} {Last name}, if this not you click here’
To setup the RSVP Blank form
The Blank Form is disconnected from original contact and is used if the Invitation is forwarded to or shared with another contact. Select the RSVP Blank form under your Landing Pages folder.
Step 1: Click on any field in the RSVP Blank Form to open the Form Editor. Click on the First Name field, place a check mark beside Required, then repeat for the Last Name and Email Address field.
Note: Do not make this field Read Only. If you do that, clients will not be able to complete the blank form with their details.
Step 2: We now need to add a RSVP Additional Field.
- Click any field in the form to open the Form Editor.
- Choose Add a field tab and from select list select your Marketing List.
- Select the RSVP field from the Select InterAction Field drop down. We suggest that the RSVP field always be Required.
Note: The values for Additional fields may be edited in the Form Editor without affecting the values in InterAction. For example, the name of the field in IA could be “Diet” the Label on the form may read “Do you any dietary restrictions?”
- Click Add Field. This field will be added to the bottom of the form.
- Click onto the RSVP field to view the field settings and make this field required.
- While you are still on the RSVP field, you can decide whether you'd like to pre-check the Accept option to make it easier for those who wish to RSVP yes. You may also wish to reorder the boxes, by using the arrow buttons to the right.
Step 3: You will also need to set your redirect pages for when someone submits the RSVP Form.
- Click the drop-down arrow below Accept and choose the Thank you Accept Landing page
- Click the drop-down arrow below Decline and choose Thank you Decline Landing page
Step 4: Click on the Form Settings Tab and scroll down until you see "Form data options". Make sure that this is set to "Blank form, disconnect from contact".
Step 5: Click Save when complete, then publish your RSVP Prefilled landing page.
Create iCal
Follow the steps here to create an iCal with the details of your event.
Setup the Thank you pages
You'll want to make sure your Thank You Pages, “Thank you Accept” and “Thank You Decline”, are relevant to this event and include your iCalendar file.
- Under Landing Pages, click the default Thank you Accept Landing page
- In the Text Editor update the content to provide details about the event and hyperlink to the iCalendar
- Repeat the previous steps to create a second page called Thank you – Decline, updating the content to reflect their declining the event
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Publish both pages
Testing the process
Hyperlinks check
To ensure all hyperlinks are working and you email is not going to be stopped due to broken hyperlinks it is recommend checking all emails and landing pages.
- Click the email check email button
- Any links with issues will have a red X beside them and need investigating.
Note: Vuture is unable to check links for LinkedIn. However, these can be manually checked by clicking the hyperlink to test it does indeed to go the correct LinkedIn page.
Testing and sending
Before sending out the newsletter or invitation you should always send a test to yourself and a few colleagues internally. Please follow instructions here on how to test. Then follow these steps to send your final email.
Go back: Getting started - editing your email
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