A guide for Insights Leads and Admins to create a Story Invitation and send it to be completed on Contributors' mobile devices.
Overview
- Step One: Select a project
- Step Two: Decide the type of the story
- Step Three: Add Contributors
- Step Four: Set the deadline
- Step Five: Manage consent and visibility
- Step Six: Preview and Send your Story Invitation
- Step Seven: Copy the Community Link
- A Story Invitation is sent to Contributors by an Admin or an Insights Lead inviting them to record and submit a story.
- The invitation clearly defines the theme of story the Contributor is being invited to share, how the story will be used, why the invitation has been sent and when the story must be submitted.
- Invitations can be sent directly to Contributors via email or shared via a Community Link.
How is a Story Invitation different from a Story Preset?
Story Invitations are similar to Story Presets because they allow an Admin or an Insights Lead to define the parameters of the story they want to collect. However:
A Story Invitation is sent directly to Contributors.
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A Contributor can only record a story when they receive an invitation from an Admin or an Insights Lead via email or a Community Link.
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The Contributor must submit their story before the invitation expires.
A Story Preset is given to Field Reporters.
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A Field Reporter will have access to the Story Preset within their Create page and can generate multiple story contributions at any time.
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The Field Reporter can submit contributions until the Admin or Insights Lead disables the Story Preset.
- The Field Reporter will be able to utilise an Offline Mode workflow to capture stories with limited to no connectivity
How to Create a Story Invitation
Step One: Select a project
Once you sign in, click on your workspace name on the left navigation panel. Next, click on Projects to access the list of projects you are currently working on, and choose the specific project you want to work with.
Once you are in the project, click on Story invitation and then proceed to click on Create a story invitation
This will direct you to a new page where you can fill in all the necessary information for the Story Invitation before sending it out.
💡You have the option to save your Story Invitation as a draft at any point, allowing you to revisit and refine it later. Check Save, edit, and access your Story Invitation draft to learn more.
Step Two: Decide the type of the story
a) Add a title to your invitation
Provide a clear and concise title for your invitation. A well-defined title will not only help you distinguish the invitation from others but will also give Contributors a better understanding of the context of the invitation.
b) Select a template
Collect valuable data by asking the right questions available from our global templates. Type any keywords (report, update, communication, etc.) on the search bar, or drag the cursor to the right to see available templates. Click Use this template to select your preferred one.
Customize and save the template
💡 This feature is accessible with a subscription.
In addition, you have the option to customize the wording in the template by clicking on the pencil button. Once done, click anywhere to save the changes.
Scroll down a bit and you will find the option to save the edited template for future use.
You are required to give your template a title and a description to help contributors understand what they are contributing to.
Contributors can review this information in the invitation details before accepting to contribute their stories.
You can find this customized template on your Templates page once the invitation is sent. Check View story templates in your workspace to learn more.
c) Allow contributors to import responses from their device
If you want to enable Contributors to upload external content from their phone’s camera roll, enable the checkbox.
If it's left unchecked, Contributors will be limited to submitting videos that they have taken within the platform.
d) Select Branding (Optional)
If you haven't already supplied any branding, head to the Branding page and upload your branding assets.
Once done, click Next to continue or click Save as new draft to refine it later.
a) Add Contributors from the search box
Add the Contributors you want to invite to complete the story by clicking on the search box. Note that you can use one or a combination of the following methods:
- Add past Contributors
If a Contributor had been invited to a Story Invitation via their email address and accepted in the past, they can be easily selected again in the future.
To add past Contributors, click on the search box to find and select them from the list.
- Invite new Contributors
Send an invitation to your Contributors directly via email by typing their email addresses one by one into the box and clicking Invite this email address to contribute.
If you have a list of email addresses stored in a Google Sheet, CSV file, or email header, you can paste email addresses in bulk on the search box.
b) Invite others via Community Link
Community Link allows contributors to submit their stories without the need to sign up.
Enabling the checkbox will generate a URL link to the invitation that can be shared via third-party platforms (eg. Whatsapp), allowing you to collect stories from a broad group of individuals.
c) Determine what level of access Contributors can have to their own stories
d) Record a personalized message for your contributors
Deepen the trust with your contributors by recording a personalized message. You can provide valuable context and guidance to your contributors while also showcasing how easy it is to record a story in Folktale.
As you edit the message, you can also preview how the message will appear in the email and the story invitation.
Step Four: Set the deadline
Select the date and time for sending the invitation, the due date of the submission, and the expiry date.
You have the option to schedule your story to be sent later by dragging the Send invitation button to the right side.
The Stories due button will give your contributors a sense of urgency to submit their stories. On the selected date, the contributors will be notified that the story is due.
Lastly, the Expiry button is set to close the invitation. After the invitation expires, it will no longer be accessible to the contributors.
The duration of each period, including the sending of the invitation, the due of the story, and the expiry date will also be visible.
Alternatively, you can also change the date and time by clicking on the calendar below.
Step Five: Manage consent and visibility
Inform contributors about why their stories are collected, how their stories will be used, and who will have access to their stories.
When contributors understand your purpose, it fosters trust and increases the likelihood of them sharing their stories. These fields will also be visible in the story meta-data.
The Primary usage helps contributors identify how the stories will be used. You can browse for different options and select one that suits your needs.
In addition, the Intended audience helps contributors to be aware of whether it will be shared with a small group of people within your organization or going public.
💡 For external usage, Folktale recommends that you advise Contributors of which parties may be viewing their stories and why.
Before sending the story invitation, you can preview what your contributors will see when they receive it.
To see the details of your invitation, click on How will my story be used? to expand. Make sure the invitation is clear to enhance contributors' enthusiasm for sharing their stories. Feel free to go back and make an edit if necessary.
Once done, click Invite contributions to complete the process.
Congratulations, your Story Invitation has been sent! Each contributor added to your Story Invitation will receive an email inviting them to contribute their stories.
Step Seven: Copy the Community Link
To share the newly generated Community Link with your Contributors, click on the View invite Overview button on your invitation confirmation...
... And click on the Copy link to copy the Community Link to your clipboard.
