How to Launch Your First Swell Campaign as a New Client

Welcome! We're so glad to have you as part of the Swell family of clients! In this article, we'll cover the fastest path to launching your first campaign.

Depending on your license level, you may have access to different features and campaign types. Since online campaigns are often the easiest to create we'll focus on launching one in this article.

If you're looking to launch another type of campaign, you may find the articles in the Specific Event Type Guides section beneficial.

There are 4 basic steps to this process:

1. Creating a New Event or Campaign
2. Setup
3. Optional: Edit Your Emails
4. Launch Your Site

We'll go through each step-by-step below.

Creating a New Event or Campaign

Creating a new campaign in Swell is as simple as clicking the green plus sign under your event list. Tip: Anytime you see the green plus sign in Swell, you can use it to create something new in the section you're in.

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Setup

You'll find Setup in the left-hand menu when you're working in your event. There are many smaller steps to Setup, but don't worry, all of the steps are simple.

Note: Each of the guides below start from the very beginning (choosing your event from your event list). However, once you're in Setup, there's no need to back out to that point. Simply continue on to the next item in your horizontal Setup menu.

Details

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Fee Coverage

This is where you choose whether to absorb the processing and platform fees associated with the transactions for your event or pass them along to your donors/guests/purchasers. There are 3 options:

1. Absorb the Fees- When you choose this option, the processing and platform fee will be completely invisible to your donors/attendees. It will be deducted from the amount distributed to you.
2. Allow Donors/Attendees to Choose- When you choose this option, your donors/guests will see the processing and platform fees and choose whether or not to pay them. This promotes transparency and enables your supporters to directly contribute to helping cover your costs.
3. Require Donors/Attendees to Cover the Fees- When you choose this option, you'll show the processing and platform without offering your donors/attendees a choice. This option ensures that the fee is covered by the donor/attendee.

The option currently selected is indicated by the white "selected" button  under it. Click the blue "select" button  under one of the other options to choose that option instead.

The option you choose will be reflected on all of your checkout pages (donation, ticket, and table).

Branding

This is where you'll upload the images you created for your site in your favorite image editor. Want to know where these images show up?

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Content

This is where you'll customize your home page and add any additional pages to your site. 

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Need some tips for your content pages? Check out these articles

Content Tips for Your Home Page

January 31, 2024: Content Tips and Tricks

Create a Table That Links to Hidden Content Pages

Social Networks

If you'd like to configure your site's social settings, you can do that here. You can also mark this as done on your launch checklist if you don't want to enable social features.

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Optional: Sponsor Scroll

This is where you highlight your sponsors on your site's pages.

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Want to know how to use Swell to highlight and recruit sponsors?  January 17, 2024: Managing Sponsorships in Swell

Optional: Groups

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Not sure if you need groups? This article will help.

Settings

You don't have to edit these, but if you'd like to, these guides will show you how.

Settings: Donation Page

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Settings: Leaderboards

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Settings: Buttons

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Optional: Edit Your Emails

Swell sends transactional emails on your behalf. If you don't want to edit your emails, you can choose "mark complete" in your event's launch checklist. However, if you'd like to view and/or edit them, you can do that in the Email Editor.

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Launch Your Site

Once you're happy with how your site looks and you're ready to launch it, click on Dashboard in the left-hand vertical menu (Hint: It's just above Setup where you've been working). If you've gone through the process above. Everything will be checked off like in this image.

Click the big blue I'm Ready button to launch your site!

Click here to view the Virtual Pet Parade we created while making these tutorials.

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