Promo Stories

Create promotional stories that appear in the customer app. Organize them into groups with scheduling, and use the built-in story editor to design image or video content.

How Promo Stories Work

Promo stories are short promotional pieces -- images or videos -- displayed to customers in the mobile app. They are organized into Promo Groups, which control scheduling and recurrence. Each group contains one or more individual Promos (stories) that customers swipe through.

The flow is:

1. Create a Promo Group (sets the schedule)
2. Add Promos (stories) inside the group (sets the content)
3. Design each story with the Story Editor or upload a video
4. Publish when ready

The Promo Stories Table

The Promo Stories page uses an expandable table. The top level shows your Promo Groups, and expanding a group reveals the individual Promos inside it.

Group Columns

Column	Description
Name	The group name
Promos	Number of stories in the group
Recurrence	Badge showing NONE, WEEKLY, MONTHLY, or YEARLY
Created	Date the group was created
Valid Period	Start and end dates for the group

Promo Columns (Expanded)

Column	Description
Thumbnail	Preview of the story image or video frame
Video	Badge shown if the promo is a video
Status	Draft or Published
Hotspots	Number of interactive hotspot zones (video only)

Creating a Promo Group

A Promo Group defines when and how often your stories are shown to customers.

1. Go to Marketing > Promo Stories
2. Click Create Group
3. Fill in the group details:
   • Name (required): A descriptive name, e.g., "Summer Menu Launch"
   • Start Date: When the group becomes active
   • End Date: When the group stops showing
   • Recurrence Type: How the group repeats (see below)
4. If using recurrence, configure the additional schedule options
5. Click Save

Recurrence Types

Type	Behavior	Additional Options
None	Shows continuously between start and end dates	--
Weekly	Repeats on selected days each week	Valid Days: Select which days (Mon--Sun)
Monthly	Repeats monthly	--
Yearly	Repeats yearly	--

Available Hours

For any recurrence type, you can restrict when stories are visible during the day:

• All Day: Stories show at any time (default)
• Custom Hours: Set a From and To time range, e.g., 11:00 AM -- 2:00 PM for a lunch promo

Adding a Promo (Story) to a Group

Each promo inside a group is one story slide that customers see.

1. Expand the Promo Group row in the table
2. Click Add Promo
3. Choose the Content Type:
   • Image Story (default): A designed image using the story editor
   • Video: An uploaded video clip
4. Fill in the details:
   • Name (required): Internal name for the promo
   • Description (optional): Notes about this promo
5. Click Save to create the promo in Draft status

Designing an Image Story

The Story Editor is a canvas-based design tool built into the CRM. It lets you create visually rich story images without needing external design software.

Opening the Editor

1. Find your promo in the expanded group
2. Click Edit Story
3. The story editor opens full-screen

Editor Layout

• Left panel: Layer list and add-element buttons
• Center: The story canvas (portrait format)
• Right panel: Properties sidebar for the selected element

Adding Elements

You can add the following elements to your story:

Text

1. Click the Text tool
2. Click on the canvas to place a text box
3. Type your text
4. Use the right sidebar to adjust:
   • Font and size
   • Color (pick from theme or custom)
   • Position (X, Y coordinates)
   • Rotation and opacity

Images

1. Click the Image tool
2. The Asset Library picker opens
3. Select an image from your library or upload a new one
4. Place and resize the image on the canvas
5. Adjust position, size, and opacity in the right sidebar

Shapes

1. Click the Rectangle or Circle tool
2. Click on the canvas to place the shape
3. Use the right sidebar to adjust:
   • Fill color and border color
   • Size (width, height)
   • Position and rotation
   • Opacity

Color Variables

The editor supports color variables that match your brand colors. When you select a color, you can choose from your defined palette to keep stories consistent with your branding.

Working with Layers

• Elements are stacked in order -- items higher in the layer list appear on top
• Drag layers to reorder them
• Click a layer to select the corresponding element on the canvas

Undo and Redo

Use the Undo and Redo buttons in the editor toolbar to step backward or forward through your changes. The editor tracks your full editing history for the current session.

Saving Your Design

Click Save in the editor toolbar. The design is saved and a thumbnail is generated for the table view.

Uploading a Video Promo

Video promos let you show short video clips as stories with optional interactive hotspots.

Video Requirements

Requirement	Limit
Formats	MP4, MOV, WebM
Maximum duration	15 seconds
Maximum file size	50 MB

Uploading a Video

1. Create or edit a promo with Content Type set to Video
2. In the upload area, either:
   • Drag and drop a video file onto the upload zone
   • Click to browse and select a file from your computer
3. Wait for the upload to complete
4. A preview of the video appears once uploaded

Adding Hotspots to Videos

Hotspots are interactive zones on video frames. When a customer taps a hotspot while watching the video story, it can trigger an action (e.g., open a menu item or navigate to a page).

1. Open the video promo for editing
2. Navigate to the video frame where you want the hotspot
3. Click Add Hotspot
4. Draw the hotspot zone on the video frame
5. Configure what happens when the customer taps the hotspot
6. Save your changes

The hotspot count is shown in the promo table so you can see at a glance which videos have interactive elements.

Publishing and Unpublishing

Promos are created in Draft status. They are not visible to customers until published.

To Publish

1. Find the promo in the table
2. Click the Publish action
3. The status changes to Published
4. The promo becomes visible to customers during the group's scheduled times

To Unpublish

1. Find the published promo
2. Click Unpublish
3. The status reverts to Draft
4. The promo is immediately hidden from customers

tip

You can publish and unpublish individual promos without affecting other stories in the same group. This is useful for A/B testing or rotating content.

Editing Promos and Groups

Editing a Promo Group

1. Click the Edit button on the group row
2. Update the name, schedule, or recurrence settings
3. Click Save

Changes to the group schedule affect all promos inside it.

Editing a Promo

1. Expand the group and find the promo
2. Click Edit to change the name, description, or content type
3. Click Edit Story to open the story editor (image promos) or update the video (video promos)
4. Save your changes

Deleting Promos and Groups

Deleting a Single Promo

1. Find the promo inside its group
2. Click Delete
3. Confirm the deletion

Deleting a Promo Group

1. Click Delete on the group row
2. Confirm the deletion

Deleting a group removes all promos inside it.

caution

Deletion is permanent. Published promos that are deleted will immediately stop showing to customers.

Best Practices

Content Tips

• Keep image stories visually clean -- one message per slide
• Use short, bold text that is readable on mobile screens
• Keep videos under 10 seconds for best engagement
• Use hotspots sparingly -- one or two per video is ideal

Scheduling Tips

• Use Weekly recurrence for rotating daily specials (e.g., "Taco Tuesday" on Tuesdays only)
• Set Available Hours to match the promotion window (e.g., lunch deals from 11:00--14:00)
• Create groups in advance and leave promos in Draft until launch day

Organization Tips

• Name groups by campaign or season: "Spring 2025", "Weekend Brunch Specials"
• Keep related promos in the same group so they share a schedule
• Archive old groups by deleting them after the campaign ends

Content Creation Tips

Image Dimensions and Format

Story images are displayed in portrait format (9:16 aspect ratio) on mobile devices. Design your content to fill this space:

Property	Recommended Value
Aspect ratio	9:16 (portrait)
Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels
Format	PNG or JPG
File size	Under 2 MB for fast loading

What Makes a Good Promo Image

• One message per story: Do not cram multiple offers into a single image. "20% off cold drinks 3-5 PM" is one message. If you have a second offer, make it a second story in the same group.
• Large, readable text: Customers view stories on their phones. Use text that is readable at arm's length — at least 48px font for headlines, 32px for body text in the story editor.
• High-contrast colors: White or bright text on a dark background, or dark text on a light background. Avoid placing text over busy photo areas where it gets lost.
• Show the product: If you are promoting a menu item, include a clear photo of it. A picture of your signature latte sells better than text alone.
• Include a call to action: "Order now", "Available today only", "Tap to see the menu" — tell the customer what to do next.

Text on Images

The story editor lets you place text directly on your images. Follow these guidelines:

• Headline: Bold, large, 3-5 words maximum. Example: "Happy Hour Is Back"
• Subtitle: Smaller text with the details. Example: "20% off all cold drinks, Mon-Fri 3-5 PM"
• Avoid walls of text: If you need more than two lines, the message is too complex for a story. Use multiple stories or simplify the offer.
• Use brand colors: The story editor supports color variables that match your brand palette. Use them for consistency across all your stories.

Scheduling Strategies

When to Post

Time	Best For
7-9 AM	Breakfast and morning coffee promos
11 AM-12 PM	Lunch specials (show before customers decide where to eat)
2-3 PM	Afternoon snack or happy hour previews
5-6 PM	Dinner specials
Friday afternoon	Weekend event announcements

Frequency Guidelines

• 1-3 active stories per week is the sweet spot. More than that and customers start ignoring them.
• Rotate content every 1-2 weeks. Even a great promo gets stale if customers see the same story for a month.
• Seasonal campaigns: Create a promo group for each season (Spring Menu, Summer Specials, Holiday Offers) and fill it with 3-5 stories that rotate.

Seasonal Planning

Plan your promo groups around your business calendar:

Season	Promo Ideas
January	New Year resolutions — healthy menu items, detox drinks
February	Valentine's Day — dinner for two deals, dessert specials
Spring	New seasonal menu launch, outdoor seating promos
Summer	Cold drinks, ice cream, happy hour extensions
Back to school	Quick lunch deals, student discounts
October	Halloween-themed items, spooky desserts
November-December	Holiday menu, gift vouchers, catering promos

Combining with Other Features

• Pair stories with challenges: Create a story announcing a new challenge, then set the story's schedule to match the challenge duration.
• Promote battle pass tiers: When you launch a new battle pass, create a story series showing each tier's reward.
• Announce new menu items: When you add items to the menu, create a story with a photo and the item name. Customers who see the story are more likely to try it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a live (published) promo? Yes. Click Edit on the published promo to change its name, description, or content. You can also open the story editor to modify the image. Changes are reflected immediately — there is no need to unpublish and republish. However, customers who have already seen the old version may see the updated version only on their next app session.

How many promos can run at once? There is no hard limit on the number of active promo groups or published stories. However, customers see them in a horizontal swipeable strip in the app. If you have more than 5-6 active stories at once, customers are unlikely to swipe through all of them. Keep the active count manageable.

Do customers get notified when a new promo is published? Customers see promo stories when they open the app during the group's scheduled time window. There is no push notification specifically for new stories. If you want to draw attention to a big promotion, pair the promo story with a challenge or voucher that does generate a notification.

Can I reuse a promo group from last year? You cannot directly duplicate a group, but you can create a new group with the same settings and add similar stories. If you saved your design assets in the Asset Library, you can reuse those images in the story editor.

What happens when a promo group's end date passes? The group and its stories stop being visible to customers automatically. The group remains in your table with its history intact — you can review past promos, but they will not show in the app. Delete old groups periodically to keep your marketing dashboard clean.

Can I schedule a promo to start in the future? Yes. Set the Start Date on the promo group to a future date. The stories will not appear to customers until that date arrives. This is useful for preparing campaigns in advance — design your stories today, set the start date for next Monday, and everything goes live automatically.

What is the difference between a promo story and an automatic promotion? Promo stories are marketing content — images and videos shown in the customer app to promote your business. They do not automatically apply discounts. Automatic promotions are pricing rules that change item prices based on schedules, categories, or conditions. Use promo stories to tell customers about your offers, and automatic promotions to apply the actual discounts at checkout.

Scheduling Overview

For a visual overview of all your active and upcoming promos alongside challenges and battle passes, see the Promo Timeline.