Importing Message Assets
Given the high number of social media posts that marketers are expected to create on a daily basis, sometimes it's easier to write them out onto a spreadsheet. With Oktopost, you can upload messages from a CSV file directly to Message Assets, which can later be accessed for scheduling.
Important note: The composition of a social post varies per network and each has its own conditions and caveats. This article covers the ins-and-outs of social posts and how they are represented in a CSV file. It might take a few tries to get your initial CSV template to upload correctly, however, please contact support if you need any additional guidance.
Uploading Message Assets
Since Message Assets are associated with campaigns, you'll need to select a campaign that you want your messages to be associated with. Within a campaign go to the Message Assets tab and click on the Import button, download the CSV template, fill it with social content and upload back to the campaign. If you use Excel or any other editing software make sure to save the file in UTF-8 encoded CSV format.
Field Reference
Note that uploading message assets requires following strict formats and structure per each social network. Please follow the reference below to make sure that your messages are formatted correctly.
| Field | Networks | Mandatory | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Network | All | Yes | Type it exactly as written below, keep in mind capitalization: |
| Message | All | Yes | This is the body of the post itself. If you are tweeting, make sure to include any links in this section. Please note they will be shortened upon publication. A link in a tweet counts as 23 characters. |
| LinkUrl | Facebook, LinkedIn | No | Facebook and LinkedIn support link attachments. This is why you don't need to include the link in the message itself. The link attachment is constructed using four fields: LinkUrl, LinkTitle, ImageUrl, and Description. |
| LinkTitle | Facebook, LinkedIn | No | Used to create the headline shown in the link attachment. |
| ImageUrl | Facebook, LinkedIn | No | Used to create the image (thumbnail) shown in the link attachment. The image must be in URL format with its file extension. |
| Description | Facebook, LinkedIn | No | Used to create the description of a link attachment. |
| Picture | Facebook, Twitter, Instagram | No | Used to upload an image to your post. The image must be in URL format with its file extension. |
Note for Facebook
On Facebook you can either have a link attachment or upload an image, but not both. This is irrelevant for Twitter and Instagram since they do not have a link attachment and the link is just a part of the Tweet itself. If you still would like to have a link in your Facebook image post, just include the link in the message itself, and don't use the link attachment option.
Examples
Facebook Message with Link Attachment
The following input:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Network | |
| Message | Want to make your next B2B conference exhibit a worthy investment? Don't miss these 7 tips and best practices |
| LinkUrl | https://www.oktopost.com/blog/prepared-first-business-conference-7-important-takeaways/ |
| LinkTitle | How I Prepared for My First Business Conference: 7 Important Takeaways |
| ImageUrl | https://cdn-www.oktopost.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/shutterstock_377075653-copy-715x357.jpeg |
| Description | Heading into my first business conference in the buzzing city of London was quite overwhelming! Here are 7 tips and best practices to help you gain the most experience before at your next conference. |
| Picture |
Will result in:
Tweet with a Link
The following input:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Network | |
| Message | 'Caught between a rock and a hard place': Publishers confess their biggest concerns http://digiday.com/uk/caught-rock-hard-place-publishers-confess-biggest-concerns/ |
| LinkUrl | |
| LinkTitle | |
| ImageUrl | |
| Description | |
| Picture |
Will result in:
Tweet with an Image
The following input:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Network | |
| Message | Don't become a victim to the empty scroll and prove #socialmediamarketing delivers real business value https://www.oktopost.com/blog/fuel-social-media-targeted-content/ |
| LinkUrl | |
| LinkTitle | |
| ImageUrl | |
| Description | |
| Picture | https://s3.amazonaws.com/com-oktopost-app-message-pictures/fd0813fd-ca0a-4b09-9c52-84f690894836/LinkedInPost3.png |
Will result in:
Instagram with a Link
The following input:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Network | |
| Message | Don't become a victim to the empty scroll and prove #socialmediamarketing delivers real business value https://www.oktopost.com/blog/fuel-social-media-targeted-content/ |
| LinkUrl | |
| LinkTitle | |
| ImageUrl | |
| Description | |
| Picture | https://s3.amazonaws.com/com-oktopost-app-message-pictures/3ad9935a-9a88-4d00-8238-9d3fd913ce68/n3wiwgwgebctranmautritam_crop_1070x1071_931,0_preview.jpg |
Will result in:
