All Collections
Video Messaging
The 3 key steps to getting started
Customising your messages with Message Templates
Customising your messages with Message Templates

Add your own branding, call to action buttons, subject lines and more to make your Bonjoros all you.

Grant Dewar avatar
Written by Grant Dewar
Updated over a week ago

Message Templates is where you get to make your email layout and landing page as YOU as possible. A design & message tells a lot about a person/company. We want to make sure that your customers not only receive an amazing video from you but that they know from the get-go what kind of business you are before they hit play. Watch our video below or read on for more info!

**On the Basic plan you only have 1 Message Template, on the Pro plan 5, on the Growth Plan** you get 25 and the Company plan is unlimited.


We have two Message templates types:

  1. Postcard video templates - create a template perfect for hosting a personal video and a Call To Action

  2. Next Gen templates - create a template with a playlist of other videos and apps

With Message Templates you can adjust the following components of your delivery emails and video landing pages where recipients view your videos: 

  • Background and Logo of your Landing Page

  • Pick your brand colour for the play button and CTA

  • Edit the name of the CTA button and add a link

  • Switch your email layout from HTML to Plain Text

  • Custom Subject Line

  • Default Message Text (The default message text can be changed after recording)

  • Name Template so you know which template you are using. (Only you/your team can see the name of the template)

  • Video and app playlist: add videos from your Bonjoro Video library, Youtube and other sources along with apps like surveys, calendars and webinar registration forms. Next Gen templates only.

Let's Get Creating!🎉

  • Firstly - Head to the Templates tab at the top of your dashboard on desktop.

  • Then Click '+ Create New template' and you will see the screen below.

  • Select Traditional postcard layout - 1 video and CTA or Next Gen Template

Tip for both template types: use the toggle above the demonstration pane to toggle between the view of the delivery email, "Inbox" and the video landing page "Landing".

1. Setting up a Postcard Template

Work through each of the Setup steps on the left of the template editor.

Step 1: Message Setup.

Make sure ''Landing'' is selected above the demonstration pane. Then use the tools in the 'Message setup' box to configure the landing page.

A. Set Logo

Click "Choose image". When you see this modal use the 'Upload' button top right to upload a logo image from your computer.

Once you have uploaded it, select it by clicking on it in the logo image list > click close. Upload your logo as a .png or .jpg, and this will be displayed above your bonjoro on web or mobile.

  • For best results we suggest using a transparent .png. This will ensure that your logo does not have a "white box" around it and looks great over your background image.

  • Avoid a White logo, as on mobile, the background will be white. If your logo is white, add a 1px black line / stroke around it.

  • Logo size: Ideal size is 220 : 80 pixels Width : height

  • Use the Desktop and Mobile toggle below the demonstration panel to see how your logo appears on desktop vs mobile for your recipients

Note: If you haven't already - consider integrating your email address so your messages are delivered from your own email address. Instructions here.

Step 2 Email layout

This is where you can choose between different ways your message will appear in the recipients inbox. Whether you prefer to have the video first or the message first, or even go with a plain text option!

Step 3 Message content

Here you configure the email content and the primary Call to Action that shows with your template. Click on the 'Message content' box to the left of the screen and select the 'Inbox' toggle above the demonstration pane.

A. Choose the subject line for your message template.

If you are pulling contacts from your CRM and you have the contacts names you can use variables like {first_name} but be sure to use a fallback ({first_name|there} in case there is no name information available.

Tip: Make the Subject line recognizable - use your brand name, reference the activity that lead to them receiving the message so it's very clear why they are receiving the message from you. Consider testing subject lines in relatively large batches of 40-50 Bonjoros a piece to test their impact. We use a range of welcome subject lines, the idea of all of them is to convey that it is a personal video message. People are so used to automated messaging that it's definitely worth reinforcing the point!

  • A personal video welcome! [Yes, we individually record each one :D]

  • Hello from Bonjoro!

  • CEO welcome message just for you!

  • Howdy there! Just a little personal video for you. 🐻

Note: If you are on a team account and would like to have a different subject line per team member - you'll need to set up a separate message template for each user.

B. Select your default message text.

This will be shown with the screenshot in the delivery email and on the Bonjoro landing page. Name variables and fall backs are available. You can edit this for any individual bonjoro you send in the app or web recorder to make it more personal after you record a video.

Tip: Structure your message so that the recipients knows:

  1. Why they are receiving the message

  2. That it is a personal 1-1 video message. Include a request to watch the video in the text, people are more likely to do anything when asked nicely.

  3. Let them know what the next steps are, or what they get out of it at the end - linked to the CTA - so they know there is something in it for them!

C. Customize your Call to Action

This is the clickable button that appears to the right of your Bonjoro and below your message text on desktop or underneath when viewe on mobile. It's an effective way to drive a quick result from your Bonjoro's.

  • Set the call to action button text, make this a decisive action "Book now" etc.

  • Paste in a URL link that this button will link to some ideas are:

  • Dropbox links for documents, Upgrade links, Calendly links to book appointments or LinkedIn....but the world is your salmon.

  • Choose your button colour

Step 4: Landing page Design

Make sure ''Landing'' is selected above the demonstration pane. Then use the tools in the 'Landing page design' box to configure the landing page.

A. Set Background image

Click "Choose image" where you will have the option to upload your own image or use one of the Unsplash stock images that we provide. When you see this modal us the 'Upload' button top right to upload an image from your computer. Once you have uploaded it, select it by clicking on it in the background image list > click done.

  • For best results us image size of 1080 x 720 px in either .jpg or .png format.

  • Remember the Bonjoro video is centred, so place key image elements to the right or left hand side.

  • Our system will remember and store each image you upload to be reused later if you need it

B. Disable or enable Social Sharing

Use the social sharing toggle to disable the Social Sharing links if required

Step 5. Name your templates

You can give each template a name to identify it - this name won't be visible to the recipients. Once you've set up the design click the edit button to the right of the Message template title at the top left of the screen. Enter your desired name in the resulting pop up.

Once you have set up the template - Don't forget to hit SAVE!

2. Next Gen templates

Welcome to a whole new level of functionality for your video landing pages and message templates. Put simply, next gen templates allow you to embed video playlists, and other apps right below your regular personalized Bonjoro video. This opens up a whole world of new opportunities for you and your customers.

Some of the reasons we introduced Next Gen templates

  1. Increase personalisation: If you are anything like us there are some parts of your Bonjoro videos that you repeat with most customers. Create a generic video for this content and add it to your video playlist in a next gen template. You can spend all your time on unique personal content and cover everything you need with the playlist.

  2. Increase the effectiveness of your personal videos: Leverage the impact of your personal message to book meetings, gather survey feedback or register for events / webinars right on the page using your favorite apps.

  3. Leverage your other video content: Use personal video to hook your customers and then serve up relevant production-quality video hosted on Youtube, Vimeo or uploaded to your Bonjoro video library.

We are sure that you will find other awesome ways to use Next gen templates!

How to set up your Next gen templates

Setup is very similar to the original template format with the addition of a third step to configure your playlist and embedded apps.

1. Head to the Templates tab and click '+ Create new template' then select the 'Next gen template option'

2. On the 'Message setup' step add your logo (and integrate your email if you haven't already)

3. On the 'Message Content' step configure your Subject Line, Message Text and Call to Action as per the instructions above.

4. Finally on the 'Landing Page' step you can start to work some magic! You have two options for adding content:

Video Sequence: Click the yellow 'Add video' button to add existing videos or screenshares saved in in your Bonjoro Video Library or upload new videos using the 'Upload Video' button.

Media Embed: Click the blue 'Add media button' to add video, apps or iframes hosted in other online tools. Youtube, Vimeo, Calendar links, Webinar registrations etc. Simply paste the link to the external content and click the blue '+' button. In most just the URL to the external resource, video, doc or survey is required rather than the full iframe embed.

Note on Youtube and Vimeo links: Using iframe embeds is not required - just paste the video URL - simple!

Add up to three videos / apps / embeds to be shown on the landing page underneath the personal video messages sent using the template.

Switch to the 'Design elements' tab to add a background image and disable / enable social sharing.

Bonus tips and info

Variables and Variable fallback options - a quick note

Using name tags to populate your recipients' names in the delivery email is a great way to save time.

  1. You can include tags for{first_name} {last_name} {full_name} {email} that correspond with your contacts' stored data. These are the only tags we support a this stage

  2. Don't have your contact's name stored? Add a fallback {first_name|there} to fill the empty name field with a simple "Hi there".

  3. Tags are available in Custom Subject Line and Default Message Text.

A/B testing On our higher paid plans you can set up multiple message templates and select which one you would like to use at the point of sending from the app or desktop. This gives you the opportunity to change individual components like subject line, plain text vs HTML delivery emails, message text etc to work out which gets the best open and view rates with your audience. Some tips on A/B testing:

  1. Alternate sending between templates each time you do a Bonjoro - this is better practice statistically than sending 50 messages with one template, then 50 messages with another. 

  2. Test in numbers - we recommend doing at least 50-100 bonjoros in the A/B test to account for natural variations. Ideally, even larger numbers should be sent but obviously, that will take longer.

  3. Ensure your email is integrated so bonjoros are being sent from your own email address to get best results.

Did this answer your question?