Marketing & Events overview

What you will accomplish

After reading this overview, you will know which part of Marketing & Events to open for customer messages, facility events, community updates, and review requests. Your team can use this area to:

Plan emails, texts, social posts, and events on one calendar.
Invite customers to in-person events with RSVP and check-in.
Run announcement or discussion channels in the customer portal.
Ask happy customers for Google reviews and reply when feedback arrives.
Keep logos, flyers, and facility photos in one library for emails.

Who this section is for

These guides are for facility owners, managers, and front-desk staff who send customer messages, plan open houses, run community updates, and ask for Google reviews. You do not need technical skills—only access to Marketing & Events in your dashboard.

Customers do not use this areaCustomers see your campaigns in their inbox, email, or text messages. They see social events on RSVP pages and in the portal. They see community channels inside the customer app. This dashboard section is for your staff team to plan and send that outreach.

When to use Marketing & Events

Use campaigns when many customers should receive the same message (open house invite, storage reminder, thank-you note).Use social events when customers need a date, time, location, RSVP, tickets, or check-in at the door.Use community channels when customers should see ongoing updates inside their portal.Use reviews when you want to request a Google review or respond to feedback after a good visit.Use Marketing Assets when you need a shared folder of logos, flyers, and photos before you design an email.

Events” variant=“note”> Marketing & Events is for customer outreach—emails, texts, facility parties, portal community, and Google reviews.Schedule is for day-to-day work on cars (intake, detail, pickup, service appointments).Events under Settings is where admins set up those service types—not where you send a marketing blast.If you are unsure, ask: “Am I inviting customers to something, or scheduling work on a vehicle?” Invitations belong here; vehicle work belongs on Schedule.

Before you start

Confirm email, text messaging, social links, and Google Reviews are ready in Settings > Communications before you send campaigns or review requests.
If you plan to sell paid event tickets, confirm payment processing in Settings > Billing.
Know which customers should receive outreach—use Contacts tags and filters when you are unsure.
Decide who on your team reviews messages before customers receive them (campaigns and event invites).

Quick links by job

Use this table when you know the outcome you need and want to jump straight to the right page or guide.

I need to…	Open this page	Step-by-step guide
See what is already scheduled this month	Marketing & Events (Calendar tab)	This overview
Send an email or text to many customers	Marketing & Events → Create New	Create a campaign
Finish wording, audience, and send a campaign	Your campaign detail page	Add campaign message, audience, and publish
Run an open house or Cars & Coffee with RSVP	Marketing & Events → Create New → Social Event	Create a social event
Collect event interest or waitlist signups on a custom page	Marketing & Events > Forms → New form	Create and share a custom form
Read survey answers or download a spreadsheet	Your form → Results	Review form responses and export
See who is coming before event day	Your event detail page	Review social event RSVPs and attendees
Check guests in at the door	Event page → Check in	Check in social event attendees
Post ongoing updates in the customer portal	Marketing & Events > Community	Manage community channels
Ask one happy customer for a Google review	Marketing & Events > Reviews	Request and manage reviews
See how many people visit your public website	Marketing & Events > Website	Review website traffic on your public pages
Send a text, push, or social post (not email)	Marketing & Events → Create New	Create a text, push, or social campaign
Put a survey on your public facility page	Settings > Website & customer app → Page editor	Embed a custom form on your website
Store logos, flyers, and photos for emails	Marketing & Events > Marketing Assets	Organize your marketing photos and files

Open Marketing & Events

From the dashboard sidebar, click Marketing & Events. You land on the Calendar tab.

Marketing and Events calendar showing a scheduled email campaign and published social event plus six tabs including Marketing Assets

The Calendar tab shows upcoming campaigns and social events. The last tab, Marketing Assets, is your photo and file library. Expected result: You see a calendar (or list) of planned customer outreach and events. A small badge near the page title may show how many items are scheduled this month. Use Create New in the top-right corner when you are ready to add something.

Marketing calendar showing Quick ranges buttons This week, This month, and Next month on the left side of the calendar

Use Quick ranges to jump to this week, this month, or next month without clicking through the calendar one day at a time.

Create New menu showing options to start an email campaign, text message, social post, or in-person event

Create New is where you start campaigns and social events. Pick the type that matches what customers need to do next.

Forms need responses before Results is usefulAfter you publish a custom form, submit one test answer yourself. Then open Review form responses and export so you know where charts and the CSV download live before real customers respond.

Plan your week on the calendar

The Calendar tab is more than a pretty month view. Use it to avoid sending two big messages on the same day and to see what is already scheduled.

Scan the month

Colored dots and labels show emails, texts, social posts, and in-person events. Click a day to focus the list below.Why this matters: Customers notice when they get a storage reminder and an event invite on the same morning. Spacing messages helps each one get attention.

Use Quick ranges

On the left side of the calendar, click This week, This month, or Next month to jump the date range without clicking day by day.Why this matters: Busy teams use quick ranges to scan what is coming soon—not only the current month on screen.Expected result: The calendar and Upcoming schedule list both focus on the range you picked.

Use channel filters

Above Upcoming schedule, click filter pills such as All, Social, Email, Text, Push, or Events. The exact order may vary slightly, but every type is there. Only the type you pick stays in the list.Expected result: You can answer questions like “Do we already have a text going out this Friday?” without scrolling past emails.

Switch between table and card view

Next to the filters, use the view buttons (Table view and Card view) to change how Upcoming schedule looks.Why this matters: Table view is best for scanning many rows. Card view is easier on smaller screens.Expected result: The same scheduled items appear—only the layout changes.

Search the upcoming list

Type in the search box to find a campaign or event by name.Expected result: Long lists shrink to the one item you need.

Open an item from the list

Click a row in Upcoming schedule to open the campaign setup wizard or the social event detail page.Expected result: Email, text, and push campaigns open a four-step wizard (Design, Audience, Schedule, Review). Social events open their RSVP and check-in page.

Campaign setup wizardWhen you open a draft email, text, or push campaign, Car Storage Software walks you through Design → Audience → Schedule → Review. Customers do not receive anything until you click Start campaign on the Review step. See Add campaign message, audience, and publish.

Calendar vs Forms vs Community vs Reviews vs Website vs Marketing AssetsStay on Calendar when you are scheduling outreach. Switch to Forms for custom signup pages, Community for ongoing portal posts, Reviews for Google feedback, Website for public-page traffic, or Marketing Assets when you need logos and photos—not when you are only planning an email blast.

The six main tabs

Marketing & Events has six tabs across the top of the page. Each tab does a different job.

Marketing and Events page showing Calendar, Forms, Community, Reviews, Website, and Marketing Assets tabs above a populated calendar

Use Calendar to plan outreach, Forms for signup pages, Community for portal posts, Reviews for Google feedback, Website for traffic, and Marketing Assets for logos and photos.

Forms tab showing a list of custom forms with Published status badges and response counts

The Forms tab lists every custom survey or signup page. Published forms accept responses; drafts stay private until you are ready to share.

Calendar

Stay on Marketing & Events to see what is scheduled. This is the best view when you want to avoid sending two big messages on the same day.

Forms

Open Marketing & Events > Forms to build custom signup or survey pages you can share by link or QR code. Published forms appear here with a Published status. Use them when you need more than the standard storage registration form—for example, a lead capture page for a car show or a detail-service waitlist.Expected result: You see a list of your forms with status (Draft, Published, or Closed), response counts, and buttons to copy the public link or edit the form.Step-by-step: Create and share a custom form and Review form responses and export.

Community

Open Marketing & Events > Community to create channels such as Announcements, Event Updates, or member discussion. A number badge on this tab means unread messages are waiting in one or more channels.

Reviews

Open Marketing & Events > Reviews to send review requests and read Google feedback when your Google Business connection is ready.

Website

Open Marketing & Events > Website to see how many people visited your public facility pages and which paths they opened most often.Expected result: You see page views, visitors, and (when Google Analytics is connected) charts for the last 7, 30, or 90 days.Step-by-step: Review website traffic on your public pages.

Marketing Assets

Open Marketing & Events > Marketing Assets to store logos, event flyers, facility photos, and car pictures your team can reuse.Expected result: You see All assets, folders you create, and buttons for Link photos, New folder, and Upload.Step-by-step: Organize your marketing photos and files.

Community Channels page listing channels with member counts and a Create Channel button

Community channels live on their own tab so announcement spaces stay separate from the calendar.

Reviews page showing review summary cards and a Send Review Request button

The Reviews tab is where your team sends personal review requests and tracks Google feedback.

The Marketing Assets tab is your shared folder for logos, flyers, and photos. Set this up before you design an email campaign.

Event week: from RSVP to check-in to reviews

When you run an in-person customer event, three guides work together. You do not need to read them all at once—use this map so your team knows when to open each one.

Several days before the event

Open your event on Marketing & Events and follow Review social event RSVPs and attendees.Expected result: You know how many guests marked Going, who is still Maybe, and whether you are near Capacity.

Day of the event at the door

On the same event page, click Check in and follow Check in social event attendees.Expected result: Each arrival is marked Checked In so your head count matches who actually walked through the door.

A day or two after a great visit

Open Marketing & Events > Reviews and follow Request and manage reviews for customers who had a positive experience.Expected result: Happy guests receive a personal link to leave a Google review—not a mass blast to everyone.

Custom signup forms fit in the middleIf you collected interest with a form before the event, read Review form responses and export to see who answered before you send the RSVP link in a campaign.

Recommended learning path

If your facility is new to this area, follow this order:

Review communication settings so email, text messaging, social links, and Google Reviews are ready.
Put your logo and a couple of facility photos in Marketing Assets so emails look like your building.
Create your first campaign for a customer update, event invitation, promotion, or announcement.
Finish the message, audience, and publish steps before customers should receive an email or text.
When you need a custom question list (event interest, waitlist, feedback), create and share a custom form and review responses.
Create a social event when customers need an RSVP page, event details, or ticket check-in.
Review RSVPs and attendees a few days before the event so your team can plan capacity and reminders.
Create community channels for announcements or customer discussion.
Use event check-in when attendees arrive.
Send review requests after a helpful service, visit, delivery, or event.
Review website traffic monthly so you know whether public pages are working.

Why this order helpsCustomers have a better experience when your message, event page, community area, and review request feel connected. Set up communications first, then invite people.

Marketing work often depends on customer records, tags, portal settings, and payments.Use Contacts to organize who should receive a campaign. Use Settings > Communications before sending texts or review requests. Use Payments before selling paid event tickets.

Common mistakes to avoid

Do not send a campaign until another teammate has reviewed the audience and message.
Do not publish a paid event until payment processing is ready in Settings > Billing.
Do not make a community channel read-only unless only staff should post there.
Do not ask every customer for a review at once. Start with people who had a recent positive visit.

Troubleshooting

I do not see Marketing & Events in the sidebarYour staff account may not have access to this area. Ask a facility owner to review your role in Settings > Team.

SMS or Push options are grayed out when I create a campaignFinish text messaging or push notification setup in Settings > Communications. Until then, use Email Campaign or Social Media Post.

The Forms tab is missing or emptyOpen Marketing & Events > Forms directly. You need at least one form before the list looks populated—start with Create and share a custom form.

Google reviews do not appear on the Reviews tabConnect your Google Business account in Settings > Communications, then click Refresh on Marketing & Events > Reviews. New connections can take a few minutes to sync.

Customers say they never got a campaign email or textOpen the campaign and confirm it was Published, the audience includes that customer, and the send time has passed. Check the customer’s email and phone in Contacts. Ask them to check spam or junk folders for email.

The email used a stock photo instead of our buildingAdd your logo and facility pictures in Marketing Assets, then write a short Description for AI on each photo. Step-by-step: Organize your marketing photos and files.

How-to guides in this section

Create a campaign — start an email, text, push, or social post.
Add campaign message, audience, and publish — finish the message and send it to the right customers.
Create and share a custom form — build a survey or signup page with a shareable link.
Review form responses and export — read answers, view charts, and download a CSV.
Create a social event — publish an RSVP page with event details.
Review social event RSVPs and attendees — see who is coming before event day.
Check in social event attendees — mark guests as arrived on event day (QR scan or manual ticket code).
Manage community channels — create customer discussion or announcement channels.
Request and manage reviews — ask for Google reviews and reply to feedback.
Review website traffic on your public pages — see visits to your facility website.
Create a text, push, or social campaign — reach customers outside email.
Embed a custom form on your website — show a survey on your public facility page.
Organize your marketing photos and files — store logos, flyers, and photos for emails.

What success looks like

When Marketing & Events is working well for your facility:

Your team can see upcoming emails, texts, and events on one calendar without surprises.
Customers receive clear messages with the right audience—not everyone gets every blast.
Social events show honest RSVP counts before event day so you can plan parking and staff.
Community channels have at least one active post so portal customers know where to look for news.
Happy customers receive timely review requests—and your team replies to Google feedback professionally.
Custom forms collect useful answers your team can export and act on—not scattered notes in email.
Logos and facility photos live in Marketing Assets, so every campaign uses the same files.

What to do next

If you are new to this area, start with Create a campaign, then follow Add campaign message, audience, and publish. If you are preparing for an event, continue with Create a social event and Review social event RSVPs and attendees.

Start here

Basics

Cars

Contacts

Payments

Contracts

Schedule

Events

Parking Spots