YODL 101

YODL 101

Learn about all the ins and outs of YODL to help you get started.

YODL is an interactive, self-serve platform that connects CFIN members to new ideas, partners, funding, and resources to grow their business and increase their innovation capacity.

Check out our YODL video here.

Click the button at the top right where it says Sign In, and type in the username and password you use to log in to YODL.

To update your profile, click on the icon in the top right of your screen, it is a round circle to the right of the search bar and will display your initials, and then select the Profile button. From your profile screen, you can update your bio, background, contact information, role, add a picture, and update your email subscription preferences. In the left column, under the photo icon, select the Actions button to upload or modify your profile photo. Click the pencil icon to the right of Contact Details to update your contact information.
Updates to the right of Contact Details can be filled in to provide you with a better, targeted member experience and to help you find networking and collaboration opportunities.

For more information about how to fully complete your profile, check out the FAQ entry “How do I complete 100% of my profile?”.

To start a discussion, click on the down arrow next to YODL on the top navigation bar and choose Post a Message. You can also post a message by clicking on YODL on the top navigation bar and then selecting your desired community. From there, select the Discussions tab and click the button that says Post to This Discussion Group. Enter your subject, choose the community or communities you wish to post the message to, type your message, attach any necessary documents, and then hit send.

To reply to a post, click on the post and then on the Reply button to the right. You can also click on the down arrow to Reply Privately to Sender. Or you can simply reply through your email account (without logging in to YODL) via the daily or weekly email digest you will receive, depending on how you have set your Community Preferences

Note: If you feel a post is inappropriate for YODL, you can flag it by clicking Mark as Inappropriate when you click on the drop-down menu under the Reply button. This will send a note to YODL staff to review the post and take it down if necessary.

A library is a group of shared resources. To view resources in your library, click on the library tab on the Community page. You can view library contents in “list” or “folder” form by clicking the list or folder icon to the right. Then select the folder or subfolder to view.

There are two ways to upload a document to a community:

  • The first option is to click on the down arrow next to YODL on the top navigation bar and click on Browse Shared files and then choose Create New Entry. When sharing a file through this message, please ensure that you select the Library for your targeted community.

  • The second option is to go to the community where you would like to post the document and select the Library Then click the Create Entry button.

Enter a title for your library document, select the community where you wish to enter the document, choose the document type, and click Next.

You can also upload a document when you write a discussion post. You will see an Attach button at the bottom of the page when you are making a post. Click the button and insert your document. The document will then be linked to your discussion post.

To access the YODL Member Directory, click on YODL on the top navigation bar and choose Find Contacts. here you can search for members based on multiple criteria such as first or last name, company name, job title, areas of interest, location etc.

From the result set of your search, you can click on an individuals name to see their profile, add a member as a contact by clicking the Add as Contact or send them a message by clicking the Send Message button . Adding someone as a contact gives you quick access to their profile information and the ability to send private messages faster from your profile.

Add as Contact requests you have made can be viewed in your Inbox under Sent Items. Requests from other members, to add you as a contact, can be viewed within your Inbox under Contact Requests.

Note: They will need to approve you as a contact before you can view their full profile.

When you join, you are automatically subscribed to receive emails containing messages that other users post. To review or edit your email subscriptions, click on Settings next to the Open Forum and choose Email Notification preferences. You can select from the following options:

  • Real Time: You will receive an email each time a new message is posted.

  • Daily Digest: You will receive one email each day containing all the previous day’s messages.

  • Weekly Digest: You will receive one email each week containing all the previous weeks’s messages.

  • No Email: This means you will not receive any emails, from this Community, in your inbox. You will need to log in to YODL to view and reply to discussion posts.

You can also adjust the preferences for each community by going to Profile, clicking on My Account, and selecting Community Notifications and changing your Notification Settings

Badges

YODL users can earn badges for completing specific tasks. As users accrue badges, they will get access to exclusive perks such as:

  • Front of the line access to CFIN events
  • Member spotlights on YODL
  • Inclusion as a source in original YODL articles
  • Participation in exclusive CFIN events

Here is a list of badges a user can earn and how to earn them:

  • Beta Tester
    • For anyone who participated in our beta testing
  • Stylin’ and Profilin’
    • For anyone who has 100% profile completion
  • Colour Commentator
    • For anyone that’s commented on at least 5 posts
  • Party Starter
    • For anyone that’s started a discussion post
  • Event Patron
    • Anyone who attends a CFIN hosted event on YODL
  • Socialite
    • Anyone who shares content from YODL to their social channels
  • Book Worm
    • Anyone who uploads or downloads a file from the Library
  • Page Viewer 100
    • For anyone that’s visited 100 pages
  • Page Viewer 250
    • For anyone that’s visited 250 pages
  • Page Viewer 500
    • For anyone that’s visited 500 pages
  • Badge Collector 5
    • Anyone who has earned at least 5 badges or ribbons
  • Badge Collector 10
    • Anyone who has earned at least 10 badges or ribbons
  • Networker
    • Anyone who has added 25+ contacts
  • Master Networker
    • Anyone who has added 100+ contacts

 

You can see your badges in your Profile, under the ‘My Contributions’ tab.

To control the information that other members see on your profile, log in to YODL, go to My Profile, and click on My Account tab to select Privacy Settings. From there, you can choose what information others can see or not see. Be sure to click the Save button when finished.

There are lots of things to do on YODL. To help you understand everything you can do, here’s a helpful glossary of the key terms you'll come across on YODL.

Discussion Post: Where you can post anything you want, including questions, articles, thought starters, or even a simple introduction.

Profile: Where you can update your personal and professional information, including job title, areas of interest, and social handles.

Blog: Where you can read original content, including explainers, interviews, success stories, and event recaps.

Library: Where you can upload and download files, including reports, white papers, one pagers, and videos.

Community: Where you can find resources, people, and information that are specific to a location, theme, or topic of interest.