Hi Community… (See Image attached)
I am a newbie here and signed up for the CORE plan, and I’m looking forward to the journey and being part of the group.
I have a query regarding the setup of my scenario for Instagram Automation. My Google Sheets have multiple rows and columns pre-filled with image links from the cloud and particular text relating to my promoting individual products.
My problem is - how can I repeat the process after a complete cycle and return to the first row, then how can I skip empty columns and collect the info in the next columns in the same row?
Your help is sincerely appreciated!
Welcome to Make @gcurtis1967;
I notice in your flowchart, and nicely done for writing such down, that watch new rows is used.
The thing is, it seems that you’re updating those same rows too.
As such, you might consider running a recurring scenario to check that a row exists, but is missing Image 1 column data. Once that’s processed, then run the sheet search again where data exists with image 1, but image 2 is missing.
That is one way to cycle the automation.
Also, since you probably have a bunch of similar parts happening, you might consider putting the image creation bits on a webhook scenario, then you can cycle through the sheets more cleanly.
So you pass to the image creation webhook the Google Sheet row number, and then the image creation can update that row. You might also pass along which image number is being created to simplify knowing which column of data to update.
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Hi Michael
Many thanks for your reply; I sincerely appreciate it!
My spreadsheet has all the necessary images pre-populated according to color and design match, hence the missing images. I have created a new POD (Print-On-Demand) store on Shopify and am now setting up Social Media Automation for my brand’s social channels.
Therefore, I don’t want to create new images as all images provided are custom-made.
My trigger is the spreadsheet (Watch New Row), which is already pre-populated on the sheet. (I’m unsure if the “Watch New Row” is necessary with the first module in place).
The first module is Tools (Increment Function), so it moves to the next row after the scenario is complete. This step works fine, as I have tested it.
After the subsequent two modules complete their work, the scenario is complete, and the next row is processed according to the scheduled time.
My query is, what step do I put between Perplexity and Instagram or wherever in the scenario -
When calling the image for the post and the image cell is empty, move to the next image in the same row. Is this maybe a Function setting where I say, “If cell empty, move to next?” if so, how do I set this up?
Thanks for the help…
Gary
Hiya Gary,
I think I’m confused a bit, it seemed in the first description that you want to push out all of image 1 for the new rows, then onto image 2, then image 3. Not row 1, image 1, 2, 3, then row, image 1, 2, 3.
Please correct me. What’s the reasoning for the first method?
Is anything being written back to the spreadsheet? If not, then watch rows probably suffices.
Why do you think the increment function is needed?
When watching or searching rows, Google Sheets returns bundles, so the scenario will already cycle through bundle 1, 2, 3 automatically.
It might be helpful to screenshot or upload your scenario blueprint to provide some clarity.
Why do you think something is needed between Perplexity and Instagram? Doesn’t the output of Perplexity go into Instagram alongside the image from Google Sheets?
I’m feeling that a bunch of context is missing to genuine help understand how to better help.
Hi Michael
Thanks again for your reply; hopefully, this time around, I can explain the scenario I want to create with the new diagram.
Let me know if you are still struggling to understand it or if there may not be a solution.
Thank you very much, @gcurtis1967; I get the point of cycling the colors as to not be bland on the results page. Great idea.
One way to handle this, is using modulo math. Since we’ve four columns of data to cycle, so I’ll use modulo four math.
Then depending upon the cycle, we’ll add the images in the desired cycling order like the following.
ABCD
BCDA
CDAB
DABC
ABCD
…
The goofy part is keeping in mind that with modulo math, 4 isn’t our starting, 1 is. because 4 mod 4 is zero.
Here’s a video explainer for the blueprint.json (65.0 KB).
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Hi Michael
Thanks for the intricate reply, I appreciate the time and patience in dealing with such requests.
I will give it a go and let you know if it works. I’m sure it will take me a few hours to work it out, but I see the logic.
Many thanks!
Gary
Hi Michael
Just getting my head around this flow chart you designed, it is excellent, but I have a few questions.
My short demo spreadsheet I provided is only showing 5 products, my real inventory is 100 unique designs, all with 4-6 custom images each.
(Approx: 500 images in total, which is 1 post per day = 500 days of automation)
Question 1 - According to your design I need to create 100 cycles (Total Inventory) all joined to the router?
Question 2 - Then increase the number of “Set Multiple Variables” up to six per cycle as some products have 6 images?
Question 3 - The Json string will then need be amended to include all 100 products from the inventory list?
Question 4 - On your Blueprint, do I join the JSON module to my spreadsheet to start the flow?
If this is the case on all answers then maybe it’s best I re-write my spreadsheet with 600 rows, to complete all images and treat them as a scenario each to simplify the process?
Either way it seems quite a task to set this process up from a spreadsheet worth of 500 days of posts.
One post a day with one image whilst alternating colors, is the main task here!
What do you suggest?
Your help is sincerely appreciated…
Gary
Well @gcurtis1967; when you’ve a challenge, you’ve a doozy…
I missed that context earlier on, and you’re right about the approach I shared not fitting your need.
Once you create the spreadsheet, does it change? As in, is this like a marketing campaign per channel that’s fully spun up and then tossed to automation to be pushed out?
While awaiting your response, I’ll ponder ideas…
Hi Michael
Sorry about giving you this challenge; it has my brain working overtime…
Answer to your question: Yes.
The spreadsheet is a complete list of my products for my new e-commerce store.
The spreadsheet has all the necessary images, prompts, and videos pre-loaded to push out pure automation.
As my product inventory grows, I will add it to the spreadsheet.
Once I complete the IG + FB automation, I will duplicate the same workflow across YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, and others.
My final goal is to have 100% social media automation for the next year so that I can focus on Marketing and Advertising…
Thanks again for the wonderful customer care and support, I sincerely appreciate it!
Gary
That’s very smart, @gcurtis1967, to get the upfront work that is at scale done so you can concentrate on the more hands on stuff.
I’m still pondering this, and I hope you can walk me through how you see a week of this process working incorporating all the platforms you want.
Something like:
- Day 1, check spreadsheet, push product 1 black across all platforms.
- Day 2, check spreadsheet, push product 1 blue, product 2 black across all platforms.
- Day 3, check spreadsheet, push product 1 green, product 2 blue, product 3 black across all platforms.
- etc.
Walking through the week is key to help figure out the long term implications.
Behind the scenes, my team will create training based on this use case, so I hope you remain patient with me to develop a good solution.
Hi Michael
I thought I would make a video. Hopefully, it makes sense…
Excuse the sound quality, but I’m using my old laptop, as I left my Full HD webcam at home due to house-sitting for a friend this week.
Let me know if you have any problems viewing it.
Wowza, @gcurtis1967; that’s a brain dump…
However, I remain slightly confused, yet I believe we’re nearing understanding.
I think what you’re attempting to accomplishing now is to post a different product a day, cycling through the available images. While attempting to avoid same color sequencing.
- Day 1, post one product, a shirt, starting with row 2 of your spreadsheet, and share the first image given, Black.
- The next day, post product 2, a shirt, but grab the next color columns image, Sand Biege.
- The third day, post product 3, a shirt, but grab the next color column image, Royal Blue, but since there isn’t Royal Blue, grab Yellow.
- The fourth day, post product 4, a shirt, but grab the next color column image, Forest Green.
- The fifth day, post product 5, a cap, starting with the first color column image, Red.
- The sixth day, post product 6, a cap, starting with the next color column image, Royal Blue.
- The seventh day, post product 7, a shirt, but grab the next color column image, after Forest Green, Maroon.
Please let me know how to shift my understanding.
You got it 100%, exactly as you explained it. The only difference is that the caps and mugs grab the image column by column, usually in numerical order. It’s the t-shirt colors that rotate.
Once the 100 products have posted an image each, it returns to product 1 and continues the process again with the following image: 2. After 100 posts, it recycles back to product 1 and image 3, and so on. Only the t-shirts rotate color.
To conclude, I spent the weekend rewriting my spreadsheet into one single image column, so we don’t have to worry about a solution now. I just simplified it by one column, as I mentioned in the video. As such, flow charts with fluctuations seem to cause problems in construction.
Thanks again for trying to resolve this; I sincerely appreciate your help…
Congratulations @gcurtis1967; for getting to your solution.
In reflection of a solution, I was going to recommend that instead of doing everything with one scenario, we break things down.
One scenario reads the product and image spreadsheet to create a daily operation data structure in bulk. Then another scenario reads the daily operation data structure to post things.
More interesting is that we could have a bunch of feeder spreadsheets by product types all consolidate to the daily operation data structure. Then just one poster automation to support things because the source data is consistent.
