Scheduling Software
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Calendly Comparison

How to Use Calendly for Easier Meeting Scheduling

Are you tired of playing email ping-pong just to schedule a meeting? Calendly is here to help. This powerful scheduling tool streamlines the process, saving you time and preventing double bookings. In this blog post, we'll cover everything you need to know about Calendly, from getting started to integrating it with your favorite tools and platforms. Let the scheduling revolution begin with Calendly!

Short Summary

Understanding Calendly: A Scheduling Solution

A person using Calendly to schedule meetings and avoid back and forth emails
A person using Calendly to schedule meetings and avoid back and forth emails

Imagine a world where scheduling meetings is as easy as sharing a link with your colleagues or clients. That's precisely what Calendly offers – an automated scheduling solution that eliminates the need for back and forth emails, syncing personal and business calendars, and even works with Google Calendar. With a Calendly account, you can create one off meetings, group events, and recurring events, all through a simple and user-friendly interface.

Calendly goes beyond the basics of scheduling software by offering customizable event types that cater to your specific needs. You can define meeting durations, set availability, and even share a "Book Now" button on your website. This flexibility ensures that the scheduling process is tailored to you and your business.

With over 10 million users worldwide, Calendly has become a trusted meeting scheduling software for businesses across various industries. From handling one on one meetings to coordinating group events, Calendly simplifies and streamlines the tasks involved in setting up appointments, leaving you with more time to focus on your core responsibilities.

Getting Started with Calendly

A person creating a Calendly account and connecting it to their personal and business calendars
A person creating a Calendly account and connecting it to their personal and business calendars

To begin your journey with Calendly, the first step is creating an account. Once your account is set up, it's time to connect your personal and business calendars. Calendly supports integration with popular calendar platforms such as Google Calendar, Office 365, Outlook Calendar, and iCal. This integration ensures that your availability is always up to date, preventing double bookings and ensuring a smooth scheduling experience.

With your calendar connected, it's time to customize your event types. Calendly offers a basic account with unlimited events of one type, perfect for those who are just getting started. However, if you want more features and customization options, consider upgrading to a premium plan. This will grant you access to a variety of integrations, group events, and the ability to add users for tasks like live chat and onboarding.

Now that your calendly availability account is set up and your event types are customized, you're ready to start using Calendly to schedule meetings with ease. Say goodbye to endless back and forth of emails and phone tag, and let Calendly's seamless scheduling process revolutionize the way you organize your appointments.

Creating and Customizing Event Types in Calendly

A person creating and customizing event types in Calendly
A person creating and customizing event types in Calendly

Creating an event type in Calendly is a breeze. Start by providing basic information such as the name, location, and description of the event. You can also customize the event URL, color-coding, and for group events, specify the maximum number of attendees. This level of customization ensures that your Calendar events align with your unique requirements.

Once your event type is set up, you can share or embed it on your website by navigating to the Event Types page, clicking the gear icon for the event, and selecting either "Share" or "Embed". This makes it easy for clients, colleagues, and customers to find and book meetings with you.

For those who wish to accept payments for events, Calendly offers integration with Stripe, allowing you to collect payment directly from the platform. This integration streamlines the booking and payment process, creating a seamless experience for both you and your clients.

Sharing Your Calendly Schedule

A person sharing their Calendly schedule with others
A person sharing their Calendly schedule with others

Sharing your Calendly schedule is as simple as providing a link. From your Account dashboard, select the Event Types tab and locate the event type you wish to share. By sharing this calendly link with your clients, colleagues, or customers, they can easily book a meeting with you without the need for lengthy email exchanges or phone calls.

In addition to copying the link, Calendly also offers single-use links for one-time bookings and the option to copy a timetable directly into an email. These sharing options make it easy for you to manage your availability and ensure a smooth scheduling experience for all parties involved.

Managing Meetings through the Calendly App

The Calendly app allows you to manage your meetings on the go. With the app, you can set your available hours, define multiple periods of availability throughout the day, add notes, and even make yourself unavailable for an entire day. This level of control ensures that your schedule remains organized and that you're always available when it's most convenient for you.

By utilizing the Calendly app, you can prevent double bookings and ensure that your schedule remains organized and efficient. No more juggling multiple calendars or scrambling to reschedule appointments – the Calendly app keeps everything in one place, making meeting management a breeze.

Integrating Calendly with Other Tools and Platforms

Calendly's true power comes from its ability to integrate with a wide range of tools and platforms. Native integrations are available, as well as integration through Zapier. This means you can connect Calendly to platforms like Google Calendar, Outlook, Slack, and Salesforce, allowing you to manage your schedule and appointments seamlessly across multiple applications.

One popular integration is the connection between Calendly and video conferencing tools like Zoom or GoToMeeting. This allows you to schedule video calls directly through Calendly, ensuring that all participants have the necessary information to join the call. With this integration, you can streamline the scheduling and execution of virtual meetings, saving time and reducing potential confusion.

Another valuable integration is the connection between Calendly and payment processing platforms like PayPal and Stripe. This allows you to accept payments directly through the Calendly platform, making it easy for clients to book and pay for appointments or events in one seamless process.

Customizing Notifications and Reminders

Customizing notifications and reminders is an important aspect of Calendly. By tailoring these messages, you can include important information such as the invitee's name, event subject, and description, as well as provide a cancellation policy. This ensures that your clients and colleagues are well-informed about the event and know what to expect.

To further personalize your notifications, consider upgrading to a Premium account. This will give you access to additional customization options, allowing you to craft the perfect message to keep your invitees informed and engaged.

Calendly for Teams: Streamlining Group Scheduling

Calendly isn't just for individuals, it's also a powerful tool for teams. Calendly for Teams allows clients to book appointments with any member of a team, streamlining the scheduling process for businesses with multiple personnel available to the public. This feature ensures that your team's schedule remains organized and efficient.

Adding team members to a Calendly account is simple. Just select "Users" from the dropdown menu beneath the Calendly URL and choose either the "Invite Users" button or the "+ New User" button. With your team in place, you can assign events to different members, ensuring that everyone's schedule is properly managed.

By utilizing Calendly for Teams, you can improve collaboration and communication within your organization. Say goodbye to the hassle of coordinating schedules and juggling multiple calendars – with Calendly, your team can focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional service and results.

Enhancing Calendly's Functionality with Add-Ons and Extensions

To further enhance Calendly's functionality, consider exploring the various add-ons and extensions available. For example, the Calendly Chrome extension allows you to quickly access your scheduling links directly from your browser toolbar. This makes it easy to share your availability with clients and colleagues without having to navigate to the Calendly website.

Another powerful enhancement is the integration with Zapier, which allows Calendly to connect with a wide range of other tools and platforms, such as email marketing services, project management tools, and CRM systems. By leveraging these add-ons and extensions, you can create a seamless ecosystem of tools that work together to streamline your scheduling process and enhance your overall productivity.

Calendly Security and Privacy

When it comes to security and privacy, the Calendly team takes both seriously. The platform uses 256-bit encryption for all data at rest and in transit, ensuring that your information is protected at all times. Additionally, Calendly monitors network activity, clicks, mouse position, scrolling, and keystroke logging to safeguard user data.

Calendly is also transparent in its data collection practices, ensuring that users are aware of the information being collected and how it is used. By prioritizing security and privacy, Calendly provides a trustworthy platform for users to manage their scheduling needs with confidence.

User Experiences and Testimonials

Many users have found Calendly to be a game-changer in their scheduling processes. The platform has been praised for its user-friendly interface, efficiency, and utility in arranging meetings and appointments. These positive experiences showcase the value that Calendly can bring to individuals and businesses alike.

However, it's essential to consider your unique needs and requirements when selecting a scheduling tool. While Calendly has garnered positive feedback from its user base, it's important to explore various platforms and their features to find the best solution for your specific scheduling needs.

Calendly Competitors

While Calendly is a powerful scheduling tool, it's essential to explore its competitors to determine which platform best suits your needs. Two popular alternatives to Calendly are Bookvid and Acuity Scheduling, each offering unique features and capabilities.

In the following sections, we'll provide a brief overview of both Bookvid and Acuity Scheduling to help you make an informed decision.

Bookvid

An image of the cover of the book Calendlu featured on Bookvid
An image of the cover of the book Calendlu featured on Bookvid

Bookvid is a comprehensive platform that combines scheduling, video call hosting, payments, and CRM capabilities, similar to Calendly, Zoom, and Venmo. By offering a wide range of features, such as the ability to schedule meetings with multiple individuals, customizing meeting types, and integrating with other tools and platforms, Bookvid aims to streamline the scheduling process and provide a seamless user experience.

Bookvid is the first company to offer paid group calls. You can simply create a virtual event, select the number of seats to sell (1-1000), select a price per a seat, generate the scheduling link, and then share through a social media post where clients can self schedule.

Bookvid's features make it easy to manage and coordinate meetings, allowing users to save time and effort. With its intuitive interface and powerful features, Bookvid is the perfect solution for businesses and individuals looking to streamline their scheduling process, integrate payments and host virtual calls. Bookvid free to sign up. There are no paid plans. However they do charge a small platform fee to the client when booking paid video calls.

Acuity Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling is a cloud-based appointment scheduling software that allows clients to book appointments or classes online. With tools like calendar syncing, automated email and text messaging, and online payment processing, Acuity Scheduling provides a robust alternative to Calendly.

Additionally, Acuity offers a range of pricing plans starting at $15 per month, making it an accessible option for businesses of all sizes.

Summary

In conclusion, Calendly is a powerful and versatile scheduling tool that can revolutionize the way you manage your appointments and meetings. From its user-friendly interface to its robust integrations and features, Calendly offers a comprehensive solution for individuals and businesses alike. As you explore the world of scheduling tools, consider Calendly as a strong contender to streamline your scheduling process and increase efficiency. Happy scheduling!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Calendly used for?

Calendly is a powerful scheduling tool that helps streamline the process of finding a mutually agreed-upon time to meet with coworkers, clients and prospects. It simplifies booking and communication for better efficiency.

By signing up for free with Google or Microsoft, you can immediately start using Calendly's features to make organizing meetings easier.

Why is Calendly better than Google Calendar?

Calendly offers features such as automatic follow-up reminders, waiting lists and advanced time zone settings that make it the superior choice for busy businesses and teams looking to optimize their scheduling processes.

Google Calendar, on the other hand, does not have these capabilities, making Calendly the more advantageous solution.

Is Calendly really free?

Yes, Calendly offers a free plan that includes basic features. However, if you want to sync more than one calendar, you will need to pay for the service.

How is Calendly different from Google Calendar?

Calendly provides a variety of features that make it an ideal solution for managing meetings with large teams, while Google Calendar is tailored to individuals looking for a basic scheduling solution.

Calendly offers more flexibility and advanced scheduling tools compared to Google Calendar, which is designed primarily for personal use.

What is Calendly used for?

Calendly is a powerful tool that helps users manage their meetings and appointments more efficiently. It makes it easy to book available slots in their calendar with the click of a button, reducing the time-consuming back-and-forth conversations required to coordinate events.