====== How do I create an auto campaign? ======
An auto campaign is generally used for the regular and automated delivery of e-mails, e.g., birthday or welcome messages. It can also be used for automatic target group functions (move contact to/delete from target groups). With the workflow editor, it is easy to create automated campaigns. Even complex marketing automations can be implemented intuitively using a drag-and-drop interface, using functions like filters, schedulers, delivery, and so on. Messages can be edited and replaced while the distribution is proceeding.
In the overview of all campaign drafts, auto campaigns can be recognized by the icon. If the icon is grey, the auto campaign is inactive. The equivalent darker icon marks all active auto campaigns.
===== Creating a campaign =====
To create a new auto campaign, go to //Delivery > Drafts//, click the button //Create campaign// on the bottom right, and choose the type //Auto Campaign//.
{{:en:delivery_drafts_create_autocampaign.png?nolink&600|}}
Then, select the client and a name for the campaign under //description//. Finally, you define the campaign’s target group:
==== Target Group ====
The target group is usually a selected auto target group. In very few cases, such as a birthday campaign, the target group consists of all addresses of your client.
* When selecting any //auto target group//, only the new additions/new subscribers of this group will be added to your campaign. Addresses that were already in the auto target group before activating the campaign are **not** included by default (see also: selection of starting time when //activating the campaign//. When activating, you have the possibility to also address older contacts when choosing an older starting time). An auto target group is a good choice for campaigns like welcome mails (after registration) or other advertising follow-ups that are supposed to be sent to the auto target group after a certain period of time
* When selecting //Complete addresses//, **all** of the addresses in your client’s data are added to the campaign daily. This is suitable for campaigns that are independent of a newsletter subscription or similar action and allow a re-entry of addresses into the campaign. Do NOT choose this option for welcome campaigns. Most frequent application: birthday campaign.
When you choose //Complete addresses// as your target group, remember to limit the number of your addressees by using filters when the mailing is not supposed to go to every person in your master data. Without the use of filters or schedulers, this campaign will send out a mailing to every person every day. \\ \\
If you are uncertain which target group to choose or how to create your campaign structure, please contact our support team via ticket.
When you have given all the information about the name, client, and target group, confirm by clicking //OK//.
Special case birthday mailing: If you want to send the birthday mailing BEFORE the birthday, this is only possible via an individually configured filter-based auto target group. Please contact our support team via ticket.
==== Viewing an auto campaign ====
In the draft stage, there are two views:
* //Details//: This is where the auto campaign’s messages are edited.
* //Workflow structure//: Here you can define the campaign structure and therefore the workflow.
Nach Aktivierung finden Sie die Kampagne unter //Reporting//. Dort steht zusätzlich noch der Reiter //Reporting// zur Verfügung.
* //Reporting//: Hier lassen sich die Creative-Statistiken einsehen.
==== Messages in an auto campaign ====
When you want to send out messages within your auto campaign, you generate them by clicking //Create message// on the bottom of the button on the right.
{{:en:delivery_drafts_creatives_autocampaign.png?nolink&700|}}
All existing messages in the campaign are divided into three statuses:
* //Drafts//: all newly created e-mails
* //Active//: List of letters currently in active use. These e-mails are involved in the auto campaign.
* //Inactive//: List of formerly active letters. These messages were in active use once but have been replaced by new ones.
The contents of the tabs //Active// and //Inactive// are only visible if the auto campaign has been activated before.
Any active message can be replaced by a draft during operation. To do so, read the step-by-step instructions in the article "//[[en:how_to_change_mails_in_autocampaigns]]//".
===== Edit campaign structure with the workflow editor =====
You define the course of your automated campaign via drag and drop. In doing so, you can create all types of auto campaigns.
To open the workflow editor, simply click on //Workflow structure//.
It is possible to select an existing template. For example, if you want to send a birthday mailing, just select the respective template and confirm your choice. In case you choose the birthday mailing, the system will relate to the data //field birthday (format YYYY-MM-DD)//.
When you want to create your own campaign process, click on //Cancel// in the window.
{{:en:delivery_drafts_creatives_autocampaign_workflow1.png?nolink&450|}}
Afterwards, you can use the workflow editor to create your campaign process easily via drag & drop. The workflow of a birthday mailing, based on complete addresses, might look like this:
{{:en:delivery_drafts_creatives_autocampaign_workflow2.png?700|}}
==== Actions ====
The workflow editor provides the following actions or functions:
=== Start ===
Marks the beginning of a campaign. You have to define if users are allowed to re-enter the campaign.
=== End ===
Marks the end of a campaign or filtering.
=== Wait ===
You can define a waiting time (in minutes, hours, or days).
=== Scheduler ===
Determine the date and time of delivery. Define month, workday, and time.
=== Delivery ===
Define the delivery; you have to choose the message that you want to send.
=== Filter ===
Define filtering of criteria or attributes of your user data.
=== Split ===
Split elements allow multi-stage filtering or scheduling within your campaign.
=== Copy ===
Copy the user into a new auto target group.
=== Delete ===
Delete the user from a chosen auto target group.
When you insert longer waiting times, remember that the composition of auto target groups changes dynamically, e.g., due to newsletter unsubscriptions. If you want to restrict recipients to an auto target group in the complete workflow, it is advisable to insert a filter after waiting elements to check if the address is still part of the auto target group.
==== Validating and saving a structure ====
The buttons at the top left and right allow the following actions:
=== Validate structure ===
Check your workflow for completeness. Elements that contain errors are highlighted in red.
=== Save ===
Save your campaign structure after successful creation and validation. If the structure is invalid or not yet final, you can save it as a draft. Finalized structures are saved as active structures.
=== Restore ===
All previously saved drafts remain available and can be retrieved via this action.
===== Activating a campaign =====
Once your campaign structure has been saved as an active structure, you can activate the campaign.
- Change to the campaign’s detail view.
- You have the option to define a period of time in which the campaign should be active under //Settings// in the tab //general//, using the fields //active from// and //active to//.
- Open the action //activate/deactivate// and click on //activate//.
- If there are messages embedded in the structure, you must first confirm their quality control. To do so, select a message down below, click on //Quality Control//, inspect the displayed test results, and then click on the checkmark to approve the message. Once all listed messages are confirmed, click on the button //Continue to the next step//.
- You will now be taken to the step-by-step activation. Once you have completed this, the automatic process will start. In the first step, please ensure that the campaign configuration corresponds to the desired campaign goal and that only addresses with opt-in are being contacted. If you have selected the //Complete Adresses// target group, you will receive an additional warning at this point prompting you to define suitable filters, otherwise the entire address database will be added to the workflow every day, which could lead to problems.
- In the second step, you have the option to reprocess addresses. If addresses that were added to the selected automatic target group in the past should be included in the workflow, you can specify here whether and from which date the address entered the target group this reprocessing should take place. Depending on your selection, the number of affected addresses will be displayed.
- For final control, the name, the activity period, the selected target group, and data on any reprocessing will be displayed again in the third step.
If you are insecure about your campaigns being configured correctly, do not hesitate to contact our support team via ticket. We are happy to run a quality check on your finished auto campaign. This ensures that you do not accidentally and unintentionally send mailings to the wrong addresses.
{{tag>auto_target_groups birthday_mailings welcome_campaigns workflows marketing_automations auto_campaigns exclude_filter automatical reprocess reprocessing}}