Introduction
The Campaign Designer allows a visual configuration of marketing campaigns. This makes it easy to create 1:1 communication routes:
- Automation of 1:1 marketing campaigns via email (primary), letter, etc. based on behavioral and conditional components.
- Modeling, mapping and process visualization of complex marketing campaigns without deep technical knowledge (programming) via drag and drop.
System time
The system time used internally is based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) - the international system time. All time information in the system interface must be converted accordingly, i.e. for the German-speaking area (DACH): Winter time (MEZ) +1 hour, Summer time (MESZ) +2 hours.
Example for DACH: The start time for an emailing should be at 10:00 a.m. daylight saving time. In this case, the sending time should be configured to 08:00 system time. For the same start time in winter, configure the send time to 09:00 system time.
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System interface
The working area (1) is not limited in size and grows with the campaign size. If you click and hold the mouse pointer on the workspace, you can move the workspace. A click on the starting point (2) in the upper navigation bar moves the workspace to the starting point of the workspace. With the zoom function (3) you can zoom in and out to get an overview of your campaign.
- Work surface (without limitation)
- Navigation to starting point (top left)
- Zoom function (zoom in/out)
User rights
To use the full functionality of Campaign Designer, the account needs the following pricing model rights:
Send e-mail -> Send e-mail
Send letter -> Send letter
Change profile -> Display profiles
Activity Score -> Scoring / Activation
Notification -> Send eMailing
Basic elements
Campaign elements are used for the visual modeling of campaigns and are grouped into three basic types:
- Start and end points: serve as active and passive import elements for profile data or for the formal conclusion of a campaign.
- Actions: Execute campaign actions such as sending an e-mail, changing a profile or delaying a campaign.
- Conditions: Serves as decision elements to control different process strands, e.g. click in e-mail, website visit or form entry.
Campaign starting points
Starting points represent entry or import points for profiles within a campaign. There must be one starting point per campaign. Multiple use of starting points is not possible. Each starting point can serve as a target point for manual profile entry, for example, for object actions, elements for copying or moving profiles in campaigns or web services.
All profiles that enter a campaign via a starting point are checked for the multiple run configured in the element. If multiple scrolling is deactivated, a profile may not re-enter the campaign if it has already scrolled through the campaign in the past.
Element Basic functions
The following functionality is available to all campaign elements:
- Placing the element
- Delete the element
- Change settings
- Creating and closing connections
- Move/Record profiles
Connecting nodes
Profiles move the campaign along the links, taking into account the conditions and actions defined in the nodes passed through. You create a connection by clicking on the starting point of a node and dragging it to the entrance of another node with the mouse button held down. To delete a connection, focus the connection line with the mouse and click on the X in the middle of the line.
There are two types of connection points:
- Input: Every node (except start points) has an input on the left side. At this input 1-n elements can dock
- Output: Each node (except end points) has 1-n outputs on the right side, depending on the node type. Each output can only connect to 1 node.
Delete or edit node
Each node can be edited or deleted by clicking on the options menu. Under the menu item Edit there are different possibilities for editing, depending on the node, these can vary.
If nodes are removed from an active campaign, this only works if there are no profiles on the corresponding element. Before this can be done, the profiles on the nodes must be moved.
Campaign states
A campaign can have the following two states:
- Processing (paused): Campaign does not carry out any actions. The state is not checked for validity when saving. When creating a new campaign, this is the initial state.
- Active (live): campaign settings and elements cannot be changed. Campaign actions are executed without restrictions. The campaign is checked for validity before activation.
Campaigns Start
When the campaign status changes to "Active", a dialog box opens asking whether the campaign should be started and indicating that the current status will be saved and the campaign validated before the start. A status or error message regarding validation and status (successful or faulty saving and start) is displayed. The campaign is started immediately.
Campage active
If the campaign is active, the basic elements menu switches to the minimized view and all elements are deactivated and hidden.
- The number of profiles that are on the node are displayed below the nodes.
- No more nodes can be added, moved or changed.
Re-importing profiles
The function is only available when using the "Campaign" starting point in the active state. When the campaign is imported again, the profiles of the selected target group are reloaded into the campaign. The acceptance criteria are the same as for a regular campaign start. The options multiple run and blocking period are considered. Profiles that are currently in the campaign are not affected.
Node Validation
By saving node configurations, the state of a node changes to "configured", provided that the configuration is syntactically valid and the mandatory information is available.
Campaign Validation
Validation on activation (large validation) When the campaign status changes to "Active", the campaign is checked for validity. The following criteria are at least decisive:
- At least one start element exists
- All node connectors have connections
- All nodes are "configured
- All open campaign strands end with an end point
Validation on storage (small validation)
Each time a campaign is saved, a minimum validation takes place, even if there is no change in the campaign state. Any validation errors are displayed via error messages.
Deletion dependencies
The use in Campaign Designer creates a deletion dependency for the installed objects. This means that used objects cannot be deleted as long as they occur in an element configuration. This also applies to scoring groups and pool fields.
Elements Overview
The following nodes are available for configuring the campaign:
Starting points
- Campaign - One-time campaign with profile import from a target group.
- Dynamic - Continuous campaign with profile import from field definition
- Form - Continuous campaign with profile import from forms
- Website - Continuous campaign with profile import from WebTouchPoints
- Milestone - Continuous campaign with profile import from Milestones
- Persona - ongoing campaign with profile import from persona assignment
- Neutral - Continuous campaign without active profile import
Endpoints
- End - end of a campaign strand
Actions
- Send eMailing - Sending an E-mail (E-mail Trigger)
- Send SMS - Sending an SMS to a mobile phone number stored in the profile
- Send PrintMailing - sending a print letter via partners
- Notification - sending a notification to defined recipients
- Activity Score - Sets a value for activity scoring
- Update Profile - Selective modification of a profile property (field)
- Set Milestone - Lets a profile, when it enters the node, reach a milestone
- Execute action - Actions can be created only by SC-Networks employees
- Wait - Time delay of the profile transport to the next node
- Copy in campaign - Copies a profile to another campaign
Conditions
- eMailing reacted - Checks if the profile has opened a selected eMailing or clicked on an article in it
- eMailing clicked - Checks if the profile has clicked on an article in a selected eMailing
- eMailing opened - Checks if the profile has opened a selected eMailing
- eMailing received - checks if the profile has received a selected eMailing
- Form filled - Checks if the profile has submitted a selected form
- Lead page visited - Checks if the profile has visited a selected lead page
- Website visited - checks if the profile has visited a selected website
- Article viewed - Checks if the profile has viewed a selected article
- Link clicked - Checks if the profile has clicked a selected SmartLink
- Milestone reached - checks if the profile has reached a milestone
- Check date - Checks if the profile has visited the node before or after a defined date and time
- Check profile - Checks the profile for specific field values
- Check Persona - Checks if the profile is assigned to a persona
- Check scoring - Checks if the profile has reached a certain scoring value
- Within radius - Checks if the profile is located within the radius of certain coordinates
- External condition - Calls an external URL (optionally with profile variables) and then decides based on the response of the call
- Max. Runs - Checks how many times a profile has run this campaign
- A/B Split - randomly distributes profiles to 2 outputs based on the distribution key
- Campaign finished - checks if a profile is in another campaign and if it has already finished it
You can drag and drop these nodes from the basic elements menu on the left edge of the window onto the work area. By clicking on the gear wheel of a node or by double-clicking on a node, you can open the configuration window of the node and view or change the configuration.
All conditions that have a "maximum waiting time" check waiting profiles in the following time steps until the "maximum waiting time" is reached or the condition is successfully fulfilled.
- First check: immediately
- Second check: 5 min
- Third check: 15 min
- Fourth check: 30 min
- Further checks: each after 60 min
Connections
Each node has so-called inputs and outputs, so nodes can be connected to each other.
The profiles move the campaign along the links, taking into account the conditions and actions defined in the nodes passed through.
Each input of a node can take one or more connections. It is also possible to transport profiles from different nodes to one node and thus merge different strands.
In contrast to the input, each output can only have one connection. Therefore, for each node there is always exactly one subsequent node.
Starting points have no inputs and exactly one output. As soon as profiles enter a starting point, they are transported to the first node.
Actions have exactly one input and one output. Profiles remain on the node until the action is successfully completed and are then transported to the next node.
Conditions have exactly one input and exactly two outputs. Once the condition has been evaluated, profiles are transported to the next node either via the positive output (green, condition fulfilled) or the negative output (red, condition not fulfilled). An optional wait time (only for user interactions) is only executed if the condition is not fulfilled. As soon as the condition is fulfilled, the profile jumps to the next node.
Linking conditions
Conditions can be linked by placing them one after the other. In analogy to target group configurations, one can speak of AND and OR links.