Multi-stage campaigns

This type of campaign introduces regular recipients to products and services. It requires little effort to execute because the mailing content remains essentially the same. By modifying the subject lines and the order of paragraphs in a mailing, you can highlight a product's benefits and characteristics.

Use post-click tracking to conduct a multistage campaign, which uses target groups to filter recipients who generated a conversion.

Prerequisites

For multi-stage campaigns you need various mailings and target groups:

Mailings

• Principal mailing (type: regular) with two split mailings, each with a modified subject line (re: A and B).
• 2 copies of the principal mailing (type: special), each with a different subject line (attract interest, call-to-action) (re: C and D).
• Alternate version of the principal mailing (type: special) with the content rearranged or modified to shift the mailing's focus (re: E).
• Copy of this variant (type: special) with a different subject line urging call-to-action (re: F).

Target groups

• Recipients who received the principal mailing or one of the split mailings.
• Recipients who did not open the principal mailing.
• Recipients who did not open the second mailing.
• Recipients who did not open the third mailing.
• Target group that analyzes post clicks and matches recipients who generated a conversion (for example, completed registration or purchase).
• Recipients who opened a mailing but did not generate a conversion.

Creating a subject line split mailing

The first stage of the campaign consists of a classic A/B split test, used to determine the subject line that generates the greatest number of openings or clicks. The mailing that performs best is then sent to the remaining recipients. The automated campaign begins 24 hours later, when recipients are sent additional mailings in several stages.

1. Create a principal mailing with desired content.
2. Prepare a split mailing from the principal mailing, with subject line version A.
3. Prepare a second split mailing from the principal mailing, with subject line version B.
4. Go to Automatic selection of best split for principal mailing and select best unique opening rate or best unique click rate, and set a 1-day delay for automated distribution of the principal mailings.
5. Save the settings.
6. Launch the split mailings, either manually or automatically.

   The following campaign must be created before the split mailing is launched, and mailings in this campaign must be set as Transactional mail.

Following up with automated distribution mailings

Create a campaign that launches after the principal mailing is sent out.

1. Start with an Advanced node to filter recipients who received the principal mailing or one of the two split mailings. Initially, the standby time is set to four days to provide recipients sufficient time to respond.
2. Recipients who have not opened this mailing and have not completed registration receive the modified subject line C. They are given another 4 days to respond.
3. Recipients who open the first mailing during this period, but have not generated a conversion, do not receive mailing C. Instead, they are sent the two-stage reminder that concludes the campaign. The campaign terminates for recipients who generate a conversion.
4. Recipients who have not opened mailing C are sent another mailing with subject line D.
5. As in step 3, recipients who opened mailing C during this period, but who have not generated a conversion, are sent the two reminder mailings. The campaign terminates for recipients who generated a conversion.
6. After another 4 days, recipients who completed registration are filtered. For them, the campaign terminates. Recipients who opened mailing D but did not generate a conversion receive the first reminder mailing. This mailing, with subject line E, contains content from the principal mailings in a different order or with a different focus. Recipients who have not yet opened any mailings are disregarded from this point on.
7. After a week, recipients who did not open the first reminder receive a second reminder. This mailing is identical to the first, but contains another version of the subject line with a call-to-action. The campaign then terminates.