Use the “Wait” Action to Optimize Campaign Timing

Want to improve the timing of your campaigns? The “Wait” action in the Marketing Cockpit lets you set delays and manage workflows, ensuring your contacts are messaged at just the right time. Learn how to use it effectively and make the most of this powerful feature.

Did you know?

The “Wait” action sets a fixed timestamp for the chosen waiting time, which is saved for each contact in the current action. Any later changes will only affect contacts who reach the “Wait” action afterward, while contacts already affected remain unchanged. Ensure all waiting times are correctly set before starting your campaign.

Set Up the “Wait” Action in Your Campaign

  • Select your campaign or create a new one.
  • Click on → + Add action  in your campaign.
  • Select the → “Wait” action .
  • Select the type of delay.
  • Depending on the type of delay selected, you can use different options.
  • You can narrow down the time even further with additional filters.
  • For a specific date, it is best to select → Calendar  or → Date and time from additional field.
  • Finally, click on → Save.

How are “Wait” Actions processed?

Use of a fixed time together with a time interval.

The waiting time is calculated first, e.g. +3 days. If an additional time is used, this is applied accordingly. However, if the time is exceeded for any reason, the following day is used.

Using additional filters

A timestamp calculated based on the time interval may become invalid due to the filter settings. After 24 hours, it will be rechecked. KlickTipp will continue searching for the next suitable day that meets all the rules.

A concrete example:

Today is Friday, and the wait time is set to +3 days, making the initial send day Monday. However, there's a rule: the email can only be sent from Tuesday to Thursday, so Monday is invalid. The next check is Tuesday, but if it's a holiday, it may be excluded as a send day, and the email will be sent on Wednesday instead.

Subsequent Adjustment of the Waiting Period

Do you have to change the waiting time even though there are already contacts in the campaign? As soon as a contact reaches the “Wait” campaign, a fixed timestamp is set. The campaign will not continue until this time has been reached. The campaign will only continue as planned once this time has been reached.

The waiting time cannot be subsequently shortened or extended for these contacts. However, the changed time applies to all other contacts before this campaign. If you pause a campaign, the original time calculation is retained. Make sure that all waiting times are set correctly before the campaign starts.

Good to know:

You can easily change the waiting time by creating a new “Wait” action. Simply add a new “Wait” action with the correct waiting time. Then delete the old action and move the contacts to the newly created action.

Use a fixed Time

Only work with a fixed time in the first “Wait” action of a campaign. We would like to explain the reason for this using a small example: You send the first email with a waiting time of one day. To do this, you set a fixed time, e.g. 10 a.m. in the morning. Now you add another “Wait” action and an email. Here you again use the time interval of one day and also want to send at 10 am. In this case, however, it is advisable not to define a fixed time.

Why is this relevant? If the sending of the first email is delayed by a few minutes and only takes place at 10.03 a.m., for example, the second email will also be sent at 10.03 a.m. on the following day. With a fixed time, sending would be delayed by one day in this case, as there is not exactly 24 hours or 1 day between the two times. If you set the second “Wait” action to a day without a fixed time, you can compensate for such small delays. The shipment will then be sent as close as possible to the scheduled time.

Skip waiting time for a contact

In KlickTipp you have the option to view and control the history of an individual contact within a campaign. If you want to skip a wait action for a specific contact, you can view its history in your contact list:

 

  • Go to → ContactsManage contacts.  Search for the desired contact and open the contact's history.
  • Here you can skip the wait action with the → Execute now  button. This change only affects the selected contact and allows you to intervene specifically in the campaign flow.

Deleting the “Wait” action

When deleting a “Wait” action, you can decide to which campaign the contacts should be moved. This ensures that contacts are not unintentionally dropped from the campaign.

In this way, you can easily adjust the waiting time of a “Wait” action. To do this, insert another “Wait” action with the correct waiting time. Remove the old “Wait” action and move the contacts to the newly created “Wait” action.

The “Wait” action is a versatile tool for managing timing in your campaigns. By learning how to set, adjust, and optimize waiting periods, you can ensure your campaigns run smoothly. Try it today to take your campaign timing to the next level.

Did this post help you?