A
cascading message sequence sends messages through different channels depending on the recipient’s reaction. It can start with the most accessible and least expensive channel, and then automatically move on to the next one if the message is not opened.
For example, the sequence starts with a push notification, followed by an email, SMS, or a message in a messenger app. If the customer still does not perform the required action (such as clicking the link or completing the purchase), the sequence stops so as not to annoy the recipient and not to waste the company’s resources.
As an example, let’s imagine that the company wants to inform the customer about a trial period in the service coming to an end and offer them a paid plan. Messages will be sent through several channels one by one; follow-up notifications will be sent only if the customer has not bought the subscription plan.
Prepare Message Templates
First, prepare the required templates. This particular scenario will use three different types of messages, with the first and most important one crafted for three separate channels:
- “Your free trial is expiring” (Email, Push, and SMS).
- “Thank you for subscribing to a paid plan” (Email).
- “Your free trial has expired” (also Email).
To create messages for several channels within one template, click the + icon on the right and select the required channel.
After that, fill the messages with the required content, configure them as needed, and save them.
Create a New Scenario
In the vast majority of cases, a trial period is a one-time only feature: after using the trial option, the same account will not be able to activate it a second time. To prevent the same users from entering the scenario multiple times, select Disable reentry for a customer profile.
After clicking the Continue button, you will see a scenario editor with the Default element. This element is responsible for profiles entering the scenario during manual sending, when moving from another scenario, or through an API event.
First you need to define exactly whom you will send the messages to. Add the Scheduled segment trigger to determine the required audience. The configuration is as follows:
- Select profiles by the number of days remaining until the free trial expires. To do this, you need to create a custom field with the Date type in the database, for example, expiration_date.
- In the Scheduled segment, click the Condition button, and select the required field in the Custom fields tab. From the drop-down menu, select date/age relative to current date and specify the required number of days. This scenario will send the mailing 3 days before the end of the trial period, therefore the value is set to -3.
- Finally, set the scenario launch time and date, for example, every day at 12.
With this, the scenario will be capturing profiles whose trial period ends in 3 days.
Next, add the first mailing — Email. Select the required element in the Channels section, specify the resource, and add the message template.
Further actions will depend on whether the customer has paid for the subscription. To determine this, the Event waiting element is required.
Track the payment using a
pixel. It must be created beforehand in the
Web layer section and added to the website.
In the settings, add the Pixel activation rule and select the required pixel from the list. In our example, the waiting time will be set to 1 day.
Don’t forget to configure a goal in the pixel itself: it is required to track the completion of a target action. To track the purchase, you can add a goal such as payment.
In the Event waiting element under the Pixel settings, select Filter by additional target fields and specify the required goal.
In case the purchase is complete, the customer should receive a thank-you message. Add a new Email element and configure it.
After that, connect the Email element with Event waiting through the green branch.
Yet if there was no reaction from the user after 24 hours, the sequence will continue. Next, a push notification will be sent.
Add the Push element and configure it: select the resource, then the message template, and click Apply.
After the push notification, add one more Event waiting element with the same settings as before (or simply copy the previously created element). If the customer fulfills the condition (pays for the subscription), he receives a thank-you email. To save time and keep the scenario uncluttered, you can connect the Event waiting to already existing Email.
If the payment still has not been made, the scenario will send the final SMS reminder.
Add the SMS element with a message like “1 day left until the free period expires” and configure it.
Add Event waiting again with a 1-day period and connect it to the thank-you campaign if the user has paid for the subscription. If this still has not happened, they will receive an email with information that the trial version has expired, but they can switch to a paid plan at any time.
With that, the scenario is complete. Do not forget to activate and save it.
Conclusion
Now you know how to configure a cascading message sequence in Altcraft Platform. Once the scenario is complete and activated, the process of sending the messages will be automated, which helps to reduce the workload and save time.
