Looping sequence to give monthly email reminders

Max Classic
#1

We have 6 different client types (so to speak). We sell a printed newsletter which we produce for each client. They can have newsletters produced on frequencies of either Monthly, Odd Months, Even Months or Quarterly (Q1, Q2, Q3) there will be 6 different sequences, one for each frequency.
(just for refererence)
_Q1 months = Jan - Apr - July - Oct _
Q2 months = Feb - May - Aug - Nov
Q1 months = Mar - Jun - Sep - Dec

We send out a reminder email on the 25th of each month that someone has a deadline coming up. A monthly client has a deadline of the last day of the month for the following months issue so we send that reminder about 5 days before the deadline.

I’ve attached a picture of the monthly sequence and the inside of the content sequence.
I already understand how to make the loop work hence two sequences and an exit if needed (see monthly sequence) Unless theres a better way, I’m open.

Inside the content sequence there are two starts with two differently delayed emails. Initially, the are both at least a 3 week delay. This is where my question is.

This gets tricky as some last days are 30, some 31, one month is 28 and that one is 29 every 4 years. So the emails will only say “…last day of the month”, they won’t have specific dates.

Looking inside the content sequence on the monthly frequency I’ve attached, I have it set to delay at least 3 weeks then run on the 25th, the second start in the sequence is also set to delay at least 3 weeks then run on the 29th ('ll probably change it to the 27th to accommodate all months and their trickery). My goal is to have two reminders one on the 25th and another on the 27th. I didn’t want to run the delay “at least 1 month” then run on the 25th. That seemed a little tight. Is leaving those few days to a week to linger by putting a day of the month in there a good idea, or is there a better way?

As I type this, I’m starting to see some complications so part of the therapy is to type this all out, embrace the headache and see what others might think. :crazy_face:
Monthly Sequence

revised heart of content sequence

I hope all that makes sense.

#3

Hey Keith,

Sorry for the delay in post. I have been analyzing your setup here for about 10 minutes and it checks out. I can see where the trickiness of “weeks” comes in.

The contact will enter the sequence, and sit at the two 3 week timers. on the 24th, the contact will pass one timer, but remain in the sequence at the 3 week timer on the 27th.

Once the 27th hits, the customer will hit the email, and then work through your loop, where they will enter the sequence, and sit at the 3 week timers again, until the 24th and the 27th.

#4

Ha no problem at all James on the delay! Extremely helpful. I’m a one man show and some of these ideas bounced off of outside eyes really helps think them through.

Now, someone on a bi-monthly frequency should have 6 weeks I’m thinking, maybe 7 then 24th and 27th of the month. As long as they’re landing in time to kick them off before their deadline. Quarterly gets a little confusing because there’s 3 quarterly segments Q1 Q2 Q3. Here’s where my thinking starts to rat tale or should I say dreadlock… In any given month, we are always physically producing the next month’s newsletter issue.

The deadline for any given month (to get in on any particular issue) is the 1st of the month, for the following month’s issue. So January’s newsletter deadline is Dec 1st. So, if I sell a client on November 12th, their first issue is the January issue, their deadline to personalize their newsletter is on 1st of December and by adding them to the monthly frequency at the time of sale, they won’t get the first one, which is good and they’ll go on accordingly. A sale never commences without the client knowing when the deadline for their first issue is. We don’t sell out product automated, only marketing and communications are IS automated. Thinking through Quarterly frequencies is just nutsy but I think once I’ve implemented it and blueprinted it out, should be fine.

Thanks for your input, it’s amazingly helpful!

#5

Hello! Thank you for doing this post. I’m wanting to do a similar monthly loop - how did you set up to recur monthly? Are you removing the tag, having the timers and then reapplying the tag?
Also, I don’t have a specific day of the month - or the specific day of the month to send would be based on the client’s membership date - so I can apply the first tag when they join, and then do a delay timer of 4 weeks, but over the year, it will move someone up to far and even into the previous month. thoughts?
Thank you!
Karin

#6

The process to create the different time frames was very complicated and I wound up having a SQL tool used through the API to update proper dates based on our frequency needs. That created a simple loop that read a date field filled in by the SQL Process. If you are doing a loop then you seem to have it together from what you’ve said. I also found PlusThis to be quite helpful in created dates and filling date fields

#7

Thank you!!! I appreciate you!

As I was reading what you wrote, I also thought about having a time for 3 weeks and then a timer that would run based on a field date – hmmm… though I’ll have to look about whether there’s a day of the month timer or field… maybe not.

Karin

Karin L. Crawford

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www.godsgardentreasures.com

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