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Understand the complete campaign workflow from planning to optimization. Learn how to import contacts, create messages, schedule sends, track results, and improve performance over time.
Strategic planning vs ad-hoc sending
Set your campaign up for success from the start
Start with clear objective: appointment reminders, lead follow-up, payment notices, or event confirmations. Clear goals guide message content, timing, and success metrics.
Select recipients who match your goal. Appointment reminders go to confirmed appointments. Lead follow-up goes to recent inquiries. Right audience for right message maximizes impact.
Schedule sends during optimal times for your audience. Quiet hours enforce TCPA hours (8am-9pm). Use time zone detection to send in recipient local time.
Choose ringless voicemail for detailed info, SMS for quick updates, or voice broadcast for urgent messages. Multi-channel campaigns increase reach and engagement.
Write compelling message with clear call-to-action. Include personalization fields ({{FirstName}}, {{Date}}). Keep voice messages under 45 seconds, SMS under 160 characters.
Send test messages to yourself and team members. Verify personalization works, timing is correct, and compliance settings are enabled. Test on small segment before full send.
Complete workflow from planning to launch
Upload CSV file or connect CRM to import contacts. Include FirstName, LastName, Phone, and any custom fields you want to personalize. Drop Cowboy validates phone numbers automatically.
Record voicemail message or type SMS text. Use merge fields for personalization. Keep messages short, clear, and action-oriented. Test message sound and flow before launching.
Set when messages should send. Use quiet hours for automatic TCPA compliance. Set time zone detection for recipient local time. Schedule recurring sends for ongoing campaigns.
Enable DNC scrubbing, opt-out management, and quiet hours. These features help you comply with TCPA, TSR, and state regulations. Customers are responsible for compliance.
Review all settings, send test message, then launch. Campaigns run automatically based on schedule. Track delivery, opens, responses, and conversions in real-time.
Review campaign analytics to see what's working. Track delivery rates, engagement rates, response rates, and conversions. Adjust timing, content, or audience based on results.
How messages are sent and delivered
Before sending, Drop Cowboy prepares your messages. Personalization inserts merge field data (names, dates, locations) for each recipient. Validation verifies phone numbers are valid and deliverable. Suppression removes opted-out contacts from send list. Compliance checks ensure messages meet your configured requirements.
Messages are sent according to your schedule. Immediate sends right away when campaign launches. Scheduled sends at specific date and time. Recurring sends on ongoing schedule (daily, weekly, monthly). Triggered sends based on events (form submission, CRM update).
Quiet hours automatically enforce TCPA time restrictions. Scheduled messages respect 8am-9pm local time windows. Messages outside quiet hours are queued for next valid time. Time zone detection ensures correct local times. No manual intervention needed - automatic compliance.
Different channels deliver differently. Ringless voicemail deposits directly to voicemail inbox. SMS sends text message to recipient's phone. Voice broadcast places call and plays recorded message. Multi-channel sends across multiple channels for maximum reach.
Track message status in real-time. Delivered messages successfully sent to recipient. Failed delivery shows invalid number or carrier block. Pending messages queued for future delivery. Response shows recipient replied or called back.
Track results and improve performance
Track how many messages were delivered successfully. Delivery rate shows campaign health. Low delivery rates indicate list hygiene issues or carrier blocks.
Monitor reply rates for SMS and callback rates for voicemail. Engagement shows message relevance and timing effectiveness. Higher engagement means better results.
Track replies, confirmations, and actions taken. Response rate measures campaign success. Responses indicate recipient interest and conversion likelihood.
Measure appointments scheduled, payments made, or sign-ups completed. Conversions show ROI and campaign effectiveness. Track from message to final outcome.
Monitor opt-out rates to gauge message frequency and relevance. High opt-out rates indicate over-messaging or poor targeting. Adjust strategy when opt-outs spike.
Compare performance of different variants. See which timing, content, or channel performs better. Use data to optimize future campaigns and increase ROI.
Troubleshooting guide for campaign problems
If delivery rates are below 90%, check these issues. List hygiene - remove invalid numbers, duplicates, and disconnected lines. Carrier blocks - high-volume sends from single number may get blocked. Format issues - ensure phone numbers are in correct format (E.164 recommended). DNC scrubbing - high DNC removal reduces delivery pool.
If reply and callback rates are low, try these improvements. Adjust timing - test different send times to find optimal windows. Improve content - make messages more relevant and compelling. Personalize more - use merge fields to customize for each recipient. Change channel - test SMS vs ringless voicemail for your audience.
If opt-outs spike, consider these changes. Reduce frequency - space messages further apart. Improve targeting - send only to relevant recipients. Add value - make messages helpful, not just promotional. Respect preferences - honor opt-outs immediately and adjust cadence.
If merge fields show as blank, verify these settings. Field names match merge field names exactly (case-sensitive). Data format - import data columns match field names. Test first - send test message to verify personalization. Contact data - ensure recipient contact records have required fields.
For compliance issues, check these items. Check settings - ensure quiet hours and DNC scrubbing are enabled. Verify consent - confirm all recipients provided express consent. Review messages - include required disclosures and opt-out language. Consult legal - reach out to legal counsel for specific requirements.
Drop Cowboy makes campaign setup easy with guided workflows, templates, and automated compliance. No contracts, 24-hour refund guarantee.
Common questions about planning, launching, and optimizing campaigns
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