Campaigns Calendar

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Campaigns Calendar with Industry Send Times

Introduction

The **Campaigns Calendar with Industry Send Times** is a powerful enhancement to the existing Campaigns Calendar in ActiveCampaign. Rolled out in December 2024 and available to users on the **Pro** and **Enterprise** plans, this feature provides **AI-driven, industry-specific email send time recommendations**. It enables marketers to boost engagement and optimize campaign performance without relying solely on their own historical data.

Leveraging behavioral trends from similar businesses in the same industry, this update equips users with **instantaneous insights**, helping them identify the best times to send email campaigns. Whether launching a new campaign or refining send times on existing ones, the **Industry Best Send Times** update provides a **data-backed benchmark** to guide your scheduling decisions.

How to Access the Campaigns Calendar

The **Campaigns Calendar** is where you plan, view, and manage your scheduled email campaigns. Accessing the calendar and enabling **Industry Best Send Times** is quick and straightforward—but only available to users on **Pro** or **Enterprise** plans.

To access the Campaigns Calendar:

1. Log in to your ActiveCampaign account.
2. Navigate to the **Campaigns** menu.
3. Click on the **Calendar View** tab.

From here, you can view and schedule campaigns throughout the month. To enable **Industry Best Send Times**, additional setup is required (see next section for step-by-step instructions).

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow the steps below to enable and use the **Industry Best Send Times** feature within your Campaigns Calendar:

Step 1: Navigate to Campaigns Calendar

1. In your ActiveCampaign dashboard, click on **Campaigns** from the main navigation menu.
2. Select the **Calendar View** tab to open the Campaigns Calendar interface.

Step 2: Enable Industry Best Send Times

1. Locate and click the **gear icon** on the top-right of the calendar interface—this opens the calendar settings.
2. In the settings panel, toggle on the option labeled **Industry Best Send Times**.
3. Once enabled, your calendar will highlight the **best send days** based on industry benchmarks.

Step 3: Use the Calendar to Schedule

1. Review your Campaigns Calendar for highlighted best send days.
2. Schedule your campaign by clicking any day on the calendar.
3. In the scheduling dialog, review the suggested send time and proceed with campaign creation as usual.

No additional input is required from you to generate these recommendations—ActiveCampaign uses data from similar accounts in your industry to instantly populate best send times.

Configuration Options and Settings

The **Industry Best Send Times** enhancement is controlled through settings located directly within the **Campaigns Calendar interface**. The configuration options include:

• **Industry Best Send Times toggle:** Enables or disables the feature. This is found via the **gear icon** in the Campaigns Calendar view.
• **Best send day highlights:** Once the toggle is enabled, the calendar will visually mark days that are optimal for sending emails based on industry data.

There are no advanced settings, API connections, or workflow dependencies required to activate this feature.

Best Practices and Tips

To make the most of the **Industry Best Send Times** functionality, consider the following best practices:

• **Use it as a launchpad, not gospel:** While industry data is valuable, your own engagement metrics should still play a role in optimizing send times over time.
• **Layer with segmentation:** Combine send time optimization with smart audience segmentation for even better results.
• **Ideal for new accounts:** If your account is new and lacks historical send data, rely on this tool as a performance-boosting baseline.
• **Monitor performance:** After using recommended send times, evaluate campaign metrics such as open rate and click-through rate to validate effectiveness.
• **Avoid overlapping send schedules:** Ensure other campaigns or automations aren’t set to send at the same time as your scheduled campaign to avoid saturation.

Common Use Cases and Examples

The **Campaigns Calendar with Industry Send Times** is particularly valuable for the following scenarios:

Example 1: New Account Marketing Launch

You're launching your first campaign in ActiveCampaign and have no historical engagement data. By enabling **Industry Best Send Times**, you're instantly guided to a day and time that’s statistically effective for your sector, eliminating guesswork.

Example 2: Quarterly Newsletter Refinement

You normally send a quarterly newsletter but haven’t seen consistent engagement. Use industry recommendations to shift the send date to a highlighted day in your calendar and compare engagement improvements.

Example 3: High-Volume Seasonal Campaigns

For seasonal marketers (e.g., retail, e-commerce), scheduling campaigns on high-volume days can be risky. By using **Industry Best Send Times**, you can align with industry performance trends and avoid inbox competition.

Troubleshooting

Here are solutions to common issues users may encounter when using the **Industry Best Send Times** in the Campaigns Calendar:

I don’t see the Industry Best Send Times option

• Make sure you are using the **Pro** or **Enterprise** plan. This feature is not available on **Starter** or **Plus** plans.

The calendar isn’t highlighting best send days

• Confirm that the feature is enabled using the **gear icon** toggle in the calendar view.
• Refresh the calendar after enabling the toggle, or try logging out and back in.

No change in engagement metrics after using recommended times

• Remember that industry benchmarks are starting points, not guarantees. Continue to test and refine based on what works for your unique audience.

Related Features

The **Campaigns Calendar with Industry Send Times** works alongside other campaign planning and optimization features. For comprehensive guidance, refer to:

• 2024 Release Notes
• ActiveCampaign Release Notes
• 2024 Release Notes > December 2024

You may also find these articles helpful:

• Use the Campaigns Calendar
• How to send campaigns at the best day and time

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Industry Best Send Times feature?

It is a new setting within the Campaigns Calendar that highlights optimal send times based on data from similar businesses in your industry, without needing historical data from your account.

Who can access the Industry Best Send Times feature?

Only users on the **Pro** and **Enterprise** pricing plans can access this feature.

How does ActiveCampaign determine the best send times?

Send times are based on aggregated engagement insights from accounts in the same industry, providing statistically significant benchmarks.

Can I override the suggested send times?

Yes. You can always choose to schedule your campaign on a different day or time, regardless of the industry benchmark suggestions.

Will this feature work if I have no previous campaign history?

Yes. This feature is specifically designed to help accounts without historical data by providing industry-level insights for instant use.

Does enabling this feature affect my existing campaign schedules?

No. Enabling the toggle only highlights best send days in your calendar—it does not alter any current or future scheduled campaigns.

Can I use this feature for SMS or other channels?

No. Currently, the **Industry Best Send Times** feature only applies to email campaigns within the **Campaigns Calendar**.

Summary

The **Campaigns Calendar with Industry Send Times** offers an intelligent, data-backed method to optimize your email campaign scheduling. Particularly useful for new accounts or businesses without a strong dataset, this feature saves time and increases engagement by recommending send days proven effective in your industry. Simple to implement and easy to use, it’s a valuable addition for marketers looking to enhance performance without diving into complex analytics.