Trigger an automation
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How do I trigger an automation to run when a contact replies to my campaign?
When managing your communications through ActiveCampaign, it can be highly beneficial to respond promptly to customer engagement. One effective way to streamline your responses is by triggering an automation when a contact replies to your email campaign. This feature enables you to automatically initiate follow-up actions based on the replies your contacts provide, facilitating enhanced engagement and operational efficiency.
This capability matters because it allows for timely follow-up actions. For instance, you can send additional follow-up messages, apply a tag to the contact, or adjust a contact's score in your CRM. It ensures that you do not miss out on any interaction and can tailor your responses to the specific needs and inquiries of your contacts.
How to access this feature
To access the feature for triggering an automation from replies to your campaign emails, you will follow several steps that involve starting from the campaign's summary page or configuring the automation directly. Both methods require that you have set up reply tracking. This feature is available on the Starter, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans.
Step-by-step instructions
There are two primary methods to trigger an automation when a contact replies to a campaign email:
Method 1: Using the "Replies to an email" Automation Trigger
1. **Create a New Automation**: Navigate to your automation settings and select to create a new automation. 2. **Add the Trigger**: Within the automation builder, select the Replies to an email trigger. 3. **Select Email Type**: Choose whether you want to track replies to a Standard Campaign or a 1:1 email. For this purpose, select the Standard Campaign. 4. **Configure Your Trigger**:
- Select the specific email you want to track responses for. - Decide if the trigger should run once or multiple times based on how frequently you expect replies.
5. **Save Your Settings**: Click the Save button to save the configured trigger. 6. **Complete Your Automation**: You can now add further actions to your automation workflow based on the replies received.
Method 2: From the Campaign Summary Page
1. **Access the Campaign Summary Page**: Go to your campaign's summary page. If you are enabling this for an automation email, click on the respective email in the automation builder. 2. **Enable Reply Tracking**: On the summary page, check the box for Reply Tracking, which will typically be disabled by default. 3. **Confirm Your Choice**: A confirmation window will pop up; if you want to proceed, click Continue. 4. **Automate Setup**: In the summary page now, click the Automate link that appears next to Reply Tracking. 5. **Add New Automation**: From the pop-up modal, click on Add New Automation. 6. **Build Your New Automation**: A new tab will open with the workflow builder. Here, you can start creating your automation, with the Replies to an email trigger already integrated with a default name assigned to your automation (which you can rename as necessary).
Configuration options and settings
The configuration settings for triggering automations based on replies include:
- **Trigger Types**: Choose between tracking replies for a Standard Campaign or a 1:1 email. - **Email Selection**: Specify the email you want responses tracked for during the configuration. - **Execution Frequency**: Decide whether the automation should run once for each reply or multiple times for continuous interactions.
Best practices and tips
1. **Set Up Early**: Ensure that reply tracking is set up before sending out your campaigns to effectively capture replies. 2. **Monitor Automations**: Regularly review your automation performance to assess engagement levels and optimize your strategy as necessary. 3. **Personalize Follow-ups**: Use the automation replies to segment your contacts further and customize response messages to enhance engagement. 4. **Combine Actions**: Utilize various actions within the automation to maximize the value of each reply, such as tagging contacts or sending relevant content based on their inquiries.
Troubleshooting
- **Reply Tracking Not Tracking**: If replies are not being tracked, ensure that the reply tracking setting is enabled before sending the campaign. - **Frequent Trigger Issues**: If the automation is not triggering as expected, verify the configuration of the trigger settings to ensure they align with your intended frequency and conditions. - **Contact Not Added**: If a contact's reply is not adding them to the automation, check whether the email corresponds to the selected tracking option.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is a "Replies to an email" trigger?
- It is an automation trigger that adds contacts to an automation workflow when they reply to your email campaign.
2. Can I track replies for multiple campaigns?
- Yes, you can set up separate automations for each campaign by using the replies feature.
3. What happens if I don't enable reply tracking?
- If reply tracking is not enabled, replies to your campaign will not trigger any automation.
4. Are there limits on how many replies can trigger the automation?
- The automation can be set to trigger once or multiple times, giving you flexibility based on your strategy.
5. Can I change the name of my automation after it's created?
- Yes, you can change the name of the automation at any time within the workflow builder.
6. What plans support this feature?
- The feature is available on the Starter, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans for ActiveCampaign users.
In conclusion, leveraging automations triggered by replies can greatly enhance your email engagement strategy, allowing you to respond appropriately to contact interactions and maintain strong relationships with your audience. Utilize the steps outlined in this article to effectively set up and manage your automations. ```