#5: Limit Number of Emails Sent to a Person within a Certain Timeframe
Many times ClickDimensions users want to ensure that their recipients do not receive too many communications. Because we use native CRM contacts, leads, and accounts as recipients, it is possible to use CRM workflow help facilitate a limit to the number of emails sent in a particular time frame.
Depending on how your requirements are laid out, you may need to create some custom fields. In this example, we are under the impression that any email sent via ClickDimensions is to be considered a marketing communication, and the customer wants to limit the number of marketing communications to one per day for each recipient.
Originally, we thought to create a simple workflow that updates the “do not allow bulk email” field on the contact after an email was sent. However, we quickly realized that method wasn’t going to be the best plan. The form and survey auto-responder emails are dependent upon the recipient having the field set to allow, and since many of the calls to action with the emails were tied back to content and forms, we opted not to restrict auto-responders from going out. That could have ruined the entire experience, as there is nothing worse than being told your download confirmation email is on its way and it never arrives! We decided to use a custom field “allow marketing comm,” and a timestamp for when it was set, to be updated when a sent email was created with a related email send with a custom field of email type set to “marketing.” Then we used that field as a query in the dynamic marketing lists used for email sends. We set the “email type” field to be a required two-option field and displayed it as a checkbox. That way, if a user created an email send, they would have to check the box to save, but if it was created via a web-service as an auto-responder, the box would remain unchecked. The second part of the workflow was a “wait until” clause that did what it says it does – waits until the next day and changes the “allow marketing comm” to yes.
Define:
Limit the number of not-requested marketing communications to one per day.
Design:
Prerequisites: Custom two option field on contact/lead/account “allow marketing comm” and timestamp
Dynamic Marketing Lists using the “allow marketing comm” in query
Custom two-option field on Email Send “Marketing Comm” set to required and displayed as checkbox
Workflow- Trigger On Create Sent Email
Check – If Related Email send “marketing comm” set to yes
Update Record – Contact “Allow Marketing Comm” set to No, time stamp equals execution time
Wait Until Process Timeout equals 1 day after “allow market com timestamp” date
Update Record – Contact “Allow Marketing Comm” set to yes, timestamp equals execution time
Draft:
It still may not be perfect, but it does the job for the need at hand. The point is, as you define, design, and draft, remember that most of the time, there is an easier or simpler way. Although it can seem a bit complex from the outside, you can use CRM workflow in combination with ClickDimensions and any other CRM functionality to streamline your processes and extend the capabilities for your unique business.
We hope that you enjoyed this series. Happy Marketing!
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