TargetX Communication Planner Quick Start Guide for End-Users

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This guide is designed to help end-users navigate and begin using the Communication Planner with confidence. Whether you're scheduling messages, managing campaigns, or reviewing communication timelines, this resource walks you through the key features and best practices to get up and running quickly.

Before you Begin

Examine the different components and understand their purpose as outlined in the Communication Planner Overview.
Familiarize yourself with the basic navigation of the Communication Planner by reading the article Navigating the Communication Planner.
Examine your institution's Settings. The table below provides an overview of the settings related to the Communication Planner. For detailed information on each area, refer to Configuring Communication Planner Settings:

Setting	Description
Test List	Create lists of test users to associate your element and tracks, so you can get started in previewing your newly created campaigns. For detailed steps, see Creating Test Lists.
Schedule Jobs	Several jobs are available for the technical management of Communication Planner: Auto Deactivate Campaigns and Tracks - sets the status of any active Campaigns or Tracks to inactive if the end date is less than today's date. Campaign Sync Retry - attempts to synchronize campaigns that do not have a Sync Status of Success or any campaigns with tracks that do not have a Sync Status of Success. Report Validator - will send an email to all org admins if any Tracks are found to have invalid or deleted Reports that contain details of the Campaign, Track, and report. Reports will then need to be manually undeleted or edited to be valid Reports for Communication Planner, or the Tracks will need to be updated to select new valid Reports.
Transfer Images	Easily transfer numerous images stored in your Documents Email Image Library to your TargetX Communication Planner Files folder with a simple click of a button for use in the TargetX Email tool.
SMS	Contains your SMS information for sending bulk SMS content as part of your campaign building. If you need a Twilio account, talk to your CSD about adding a TargetX-managed SMS account.
Email	Contains your default settings such as Reply Name, Reply Email, etc.

Creating a Campaign

Now that you have acquired some foundational knowledge, let's delve into a comprehensive review of the process to create a Campaign from its inception to its completion!

Step 1: Organize with Folders

Campaigns and templates utilize folders for organization. Before initiating the creation of a campaign or template, it is advisable to establish a dedicated folder for their storage.

For instance, a ‘First Year’ folder can encompass a variety of content, including campaigns, email templates, and SMS templates, or it can be tailored to house a single type, such as solely email templates, depending on your specific requirements.

The Folder list provides detailed information, displaying the name of each folder, the date it was last modified, the owner, and the specific area for which the folder is designated, such as campaigns, email templates, or SMS templates. You can edit or archive existing folders directly from the list view, or they can select the + icon to create a new folder.

For details on creating Folders in the Communication Planner, see Creating Folders and Templates.

Step 2: Design Your Templates

Define what your recipient will see when they receive the communication.

You will need to build your templates before creating a campaign.
For details on creating Email Templates in the Communication Planner, see Creating Folders and Templates.

Step 3: Generate Key Reports

Define the intended recipients of your communication within a designated track.

You will need reports before creating tracks within a campaign.
For details on creating reports, see Creating Reports for Communication Plans.

Step 4: Build your Campaign

For a comprehensive guide to creating Campaigns, see Creating Campaigns. A quick summary is given below:

Step/Action	Description
1: Create the Campaign	Complete all required fields.
2: Create your Tracks	Tracks must fall within the timeframe of the campaign. Tracks are typically leveraged for different populations/recipients. At the track level you can, but are not limited to: Defining whether the track is a drip or fixed date. Associating different recipient reports per track. Controlling whether recipients receive 1 or more emails/SMS messages per record on a report. Defining who the recipient sees as the sender and who they respond to.
3: Create each Step	Steps within drip tracks can be spaced out by certain days. Steps in fixed date tracks must have a date defined as to when the step should be ran.
4: Create your Elements	Once your Steps are built, create your Elements: You can add email or SMS elements to each step. You can create more than one email element per step, but only one SMS element. Email elements can leverage engagement filtering, so recipients receive specific messages based on their engagement with other email elements. For considerations on using multiple email elements, see Creating Campaigns.
5: Activate	Activate your Track(s) and Campaign.

Step 5: Campaign Maintenance

Monitor your sending via the Activity Center and the Reports tabs.

Tip: As the campaign end date nears, consider cloning the campaign to use again. This helps in comparing similar sending year-over-year.