Introduction

The Campaign Management System provides a streamlined approach to creating, distributing, and managing form-based campaigns within your organization. This powerful tool enables administrators to efficiently send customized forms to multiple recipients, track responses, and maintain secure control over campaign timelines. With features including merge file integration, dynamic field mapping, and enhanced security through link expiration settings, the system offers both flexibility and control for organizations seeking to automate their form distribution processes.

A. Problem Statement

Organizations struggle with distributing forms to large groups of recipients using manual methods. Sending forms individually takes too much time and often leads to mistakes, especially when trying to personalize content for hundreds or thousands of users. Without automation, it's difficult to track who has completed their forms, set secure expiration dates for links, or ensure consistent data across submissions. Staff members waste valuable time on repetitive tasks like sending reminders and following up with non-responders. These manual processes also create security risks, as forms may remain accessible indefinitely without proper controls. The result is reduced efficiency, lower response rates, and increased potential for errors that impact the entire organization's operations.


B. Solution

Our Campaign Management System addresses these challenges by providing a comprehensive platform that automates the entire form distribution lifecycle.


Create a New Campaign:

1. Initiate a New Campaign:

   - Click on the New Campaign button to start the process.


2. Configure Campaign Settings:

   - Name: Enter a descriptive name for the campaign. (Max of 50 characters)

   - Description: Provide a brief outline of what the campaign is about. (Max of 250 characters) 

   - Form Group: Select the form or group of forms you want to use. Note: The form must be part of a form group created by SC Strategic Solutions' Support staff, and empty form groups will not appear in the list.

   - Use Merge File (Optional): If you want to use a custom Excel file to autofill form fields for each user, select this option. Contact Support for assistance with merge files.


3. Select Recipients:

   - Decide whether to send emails to contacts, their guardians, or both. Choose recipients or groups and click Next.


4. Configure Form Fields:

   - If using a merge file, ensure it’s properly linked and fields correspond to form requirements.

   - Manually fill in or adjust fields as necessary:

     - Field: Specify which field on the form needs to be filled.

     - Value: Set a static value directly or use {{Macros}} for dynamic content based on the uploaded file.

     - Locked: Check if the field should be non-editable by the recipient when they receive the form.


5. Customize Email Settings:

   - Add the subject line and customize the email message.

   - Adjust any additional settings related to email formatting or content per your requirements.


6. Finalize and Launch Campaign:

   - Review all settings and confirm the information is correct.

   - Set the dates for when the campaign should run and click Finish.

   - The campaign will initiate within 15 minutes, and emails will be dispatched to the selected recipients.


Update: Enhanced Link Expiration Settings 
We have introduced a new feature that enables you to assign expiration dates to your links for enhanced security and control. You can now configure the expiration settings as follows: 

No Expiration: Select this option if you want your link to remain active indefinitely. 

Expire After Form Completion: Choose this option to have the link expire automatically once the associated form group has been fully completed.
 
Expire After Set Duration: This option allows you to specify a number of days after which the link will automatically expire after the end date of the form campaign, regardless of form completion. 

Additionally, for greater flexibility, you can combine the last two options: set the link to expire after the form group is completed and also specify a maximum number of days. This ensures that the link will expire when the form group is completed or when the specified number of days is reached, whichever comes first. This dual condition is particularly useful if you need to enforce a strict time limit for form completion.



C. Best Practices

  • Campaign Naming Convention: Use clear, descriptive names (within 50 characters) that include the date and purpose for easy identification
  • Form Group Preparation: Coordinate with SC Strategic Solutions' Support staff to ensure form groups are properly configured before campaign creation
  • Merge File Validation: Test merge files with a small group before launching large campaigns to verify field mapping accuracy
  • Recipient Selection: Carefully review recipient lists to avoid duplicate sends when selecting both contacts and guardians
  • Field Locking Strategy: Lock pre-populated fields that shouldn't be modified to maintain data integrity
  • Link Expiration Planning: Choose appropriate expiration settings based on campaign urgency and security requirements
  • Email Customization: Personalize email content using {{Macros}} to improve engagement rates
  • Campaign Review: Always review all settings before launching to prevent configuration errors


D. Troubleshooting

  • Form group not appearing in dropdown: Verify the form group has been created by Support staff and contains at least one form
  • Merge file fields not populating correctly: Ensure column headers in Excel match exactly with form field names; contact Support for assistance
  • Campaign emails not being received or campaign not launching: Check recipient email addresses for accuracy; verify campaign status shows as active; confirm the campaign end date hasn't passed and all required fields are completed; allow up to 15 minutes for initial dispatch
  • Recipients report expired links: Review expiration settings; consider extending duration or removing expiration for time-sensitive campaigns
  • Fields appearing as editable when they should be locked: Verify the "Locked" checkbox is selected for each field during configuration


E. Related Articles

Form Campaigns: Form Campaign Manager 

Form Campaigns: Monitor and Update Campaign


Conclusion

The Campaign Management System transforms how organizations handle form distribution and collection, replacing manual processes with an efficient, automated solution. By leveraging features such as merge file integration, customizable expiration settings, and dynamic field configuration, administrators can create targeted campaigns that save time while improving data accuracy and security. Success with the system depends on proper planning, adherence to best practices, and coordination with Support staff when needed.