Creating Time-Based Automations

Time-based action groups can be used to create automated events that are centered around a certain date and time. This article will provide an overview on how to create time-based automations, including an example situation of how to utilize time-based action groups in tandem with forms and emails to create a larger workflow for an event. 

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Article Contents

• Tying Automations Together
• Creating a Custom Field
• Creating a Form for Action Groups
• Creating a Landing Page for the Form
• Creating Emails for Automation
• Creating a Time-Based Action Group for Reminders and Thank You Email Automation
• Creating a Time-Based Event Workflow for Form Fills

Available With:

Trial	✓
Essential	✓
Advanced	✓
Ultimate	✓

Toolbar:

Settings

Landing Pages

Email

Automation

Users:

Administrators	✓
Company Managers	✓
Marketing Managers	✓
Sales Managers
Salespersons
Jr. Salespersons

Tying Automations Together

Consider the following: You have a webinar that you are hosting on 1 July. To generate interest for the webinar, you will need to send out webinar emails with forms. These forms, in turn, will need to have a way to register information to send reminder emails before the event and thank you emails after the event.

Automated tasks are a valuable asset. After initial preparation and setup, automated tasks can quickly and efficiently handle this information and go about registering interested parties for the webinar.

Note: Standard action groups are available on the Trial and the Essential plan. Standard, Time-Based, and Recurring action groups are available on the Advanced and Ultimate plans.

Creating a Custom Field

Automations require specific information to correctly fire. Often, automations require specific information. This information can be gathered with default fields, or through more customized means. As the name implies, custom fields allow you to create a field that captures custom information for more specialized use. One of the more important custom fields is the DateTime Picker field. The DateTime Picker field allows you to have users pick a desired date and time from available options. This field is especially useful when setting up future events, and these events are predicated on the DateTime Picker field.

To create a custom DateTime Picker field, do the following:

1. Click    User Menu > Settings in the top toolbar.
   
   
   
   
2. Click Custom Fields, located under Features in the left panel.
3. Click Add Field > Lead Field.
   
   

    

4. Enter a name for the field in the Field Label text box.
5. Click all of the checkboxes under the Field Label text box.
6. Click the DateTime Picker radio button.
7. Select the desired time format in the Merge Variable Format drop-down menu.
8. Click Create Field.
   
   

Creating a Form for Action Groups

Forms take the field information a lead submits and attach that information to the lead’s Contact Record. Used in conjunction with forms, time-based automation can perform tasks before or after a lead interacts with a form.

To create a form for use with time-based automation, do the following:

1. Click Forms in the left toolbar.
2. Create or edit a form.
   
   

    

3. Click the Add Field dropdown and insert the required Email field.
   
   

    

4. Add optional fields as desired.
5. Modify form parameters, dynamic content, and design as desired.
6. Click Save Changes.
   
   

Creating a Landing Page for the Form

To set this automation into motion, a lead will need to fill out a form. Forms are housed in landing pages.

To create a landing page for a form, do the following:

1. Click Landing Pages in the left toolbar.
2. Click    Options > New Landing Pages.
   
   

    

3. Enter a funnel name.
4. Select a funnel domain.
   • Important: The funnel domain cannot be changed after the landing page has been created
5. Select the number of pages in the funnel.
6. Click Create Funnel.
7. Click    Add Content.
8. Click the Layouts tab.
9. Select the desired layout.
   
   
10. Click the Elements tab.
11. Click Form.
12. Click the purple box in the section where the form will go in the landing page editor.
13. Click    Close in the Add Content panel.
    
    

     

14. Click the added form block.

15. Select the created form in the Select a Form drop-down menu.

16. Click Publish.
    
    

Creating Emails for Automation

Creating Reminder Emails

When creating a future event, you may want to remind attendees some time before the event occurs. These reminders most often take the shape of reminder emails, which are sent out in advance of an event to remind attendees of the event, as well as providing information and relevant communication and attendance web links.

To create a reminder email, do the following:

1. Click Emails in the left toolbar.
2. Create or edit an email.
   
   

    

3. Add the following recommended content:
   • A statement on how the user previously signed up for the event
   • Details on what the event is about
   • When the event is taking place
   • Web links to the event
4. Modify the email’s parameters, dynamic content, and design as desired.
5. Click Save.
   
   

Creating Thank You Emails

It is considered good business practice to re-engage with event attendees after an event ends to let them know that you are thankful for their attendance. This outreach can be done through an automated email.

To create an email that thanks those who attended your event, do the following:

1. Click Emails in the left toolbar.
2. Create or edit an email.
   
   

    

3. Add the following recommended content:
   • A statement of thanks for attending the event
   • A recap on what the event was about
   • Web links to relevant websites, videos, or other content of the event
   • References or web links to future events
4. Modify the email’s parameters, dynamic content, and design as desired.
5. Click Save.
   
   

Creating a Time-Based Action Group for Reminders and Thank You Email Automation

Sending automated content requires date and time parameters. This way, automated content can be sent at specific times before or after a fixed date.

To create a time-based action group in the Visual Workflow Builder, do the following:

1. Click Automation > Action Groups in the left toolbar.
2. Click New Action Group.
   
   

    

3. Click the Time-based checkbox.
4. Click Get Started.
   
   
   
   
5. Enter a name for the time-based action group in the window that appears.
6. Click Save.
   
   
   
   
7. Select Lead as the Field Type.
8. Select the created custom date/time field under.
9. Click Save.
   
   

When creating time-based action groups, be aware that these groups differ from branches. Reusable action groups are a collection of standalone events that can be referenced within a visual workflow or be manually scheduled to a list.

Branches are not action groups. Branches refer to a collection of actions created for use only within a visual workflow. As the name implies, this collection of actions branch out from the action group and are dependent upon additional criteria in order to function. Branches will not be added as reusable, standalone action groups.

Creating a Reminder Automation

Setting an event’s date and time creates a fixed point from which you can automate emails to be sent before the event. This way, you can automate reminder emails to be sent to attendees prior to the event taking place.

To create reminder automation, do the following:

1. Click + Add > Time Before in the Before date of interest section of the created action group.
   • Note: Time delays in the visual workflow builder are structured around the timing of the prior event. The visual workflow builder does not use from start time delays. When adding time delays to a visual workflow, that delay is timing iterative from the previous event
     

      

2. Enter the desired unit of time.
3. Click OK.
   
   
   
   
4. Click + Add > Action above the created action.
   
   

    

5. Click send the email, located under Communication in the window that appears.
   
   
   
   
6. Enter the name of the created reminder email.
7. Click OK.
   
   
   
   

As an example, if you enter 1 and select week, this action will take place a week before the event date.

Creating a Thank You Automation

In the same fashion as creating reminder email automation, you can create automation that sends emails thanking attendees for attending an event. This automation can be set to fire at any time after the fixed date and time for the event.

To create automation that sends emails after an event, do the following:

1. Click + Add > Time After in the After date of interest section of the created action group.
   
   

    

2. Enter the desired unit of time.
   • Note: Time delays in the visual workflow builder are structured around the timing of the prior event. The visual workflow builder does not use from start time delays. When adding time delays to a visual workflow, that delay is timing iterative from the previous event.
3. Click OK.
   
   
   
   
4. Click + Add > Action below the created action.
   
    
5. Click send the email, located under Communication in the window that appears.
   
   
   
   
6. Enter the name of the created thank you email.
7. Click OK.
   
   
   
   
8. Set the Workflow Toggle to Active.
   
    

As an example, if you enter 1 and select week, this action will take place a week after the event date. 

Creating Time-Based Event Workflow for Form Fills

Once all of the necessary event content has been created, it can be tied together with a workflow. When configured, the workflow will facilitate the following:

• Log form fill information in Contact Records
• Send an email reminding leads of the event
• Send an email thanking event attendees
• Log custom field information in Contact Records

Important: The Visual Workflow Builder is not supported in Internet Explorer 11. Use one of the other browsers supported by Lead Gen & CRM to create visual workflows.

For this event, since attendance information depends upon attendees filling out a form, setting a form fill as the first trigger is key. To create a visual workflow that sets up event actions with a form fill as the primary event trigger, do the following:

1. Click Automation > Visual Workflows in the left toolbar.
2. Click Create > Visual Workflow.
   
    
3. Enter a name for the workflow and click OK.
   
   
   
   
4. Click + Add > Trigger under Start.
   
   
   
   
5. Click fills out the form, located under Form in the window that appears.
   
    
6. Select the created event form.
7. Click OK.
   
   
   
   
8. Click + Add > Action under the created trigger.
   
    
9. Click change contact field, located under Contact Edit Actions in the window that appears.
   
    
10. Enter the created DateTime Picker field.
11. Set the event’s date and time.
12. Click OK.
    
     
13. Click + Add > Action Group under the change lead field action.
    
    
    
    
14. Enter the created time-based action group’s name.
15. Click OK.
    
    
    
    
16. Add additional actions and time delays as desired, and when ready set the Workflow Toggle to Active.
    
     

Once the time-based action group has been inserted into the visual workflow, the overall event automation process is complete. Now, when a lead fills out an event form, Lead Gen & CRM will automatically log the form fill and set the DateTime Picker field information in the lead’s Contact Record, send a reminder email at a specified date and time before the event, and send a thank you email at a specified date and time after the event.

This is only an example scenario. You can use time-based actions, workflows, emails, forms, and other Lead Gen & CRM features together in many other ways.