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Campaign Creation Best Practices

Below are best practices for planning, creating, and optimizing campaigns using automated communication channels such as SMS, two-way text messaging, voice calls, and email.

Taneli Karjula avatar
Written by Taneli Karjula
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Designing effective communication campaigns is key to achieving high engagement and conversion rates — especially in financial services, where trust, timing, and clarity are essential.

1. Choose the Right Campaign Type: Broadcast or Sequence

When creating a new campaign, first decide whether it should consist of a single communication event or a combination of multiple steps.

  • Broadcast campaigns contain just one communication action — for example, sending a single SMS alert or making one automated call. They’re ideal for straightforward messages such as reminders, notifications, or one-time announcements.

  • Sequence campaigns include several connected communication events — such as a text message followed by a call, or a multi-step survey. These are best for guiding customers through a process, nurturing leads, or collecting structured feedback.

Choosing the correct type from the start helps ensure your communication flow is clear, efficient, and aligned with your campaign goals.

2. Set the Right Tone for Intro Messages

If you’re using an introductory text message before a call, avoid asking for permission to call — instead, provide a clear reason and an easy opt-out option. For example:

“We’d like to confirm your recent application details — you can reply STOP if you prefer not to be contacted.”

This keeps the message compliant while maintaining momentum toward engagement.

3. Make Voice Calls Conversational

If part of your campaign involves showcasing your services during a call, avoid long monologues or scripted intros. Instead, sprinkle key value points throughout the dialogue.
A conversational tone feels more authentic and keeps the listener engaged — crucial for financial audiences who value credibility and efficiency.

4. Design Questions with Purpose

When creating surveys or interactive dialogues, think carefully about both your audience and your data needs:

  • Audience familiarity: How well does your target group already understand the topic?

  • Data quality: What insights are you hoping to gather?

These considerations determine the right question format and level of detail. Well-crafted questions lead to more accurate responses and richer customer intelligence.

5. Build Calls that are Easy to Edit Later

Break long speech sections into multiple Actions in your workflow editor. This creates natural micro-pauses in your voice delivery and makes it easier to visualize and adjust the flow later.

If you’re using custom audio files, you can even add some beeps and bops. For technical reasons, some Actions may require an audio file — in that case, use a short silent clip.

Remember, the maximum size of audio files is 6MB. For this reason, it is recommended to use compressed .mp3 files.

6. Use Clear, Logical Naming Conventions

Always name your Campaigns, Modules, Actions, Questions, and Options logically and consistently.
Example:

“LoanRenewal_Sequence_2025” → “Step1_IntroCall” → “Question3_EligibilityCheck”

This structure helps both you and your colleagues understand campaign logic instantly and simplifies collaboration and troubleshooting later on.

7. Start Simple, Iterate Quickly

If planning the full campaign feels overwhelming, start small. Build a basic version first and test it with yourself or your team using internal test calls.

You’ll often discover the ideal flow through iteration. Early testing helps fine-tune tone, pacing, and logic before launching at scale.

8. Measure and Optimize

After launching, monitor metrics like:

  • Duration Target

  • Response Target

  • Answered Rate

  • Average Call Duration

  • Received SMS's

Use these insights to optimize your future campaigns — small adjustments in tone, timing, or message order can make a significant difference in engagement and ROI.

Here are a few key points to ensure your campaigns are next level. If you have any questions or need assistance with your campaigns, don’t hesitate to contact us at support@ontime.fi — we’re happy to help.

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