The Marketing page lets you pick a list of customers (pet parents) and send them an email, a text message (SMS) or an app notification (push). You can use the built-in lists, such as "All customers" or "Pets on site today", or create your own marketing list, for example all customers who haven't booked grooming in the last 60 days. A marketing list used to be called a segment.
Where to find Marketing
Click Marketing in the main menu. The page shows Your lists (the marketing lists you've created) and the built-in lists, grouped under headings such as Bookings and Customers. Use the search box to find a list. Tour/Demo walks you through the page.
Staff need the Marketing Feature permission (Settings > Staff Accounts) to open Marketing. Without it they see "You do not have access to view the marketing feature."
Built-in marketing lists
These lists are always there and can't be deleted:
Bookings: All provisional bookings; Pets on site today (checked in, or due in today); All future bookings; Bookings due in the next 7 days; Checking in between two dates (you choose the dates on the next screen).
Customers: All customers; Customers without an online account; Customers not using the app; Archived customers.
Tags: Customers with a tag (you choose the tag on the next screen).
Evaluations (only when evaluations are switched on): Pets missing an evaluation; Pets with a signed evaluation.
Subscriptions (only when recurring subscriptions are switched on): All active subscriptions.
Multi-location (only for businesses with more than one location): Customers who have just booked at this location.
How to create your own marketing list
On Marketing, click Create Marketing List.
In Create a marketing list, enter a List name.
Build the rule: Customers who [haven't used or have used] [a service] in the last [number] days. You can choose from 7 days up to 730 days; the default is 90.
Click Create list. You'll see "List created" and the list appears under Your lists.
Who's on a marketing list is worked out each time you send, so it stays up to date. If a customer on a "haven't used grooming in 60 days" list books grooming, they drop off the list until 60 days have passed again.
Marketing lists can't be edited. To change one, delete it (the bin icon on its card) and create it again. Deleting a list doesn't affect messages already sent.
How to send a marketing email, SMS or app notification
Each list card has Email, SMS and App buttons, and shows when that list was last sent an email, SMS or app notification. SMS only shows when text messaging is switched on in Settings > SMS Settings.
Click Email, SMS or App on the list you want. The send screen has three steps: Customers, Message and Check and send.
Customers: everyone on the list is ticked. Untick anyone you want to leave out. The table shows each customer's email, mobile number, whether they use the app, their pets and when they were last emailed. For "Checking in between two dates", choose the From and To dates and click Search first; for "Customers with a tag", choose the Tag.
Click Next: write the email (or Next: write the SMS, or Next: write the notification).
Message: optionally start from one of your templates with Choose Template (booking related placeholders can't be filled in a marketing message). Enter a Subject for an email or a Title for an app notification, then write the Message.
Click a field under Personalise to add it where your cursor is, for example [customer_first_name], [pet_names] or [kennel_name]. Each one is filled in for each customer when the message goes out. Emails can also use links (such as [online_booking_link]), your app store links, images from your image gallery and one Attachment (PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLSX, XLS or TXT, up to 5MB).
Click Preview Email (or Preview SMS, or Preview Push).
Check and send: check the preview. For SMS, the screen shows "Credits needed" and "Credits left". Click Send.
Your marketing messages are queued and sent in batches every 15 minutes, so they don't all arrive at once.
Who receives a marketing message
The 14-day rule (your own lists): customers who've had a marketing email in the last 14 days are left out of your own marketing lists, so they don't get too many emails. To include them, tick Include customers emailed in the last 14 days under the customer table. The built-in lists don't use this rule.
Opt-outs: customers who've opted out of marketing emails aren't sent marketing emails, customers who've opted out of marketing texts aren't sent marketing SMS, and customers who've opted out of marketing app notifications aren't sent those. Archived customers are left out of every list except "Archived customers". Every marketing email has an unsubscribe link at the bottom.
SMS goes only to customers with a mobile number. Each text uses SMS credits; a message longer than 160 characters uses more than one credit.
App notifications go only to customers who use your pet parent app.
What marketing doesn't do
Marketing can't send during a free trial. Sending is only available on a paid account.
Marketing lists can't be edited; delete and recreate them.
Marketing doesn't schedule a message for later. Messages are queued as soon as you click Send.
Marketing doesn't send to customers who have opted out of marketing for that channel, even if they're ticked.
Booking details (dates, prices, booking references) can't be added to a marketing message, because a marketing message isn't about one booking.
Marketing: frequently asked questions
How do I send an email to all my customers?
Go to Marketing, find the built-in All customers list and click Email. Untick anyone you want to leave out, click Next: write the email, write your message, click Preview Email and then Send.
Can I send a marketing text message (SMS)?
Yes. Click SMS on any marketing list. SMS marketing uses your SMS credits, and the Check and send step shows the credits needed and the credits you have left. The SMS button only shows when text messaging is on in Settings > SMS Settings.
Can I send a push notification to customers who use the app?
Yes. Click App on a marketing list to send an app notification. It goes to the customers on the list who use your pet parent app. The built-in list "Customers not using the app" helps you find the ones who don't.
How do I find customers who haven't booked for a while?
Click Create Marketing List and set the rule to Customers who haven't used [the service] in the last [number] days, for example grooming in the last 60 days. Then send that list an email, SMS or app notification.
Why are some customers missing from my marketing list?
On your own marketing lists, customers who've had a marketing email in the last 14 days are left out. Tick Include customers emailed in the last 14 days to add them back. Customers who've opted out of marketing for that channel are never included.
Can customers unsubscribe from marketing emails?
Yes. Every KennelBooker marketing email has an unsubscribe link at the bottom. Customers who unsubscribe aren't sent marketing emails again.
Can I edit a marketing list?
No. Marketing lists can't be changed after they're created. Delete the list from its card and create a new one with Create Marketing List.
When are marketing messages sent?
Marketing messages are queued when you click Send and sent in batches every 15 minutes, so some arrive a little later than others.
Can I attach a file or add pictures to a marketing email?
Yes. A marketing email can have one Attachment (PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLSX, XLS or TXT, up to 5MB) and images from your image gallery.
Can I use marketing on a free trial?
You can create marketing lists and write messages on a trial, but sending is turned off until your account is paid.
Do marketing messages cost anything?
Marketing emails and app notifications don't use credits. Marketing SMS uses SMS credits, the same as other texts.
Marketing: common problems
"Give the list a name and choose a service."
In Create a marketing list, the List name is empty or no service is chosen. Fill in both and click Create list again.
"Tick at least one customer to continue."
Every customer on the Customers step is unticked. Tick at least one. For SMS you'll see "Tick at least one customer with a mobile number to continue", and for app notifications "Tick at least one customer who uses the app to continue".
"You don't have enough SMS credits for this message. Top up, or send to fewer customers."
The SMS needs more credits than you have. Buy more in Settings > SMS Settings with Top up and Buy credits, shorten the message, or untick some customers.
"Sending is turned off during a trial."
Marketing messages can't be sent from a trial account. Sending works once your account is on a paid plan.
"You do not have access to view the marketing feature."
Your staff account doesn't have the Marketing Feature permission. The account owner can switch it on in Settings > Staff Accounts.
I can't see the SMS button on my marketing lists
The SMS button only shows when text messaging is switched on. Switch on Send text messages to customers in Settings > SMS Settings.
"No customers!"
Nobody on the marketing list can be sent this message right now. On your own lists, try ticking Include customers emailed in the last 14 days, or check the list's rule.
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