Annual communication workflows ensure your contacts stay engaged with timely and relevant messages year after year. Automating this process saves time and maintains consistency in your outreach efforts. In this guide, we’ll walk you through setting up a recurring annual workflow in your CRM to streamline communications and improve engagement with your audience.

Trigger Setup #

Start by selecting the trigger that works best for you. We will use the “Contact Tag” trigger as an example. For the filter, choose “Tag Added.” In this example, we’ll use the tag “Yearly Plan.” This means the workflow will activate when a contact is tagged as a member of the Yearly Plan.

Steps #

• Add any initial communication you’d like. For this example, we’ll add a welcome email.
• Add a condition to check if the contact still has the selected tag.

NOTE: If the tag is present, proceed down the “Yes” path to send the communication.

Sending the Communication #

On the “Yes” path, add steps to send a text message and an email to the contact. Customize the content of both the text and email to suit your message.

Wait 365 Days #

After sending the messages, add a “Wait” step, set it as a “Time Delay”, and make the wait time 365 days.

NOTE: This ensures the workflow pauses for a year before checking the membership status again.

Loop the Workflow #

Finally, add a “Go To” step at the end of the workflow. Configure this step to loop back to the initial “Wait” step. This creates a repeating cycle, allowing the workflow to run annually.

When it comes to staying connected with your audience, an annual communication workflow keeps you one step ahead. By automating the process, you’re free to focus on building stronger relationships while your CRM takes care of the repetitive tasks.

Troubleshooting Tips #

• Workflow Not Triggering: Ensure the contact is correctly tagged and that there are no typos in the tag name.
• Messages Not Sending: Check the content and settings of your email and text message steps. Ensure they are correctly configured to send.
• Workflow Not Repeating: Verify the “Go To” step is correctly set to loop back to the “Wait” step.

Frequently Asked Questions #

Can I customize the message content? #

Yes, you can fully customize the text and email content sent to your members.

What if a contact is no longer a member? #

The workflow includes a condition to check the membership status. If the contact is no longer tagged as a member, the workflow will not send the messages.

Can I set this up to run more frequently? #

Yes, you can adjust the wait times and conditions to suit any frequency you desire, such as monthly or quarterly communications.

Which trigger should I use to start an annual workflow? #

A “Contact Tag” trigger with the “Tag Added” filter works well, activating the workflow when a contact receives a specific tag such as “Yearly Plan.”

How does the workflow repeat every year? #

A 365-day “Wait” step pauses the workflow for a year, and a “Go To” step loops back to that Wait step, creating an annual cycle.

Why add a condition before sending each year’s message? #

The condition checks whether the contact still has the membership tag, so messages only go to active members and lapsed contacts are skipped.