Birthday campaigns let you automatically send a personalized message to each customer on or before their birthday. It is one of the simplest ways to build goodwill, stay top of mind, and make your customers feel valued — all without any manual effort once set up.
Key Features
Automatic Annual Delivery
Once configured, the birthday campaign runs automatically every year. The system checks each customer's birthday field and sends the message on the date you specify — no manual scheduling or reminders required.
Flexible Timing
Choose exactly when the message goes out relative to the customer's birthday. Send it on the day itself, one day before, a week before, or any custom interval. Sending a few days early lets you include offers that customers can use on or before their birthday.
Personalization with Merge Tags
Use merge tags like {first_name} to personalize each birthday message. A personalized birthday text feels genuine and stands out compared to generic blasts.
Group Targeting
Target the campaign at a specific contact group or your entire contact list. Only contacts who have a birthday value in their profile will receive the message.
How to Set Up a Birthday Campaign
Step 1: Ensure customers Have Birthday Data
Birthday campaigns rely on a date field on each contact record. Check that your contacts have birthday information stored — either in the default birthday field or a custom date field configured in Contact Fields.
If many customers are missing birthday data, consider running a Survey campaign to collect it:
Hi
{first_name}, we'd love to celebrate your birthday! Can you reply with your birthdate in this format: MM/DD/YYYY?
Step 2: Create the Campaign
Go to Campaigns and click Create Campaign. Select Annual Birthday Message as the campaign type.
Step 3: Choose the Date Field
Select which customer field contains the birthday date. This is typically the built-in birthday field, but you can use any custom date field.
Step 4: Set the Send Timing
Choose when the message should be sent relative to the birthday:
- On the day — message arrives on the birthday itself
- Days before — message arrives 1, 3, 7, or a custom number of days before
Step 5: Write Your Message
Compose a short, friendly birthday message. Use personalization tags and consider including a special offer, discount code, or exclusive perk.
Example messages:
Happy birthday,
{first_name}! We hope you have an amazing day. Show this text for a complimentary drink on us!
Hey
{first_name}, your birthday is coming up! Stop by this week and enjoy 20% off any purchase. Happy birthday from all of us!
Step 6: Select Your Audience
Choose which customer group should receive the birthday campaign, or select All customers. Only customers with a birthday value in the selected date field will receive the message.
Step 7: Activate
Review your settings and activate the campaign. It will run automatically from this point forward — every customer with a birthday value will receive the message each year.
Real-World Examples
Simple Birthday Greeting
Happy birthday,
{first_name}! Wishing you a wonderful day from the whole team.
Birthday with Incentive
Hey
{first_name}, happy birthday! As a gift from us, enjoy a free appetizer on your next visit. Just show this text. Valid this month!
Early Birthday Reminder
Send 3 days before the birthday:
{first_name}, your birthday is almost here! We've got something special waiting for you — stop by anytime this week to claim your birthday surprise.
Birthday + Data Update
Combine a birthday greeting with a request to update customer info:
Happy birthday,
{first_name}! By the way, do we have your current email? Reply with your email address so we can send you exclusive offers.
Tips & Best Practices
- Collect birthdays proactively. Run a survey campaign early on to fill in missing birthday data. The more customers with birthdays, the more impact this campaign has.
- Include a tangible incentive like a discount, free item, or exclusive offer. Birthday messages with a perk see significantly higher engagement than greetings alone.
- Keep it brief and warm. Birthday messages should feel personal, not promotional. Lead with the greeting, follow with the offer.
- Send a few days early if your offer requires an in-person visit, so customers have time to plan.
- Review birthday data quality. Dates entered without a year or in the wrong format may not trigger correctly. When collecting birthdates, provide a format example (MM/DD/YYYY).
- Test the campaign by setting a test customer's birthday to tomorrow and verifying the message sends correctly.
Common Questions
What happens if a customer doesn't have a birthday in their profile?
They will not receive the birthday message. The campaign only triggers for customers with a valid date in the selected birthday field.
Can I send different birthday messages to different groups?
Yes. Create separate birthday campaigns for different contact groups, each with its own message and timing.
How are credits used for birthday campaigns?
Each birthday message uses 1 credit (SMS) or 2 credits (MMS) per customer. Since messages are sent individually throughout the year as birthdays occur, credit usage is spread out rather than concentrated in a single send.
Beyond Birthdays
The birthday campaign can be adapted for other annual milestones. For membership anniversaries, work anniversaries, or any date-based celebration, see Custom Annual Message — which uses the same automation with any custom date field.
Example membership anniversary message:
{first_name}, happy anniversary! You've been a valued customer for another great year. Thank you for being part of our community.