customer-to-group campaigns send an automated message whenever a customer is added to a specific group. Whether the customer is added manually, through an import, or by another workflow, the campaign triggers and delivers your message. This makes it easy to welcome new group customers, send onboarding information, or notify customers that they have been enrolled in a program.
Key Features
Event-Driven Automation
The campaign fires automatically when a customer is added to the linked group — no manual sending required. This works for customers added individually, in bulk, or through an import.
Group-Specific Messaging
Each customer-to-group campaign is tied to a specific group, so you can tailor the message to the context of that group. A "New customers" group can trigger a welcome message, while a "VIP" group can trigger a special offer.
Multi-Message Sequences
Add multiple messages with delays between them to create a simple onboarding or drip sequence. For example, send a welcome message immediately, a tips message after 2 days, and a check-in after 1 week.
Works with All Add Methods
The campaign triggers regardless of how the customer is added to the group — manual assignment, CSV import, keyword opt-in, or API. This ensures consistent messaging no matter the workflow.
How to Set Up a customer-to-Group Campaign
Step 1: Create the Target Group
Navigate to Contacts → Groups and create the group that will trigger this campaign (if it does not already exist). Give it a clear name like "New Members," "Onboarding," or "Event Attendees."
Step 2: Create the Campaign
Go to Campaigns and click Create Campaign. Select customer-to-Group as the campaign type.
Step 3: Link to the Group
Select which group should trigger this campaign. When any customer is added to this group, the campaign will fire.
Step 4: Write the Welcome Message
Compose the message that customers will receive when they are added to the group. Use personalization tags to make it feel personal.
Example welcome message:
Welcome to the team,
{first_name}! You are now part of our customers group. We will keep you updated with news, events, and special offers. Reply STOP to opt out anytime.
Step 5: Add Follow-Up Messages (Optional)
Add additional messages that send after a delay. This creates a simple onboarding sequence:
- Message 1 (immediate): Welcome and introduction
- Message 2 (2 days later): Tips for getting the most out of membership
- Message 3 (1 week later): Check-in and feedback request
Step 6: Activate
Review the group link, messages, and timing, then activate the campaign.
Real-World Examples
New customer Welcome
When staff manually adds a new customer to the "customers" group:
Hi
{first_name}, welcome to the businesses! Here are a few things to get started: check our hours anytime by texting HOURS, and stay updated by texting EVENTS. We're glad to have you!
Staff Onboarding Sequence
When a new employee is added to the "Staff" group, trigger a 3-message onboarding series:
- Immediately: "Welcome aboard,
{first_name}! Your first day info is attached. Reply with any questions." - Day 3: "Quick tip: check the staff portal for your schedule and HR forms. Let us know if you need access."
- Day 7: "How's your first week going,
{first_name}? Reply and let us know — we'd love your feedback!"
VIP Enrollment Notification
When a customer is upgraded to the "VIP" group:
Congratulations,
{first_name}! You've been added to our VIP list. You'll now receive early access to events and exclusive offers. Stay tuned!
Import Follow-Up
After importing a list of customers from an event and assigning them to the "Event Leads" group:
Thanks for stopping by our booth at the conference,
{first_name}! We'd love to continue the conversation. Reply with a good time to connect this week.
Tips & Best Practices
- Create the group before the campaign. The group must exist before you can link a campaign to it.
- Use descriptive group names so you can easily identify which campaign each group triggers.
- Keep the initial message concise. Save detailed information for follow-up messages.
- Test the flow by manually adding a test customer to the group and verifying all messages send correctly with proper timing.
- Be mindful of imports. If you import 500 customers into a group that has a customer-to-group campaign, all 500 will receive the message. Make sure this is intentional before importing.
- Combine with keywords. Use a keyword that adds customers to a group, which then triggers the customer-to-group campaign for a seamless opt-in-to-onboarding flow.
Common Questions
Does the campaign fire for existing customers or only new additions?
The campaign fires when a customer is added to the group, regardless of whether the customer already exists in your system. If a customer is already in the group, adding them again will not re-trigger the campaign.
Can I link multiple campaigns to the same group?
Each group can have one customer-to-group campaign. If you need multiple message sequences, use follow-up messages within the single campaign.
What if I remove and re-add a customer to the group?
Removing and re-adding a customer to the group may re-trigger the campaign depending on your platform configuration. Test this behavior before relying on it for a specific workflow.