In this article, you will learn how to create multi-step marketing campaigns.

Genius Marketing is an AI-powered add-on designed to simplify and automate customer outreach. It helps you generate more repeat jobs with less effort through targeted email and text campaigns tailored to your clients’ job history and activity.

With Genius Marketing, you can create one-off email and text campaigns, or multi-step workflows that include multiple messages, delays, and conditions. 

Here, we will cover how to create multi-step campaigns. To learn more about creating one-off campaigns, please see this article.

When to use a workflow campaign

Workflows are ideal when you want to automate a series of messages over time. They work best for:

• Following up on unsold estimates
• Nurturing leads who haven't booked yet
• Re-engaging inactive clients over multiple touch points
• Managing longer sales cycles for big projects (e.g., roofing, remodels, system replacements)
• Ongoing service plan/membership communications

Creating a workflow campaign

Workflow campaigns can be created and set live in just a few minutes. 

1. From the sidebar menu, select Marketing
2. Select New campaign
3. Select Workflow
   
4. Continue to the next section

Choosing a template (optional)

Workiz makes it easy to launch automated workflows with professionally designed templates tailored to your industry and common service scenarios. Unlike one-off campaigns, workflow templates include pre-built sequences of emails and texts, along with built-in delays and logic that guide your clients through a structured communication journey.

For example, an HVAC welcome workflow might include a welcome email, a timed delay, and a follow-up text message — all automatically arranged in the right order. Each workflow template is thoughtfully structured with messaging and timing designed to support the specific goal of the campaign. 

You can use a template as-is, customize the messages, adjust delays and conditions, or build a workflow entirely from scratch to fit your process.

Setting your entry point criteria

Before your workflow starts sending messages, you’ll first decide which clients you want to target. This is done by setting entry criteria — the rules that determine which clients qualify based on the filters you choose. By defining this upfront, you make sure the right clients receive the right messages at the right time.

1. In the workflow canvas, select the Entry point step
   
2. Under Filter by client details, select Add filter and choose the filter you want to apply (e.g., total spend, client tag, city etc.)
3. Repeat Step 2 as needed
4. Under Filter by client activities, select Add filter and choose the filter you want to apply (e.g., last service date, last job type, last email click, etc.)
5. Repeat Step 4 as needed
6. Select Save

As you apply filters, your campaign’s estimated reach updates in real time to include only the clients who match your criteria. Workiz shows you the exact number of clients who will receive the campaign, so you can quickly see whether your targeting is too broad, too narrow, or just right.

Keep in mind that a campaign’s audience is locked in at the time you launch it. Any new clients who meet your criteria after the campaign has been sent will not automatically be added to that campaign.

To reach those clients, you’ll need to create a new campaign. You can easily do this by duplicating an existing campaign, reapplying your original filters, and narrowing the audience to clients created after a specific date (i.e., all clients created after the previous campaign was launched).

Editing workflow messages

By default, most workflow templates will include pre-written email and text messages — all carefully crafted and structured to help support the goal of your campaign. You can leave these messages as is or edit them to better fit your branding.

1. In the workflow canvas, select one of the Email or Text steps
   
2. Edit your message as desired (e.g., wording, images, etc.)
3. Select Save
4. Repeat Steps 2-3 for all remaining messages in your workflow

To learn more about how to edit the content of a Genius Marketing campaign, please see this article. 

Editing workflow delays

Delays help you control the timing of your messages so your clients aren't overwhelmed. By spacing out emails and texts, you give customers time to read, respond, or take action before receiving the next message. 

Without delays, messages may be sent back-to-back, which can feel spammy and reduce engagement. Adding thoughtful wait times creates a more natural, professional experience and often leads to better results. 

1. In the workflow canvas, select one of the Delay steps
   
2. Edit the delay timing as desired (e.g., 1 day, 12 hours, 30 minutes, etc.)
3. Select Save

Adding extra workflow steps

Templates come pre-built with steps connected in the right order. If you’re building from scratch or want to expand an existing workflow, you can add steps at any point along the way.

1. Select the arrow where you want to add your next step

   Looking to add a step in between two existing steps? You'll need to remove the connecting arrow first.

2. Choose the type of step you want to add:
   
   1. Condition: Create branches in your workflow based on filters, so different clients follow different paths 
   2. Email: Add an email message
   3. Text: Add a text message
   4. Delay: Add a specific delay between steps
3. Finish creating the step you added in the previous step

If you add a step between two existing steps, you’ll need to reconnect the flow. Simply select the end of the arrow and drag it to the left side of the next step to link them together.

Defining goal and exit criteria

When a client enters a workflow, you typically have a specific outcome in mind — like booking a job, clicking a link, or leaving a review. Goal filters let you define what success looks like. Once a client meets that goal, they're automatically removed from the workflow so they don't keep receiving unnecessary messages.

Exit filters remove a client from a workflow regardless of whether they've met the goal. This is useful for clients who no longer fit your criteria. 

Together, these filters keep your campaigns relevant and prevent over-messaging. 

1. Select Actions > Workflow settings
   
2. Under Goal filters, add your client detail and activity filters (e.g., client tag, last email click, last service date)
3. Under Exit filters, add your client detail and activity filters (e.g., client tag, total spend, last service date)
4. Select Save

Creating and setting your campaign live

Once your content and audience filters are all set, it's time to create your campaign and set it live. Before you can create your campaign, please note the following:

• Your workflow cannot end in a condition or delay step.
• If your campaign contains text message steps, you will need to be registered for text messages before you can create it.
• All email steps must contain a subject line.
• Two-factor authentication is required to launch campaigns with Genius Marketing. To learn more about setting up 2FA in Workiz, please see this article.

To create and send your campaigns:

1. Select Create to save your campaign as a draft
2. Select Set live to launch your campaign
3. Enter the one-time passcode sent to your phone
4. Select Set live to launch your campaign

Setting your campaign live will instantly launch it. If your campaign includes text messages, Workiz may notify you if:

• Your current phone plan doesn't include enough texts to cover the campaign
• On-demand texting needs to be enabled to reach your full audience

Make sure to take care of any required steps first so your campaign reaches everyone it's meant to. 

After setting your one-off campaign live, the campaign status will change from Draft to Live, before changing to Complete once all messages have been sent.