---
title: "How to Create a Marketing Automation Campaign"
slug: "how-to-create-a-campaign-in-marketing-automation"
updated: 2024-12-12T14:14:00Z
published: 2024-12-12T14:14:00Z
canonical: "docs.mapp.com/how-to-create-a-campaign-in-marketing-automation"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mapp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Create a Marketing Automation Campaign

Marketing Automation allows you to engage your target audience with dynamic campaigns tailored to user behavior and preferences. This guide outlines the general steps to set up and launch a campaign effectively.

---

## Key Components of Campaigns

Before diving into the creation process, it’s important to understand the three core components of any Marketing Automation campaign:

- **WHO**: The [target group](/v1/docs/target-groups)—this defines the audience you want to address.
- **WHAT**: The [content](/v1/docs/content-1)—this is the creative element such as banners, recommendations, or layers.
- **WHERE**: The [placement](/v1/docs/placement)—this determines where and how your content is displayed.

---

## Steps to Prepare and Create a Campaign

### Step 1: Prepare the Foundation

Ensure the following elements are in place before creating your campaign:

1. **Define the Target Group**:
  - Use segments (historical data) or real-time behaviors (current session data).
  - Combine both types of targeting for advanced audience selection.
  - Set up target groups under *Marketing Automation > Target Groups*.
2. **Prepare the Content**:
  - Create the content (banners, recommendations, layers, etc.) that you plan to use in your campaign.
  - Refer to the specific content type documentation for detailed setup.
3. **Configure the Placement**:
  - Define where and how the content will appear (e.g., onsite, overlay).
  - Customize placements under *Marketing Automation > Placements*.

### Step 2: Create a New Campaign

1. **Navigate to Campaigns:** Go to *Marketing Automation > Campaigns* and click *Create a New Campaign*.
2. **Basic Settings**:
  - Enter a unique and descriptive name for the campaign.
  - Define the start and end dates.
3. **Define the Campaign Structure**:
  - **Target Group**: Select the audience segment you created earlier.
  - **Content**: Choose the content type (e.g., banners, recommendations).
  - **Frequency Cap**: (Optional) Limit how often the campaign is shown to the same user. Find more information [here](/v1/docs/how-to-create-a-campaign-in-marketing-automation#frequency-caps).
  - **Placement**: Assign placements where the campaign will be displayed.
4. **Save and Activate**: Review the configuration, save the campaign, and activate it to start delivery.

> [!NOTE]
> Now that you’ve learned how to configure a campaign, discover practical applications in action. Watch the video “[Convert Abandoning Visitors Into Email Subscribers](/v1/docs/convert-abandoning-visitors-into-email-subscribers)” or take the Mapp Academy course on [On-Site Campaigns](https://academy.mapp.com/catalog/courses/3802008) for in-depth insights.

### Step 3: Track and Optimize Campaign Performance

Once your campaign is live, track its performance to measure effectiveness:

1. **Basic Performance Metrics**: Access metrics like views, clicks, and conversions under the *Performance* tab in the Campaigns section.
2. **Advanced Analytics**: For in-depth analysis, click *Explore in Intelligence*. This allows you to:
  - Analyze performance by segments.
  - View detailed conversion paths.
  - Export data for further analysis.

---

## Frequency Caps

Marketing Automation supports three levels of frequency caps to provide flexible control over how often a campaign is shown:

- **Per Session**: Limits impressions within a single user session.
  - Example: A banner is shown no more than once per session.
- **Per User (Per Day)**: Limits impressions for each user within a 24-hour period.
  - Example: A recommendation is shown to a user up to 3 times per day.
- **Per User**: Limits the total impressions for each user across all sessions.
  - Example: A pop-up is shown to a user no more than 5 times overall.

### Availability by Content Type

The table below details which frequency caps are supported for each content type:

| **Content** | **Per Session** | **Per User (Per Day)** | **Per User** | **Notes** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Banners** | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |  |
| **Custom HTML** | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |  |
| **Custom JS** |  |  |  | Not applicable |
| **Layers** | ✓ |  |  |  |
| **Audience Stream** |  |  |  | Not applicable |
| **Recommendations** | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |  |

---

## Tips for Effective Campaign Management

- **Naming Convention**:
  - Use a clear and consistent format for campaign names (e.g., [Placement Type]|[Content Type]|[Target Group]|[Date]).
  - Example: Onsite|BANNER|HighSpenders|2024-12-04.
- **Test Before Launch**:
  - Ensure proper targeting and content delivery by testing campaigns before activation.
- **Iterate Based on Data**:
  - Use performance data to refine campaigns and improve engagement.