Introduction
A prepared message is a saved message assigned to a group. Mapp Engage gives every prepared message a message ID (MID). You can send a prepared message as a single message or as a group message. A single prepared message can be reused across multiple sendouts, which enables automated, multi-step programs in Whiteboard. The prepared message remains visible in the Prepared Message Overview window and can be edited at any time, even if it is used in a segment or whiteboard.
Common Use Cases
Reuse one prepared message for repeated or scheduled sendouts in Whiteboards.
Create event-based or time-based workflows that send a prepared message.
Build segments based on recipient behavior for a prepared message, for example, opens, clicks, and conversions. The segment covers all sendouts of that prepared message, past and future, single and group.
Use prepared messages as templates for system messages.
Working with Prepared Messages
Prepared messages act as reusable assets with a unique MID. Once created, they remain visible in the Prepared Message Overview window and can be updated at any time. This flexibility ensures that even when a prepared message is part of a segment or whiteboard, you can still adjust its content without interrupting ongoing sendouts.
Prepared messages are often used within Whiteboard workflows. A whiteboard can reference one or more prepared messages in its setup, whether the job is event-based or time-based. Whenever you update a prepared message, the new content is automatically applied in future sendouts, keeping the workflow current without requiring additional configuration.
You can send a prepared message either as a single message or as a group message, and Mapp Engage handles the two differently. See Single vs. Group Sendouts below.
Example: Birthday Campaign
Bob, a marketing manager, creates an empty prepared message named BirthdayEmail. He sets up an automated birthday campaign in Whiteboard and links it to this prepared message. He also builds a segment that identifies contacts who click on the birthday email.
Example: Content Updates on the Fly
Anne, responsible for email content, later opens the Prepared Message Overview window and updates BirthdayEmail by changing a coupon, refreshing the graphics, or testing a new subject line. The whiteboard continues running as planned, and future sendouts use the updated content automatically.
Single vs. Group Sendouts
A prepared message can be sent as a single message or as a group message. The sendout method determines how the message is triggered, and Mapp Engage tracks the two types differently.
Sendout Methods
Sendout Method | Single Message | Group Message |
|---|---|---|
Sendout in the Message area | N/A | You can manually send a group message in the Prepared Message Overview window using Copy & Send. |
Time-based Whiteboard | Send the prepared message to all contacts in a segment. Contacts are selected from the system-wide database with a mandatory segment. Example: birthday emails | Send the prepared message to all contacts in the group on a defined schedule. Example: newsletter emails |
Event-based Whiteboard | Send the prepared message to a contact after they complete a defined event. Example: transactional messages | Send the prepared message to all contacts in the group after a defined event takes place. |
System Messages | Always single messages. Templates can be created for system messages. | Not applicable. |
Please visit our Whiteboards documentation for more details.
Message ID Handling
In single sendouts, all sendouts of a prepared message share one MID, and Mapp Engage retains the original prepared message MID for recognition. In group sendouts, each sendout is assigned a new, unique MID, while the original prepared message MID is still recorded for reference.
The differences in message IDs, statistics, outbox records, and message limitation apply to prepared messages in the same way as to any message. For the full comparison, see Group Messages and Single Messages in Mapp Engage.