This guide walks you through building one-time SMS campaigns, one-time email campaigns, and automated campaign flows in Marketing Center — plus the key management features once your campaigns are live.
How to send a one-time SMS campaign
Setting up custom SMS and securing consent
Before you can send text campaigns, custom SMS must be set up and your customers must have given express consent to receive marketing texts — a clear, deliberate action such as checking a consent box.
See Campaigns: Marketing Compliance for the full requirements.
Steps for setting up your one-time SMS campaign
Go to Marketing → Campaigns
Click Create a Campaign
Select One-time Texts
Choose an existing recipient list or create a new one
Set your filtering conditions (Customer Tag, Customer Type, Location, Lead Source, Lifetime Value, Creation Date, Last Service Date)
Save and review the preview
Customize the campaign name and message content, insert any variables, and send.
You can pick a quick content option or use Write it for me to generate text with AI. Insert dynamic variables such as Company Name, Customer First Name, Last Name, and Phone. Note: the Company Name variable is required. SMS has character limits, so keep it short.
How to send a one-time email campaign
Understanding email opt-in requirements and verifying your reply-to email
Email marketing requires customer consent, and you'll need a verified reply-to email address. Verify it in Marketing Center or your account settings before sending.
See Campaigns: Marketing Compliance for details.
Steps for setting up your one-time email campaign
Go to Marketing → Campaigns
Click Create a Campaign
Select One-time Email
Verify your reply-to email status
Choose your audience and continue
On the "Choose an email design" screen, pick how you want to build the email (see below)
Build and customize your email, add variables, and preview
Review and send.
Choosing how to build your email: Simple editor vs. Visual editor
When you reach the "Choose an email design" screen (labeled "Select a design or build from scratch"), you're choosing which of two editors you'll build in:
Simple editor — a fast, text-first composer for short, personal, timely messages. You'll start here when you choose Build from scratch.
Visual editor — a drag-and-drop builder for designed, branded emails. You'll open directly in it when you pick a Quick design or one of Your designs.
You can switch between the two editors using the toggle in the toolbar, but switching clears your current email — content can't be carried from one to the other — so choose the right one before you start building.
For a full walkthrough of the drag-and-drop builder — the design library, adding content and a Book Now button, styling, and saving templates — see Campaigns: Build an Email with the Visual Editor. To decide which editor fits a given email, see Campaigns: Simple Editor vs. Visual Editor — Which Should You Use?
Customizing text in the Simple editor
In the Simple editor, use the formatting toolbar to make your message clear and readable:
Bold, Italic, Underline, and Strikethrough
Bullet list and Numbered list
Align text — left, right, or justified
You can also insert variables to personalize the message, change background color, typography family, typography size, and more. For richer, designed layouts, switch to the Visual editor (see the companion article above).
Adding images to your campaign emails
In the Simple editor:
Click the Add Image button in the toolbar to open the file browser.
Select your image. Only PNG, JPEG, JPG, and GIF files are selectable; other types appear greyed out.
The image loads at your cursor position, or at the bottom of the editor if no position is selected.
In the Visual editor: drag an image block onto the canvas, or replace an image already in a template — see Campaigns: Build an Email with the Visual Editor.
Removing images
In the Simple editor, click the image to reveal the Remove Image option. In the Visual editor, select the image block and delete it.
Previewing your email
Use the Preview option to see exactly how your email will look to customers before you send it.
Targeting customers
Select an existing audience list or create a new one using the same condition types available for SMS (Customer Tag, Customer Type, Location, Lead Source, Lifetime Value, Creation Date, Last Service Date). See How Customer Lists Work for Different Campaign Types.
Tips and best practices for marketing campaigns
Keep messages concise (aim for ~160 characters on SMS).
Use a clear call to action.
Avoid over-messaging your customers.
Measure performance and adjust.
How to set up automated campaign flows
Understanding campaign flows
Flows are automated sequences triggered by events such as Job Completed, Job Satisfaction, or Estimate Declined. These are distinct from Pipeline automations, which handle in-job lifecycle tasks. See Campaigns: Send Automated Campaigns.
Components of a campaign flow
Triggers — Job Completed, Job Satisfaction, Estimate Declined.
Messages — emails or SMS.
Delays — waiting periods between actions.
Setting up your automated campaign flow
Go to Marketing → Campaigns
Click Create a Campaign
Select Automated Campaigns
Choose a predefined template or build a custom flow
Add your primary steps (email/SMS)
Add delays between steps
Edit each step from the sidebar
Compose your email or SMS content — with AI or quick options
Add variables and formatting. Email steps use the same Simple editor / Visual editor choice described above
Proceed to audience selection and launch
Delays are configured in the sidebar with a numeric value and a duration dropdown (day, week, month).
Pro tips for optimizing automated campaign flows
Segment your audience.
Personalize messages with variables.
Keep the design customer-centric.
Monitor metrics continuously.
Integrate email and SMS strategically.
Optimize based on performance data.
Marketing Center key features
Viewing overall campaign performance
Three headline metrics display once thresholds are met: Jobs Booked (min. 5), Projected Revenue (min. $300), and Emails Opened (min. 100). See Campaigns: How Conversion & Revenue Are Calculated.
How to access campaign performance metrics
Go to Marketing → Campaigns, select a campaign, and view its performance section.
Rename a campaign
Click the three dots next to the campaign, select Rename Campaign, and enter a new name.
Duplicate a campaign
Click the three dots, select Duplicate Campaign, and modify as needed.
View queued message count
Select a sent campaign; the Queue section at the top shows the pending message count.
View the sent date of a message
Select the campaign; the Date Sent column shows delivery timestamps.
Turn off a campaign
Click the three dots, select Turn off campaign, and confirm. The campaign status will show as Off.
Conclusion
With one-time campaigns, automated flows, and the choice between the Simple and Visual editors, Marketing Center lets you reach the right customers with the right message — quickly for timely offers, and beautifully for ongoing engagement.
Need help?
We're here for you! Chat with Support using the Blue Chat Bubble in your Housecall Pro account, or give us a call at (858) 842-5746.