# Marketing campaigns and customer segments

> Pick out a group of customers and send them an email, SMS or WhatsApp campaign, now or at a set time.

*Section: Marketing and promotions · Updated: 2026-10-19 · Needs the plan feature: marketing*

By the end you will have picked out a group of customers, such as your regulars in Kampala, and prepared a campaign to them by email, SMS or WhatsApp.

> **Note:** Marketing comes with some plans only. If **Marketing** isn't under **Customers** in your menu, your plan or your role doesn't include it.

## Connect your channels first

Open **[Customers › Marketing › Marketing Settings](/app/marketing/settings)**.

- **Email / SMTP Configuration**: **Enable Email** is on for a new shop. Emails go out through your shop's mail, as set in **Settings › Mail Settings** (see [Email and SMS settings](/app/help/email-and-sms-settings)). **From Name** and **From Email** say who the campaign is from.
- **SMS Provider Configuration** and **WhatsApp API Configuration**: **Enable**, then your provider's **API URL**, **API Key**, **Sender ID** or **Phone Number ID**, and the names your provider uses for the number and the text (**Recipient Field Name**, **Message Field Name**). Your provider gives you these. Campaign messages go through your own account with them and don't count towards your plan's WhatsApp messages.
- **Campaign Scheduling Settings**: switch on **Enable Scheduling** if you'll send campaigns at a set time. **Batch Size** is how many go out at once.

![Marketing Settings: SMS Provider Configuration and WhatsApp API Configuration, each with Enable, Provider Name, API URL, API Key, Sender ID or Phone Number ID, HTTP Method, Recipient Field Name to and Message Field Name message; Email / SMTP Configuration with Enable Email ticked; and Default Sender Information.](https://armpos.online/storage/help/4f6cf991f4-marketing-campaigns-1-settings.webp)
*A channel left off skips its messages. Email is on from the start.*

Click **Save Settings** at the bottom.

## Pick your customers: segments

1. **Open [Customers › Marketing › Customer Segments](/app/marketing/segments)** and **click New Segment.**
2. **Type the Segment Name,** such as **Kampala regulars**, and a **Description**.
3. **Untick All Customers** and set the filters. All of them must match: **City**, the **Last Purchase From** and **To** dates, **Min.** and **Max. Total Purchases** (how many purchases), **Min.** and **Max. Amount Spent**.
4. **Click Preview Segment.** It counts the customers who match today.
5. **Click Save Segment.**

![New Segment: Segment Name Kampala regulars, Description, All Customers unticked, City Kampala, Min. Total Purchases 10, and Preview Segment showing 14 Matching Customers, with Save Segment.](https://armpos.online/storage/help/62453d8d79-marketing-campaigns-2-segment.webp)
*Preview before you save: it shows how many customers you'll reach.*

The city must be written as on the customers' records. Only completed sales count. The list shows the count from when you saved; a campaign uses whoever matches on the day it goes out.

![Customer Segments: Kampala regulars, Specific Segment, 14 matching customers.](https://armpos.online/storage/help/b63d122dba-marketing-campaigns-3-segments.webp)
*Your saved groups, ready to pick in a campaign.*

## Write the campaign

1. **Open [Customers › Marketing › Campaigns](/app/marketing/campaigns)** and **click New Campaign.**
2. **Type the Campaign Title** and pick the **Campaign Type**: **SMS**, **Email** or **WhatsApp**.
3. **Write the Message Content,** or start from a saved template with **Use Template**. Click a variable such as **{customer\_name}** to put each customer's own details in. An email also takes an **Email Subject** and an attachment.
4. **Choose the Recipients:** **All Customers**, or **Specific Segment** and the segment.
5. **Choose when:** **Send Immediately**, or **Schedule Campaign** with a **Schedule Date & Time**.
6. **Click Send Campaign** (or **Submit** when scheduled).

![Create Campaign: Campaign Title Breakfast week, Campaign Type Email, Description, Email Subject "10% off your breakfast shopping this week", Message Content starting "Hi {customer\_name}, this week only…", the personalisation variables, Recipients Specific Segment Kampala regulars (14), and Schedule Campaign with an empty Schedule Date & Time, Submit and Cancel.](https://armpos.online/storage/help/edd2792f54-marketing-campaigns-4-campaign.webp)
*Read it through before you send. A sent campaign can't be called back.*

> **Warning:** - **Send Immediately** sends as soon as you click: there is no confirmation.
> - With **Specific Segment**, make sure a segment is picked: with none, the campaign goes to all your customers.
> - **Schedule Campaign** without a date saves a draft that never goes out, and a scheduled campaign only goes out while **Enable Scheduling** is on.

**Customers › Marketing › SMS Templates**, **WhatsApp Templates** and **Email Templates** keep texts you use often, with a **Template Name**, a **Category** and the **Message Content**.

## See how it went

- **[Campaigns](/app/marketing/campaigns)** lists each campaign with its **Status** (draft, scheduled, sending, sent, failed or cancelled) and how many went out.
- **[Marketing Reports](/app/marketing/reports)** totals the recipients, sent, delivered and failed messages for a period, by campaign and by type.
- **[Marketing Dashboard](/app/marketing/dashboard)** shows the same at a glance, with the latest campaigns.

This guide's campaign was prepared but not sent: Demo Store sends no real messages.

## What's next

Give the campaign something to announce: [Promotions and promo codes](/app/help/promotions-and-promo-codes).