Which Campaign Is Right for My Organization?

During a recent discovery call with a Paymentus client interested in working with the Paymentus Client Adoption Success Team (CAST) to support their solution launch, I was asked whether running both pre-launch and post-launch campaigns is more effective than running a post-launch campaign alone.

The answer to this question should be considered on a case-by-case basis. If you’re wondering what type of payment adoption campaign is right for your organization, here is a quick primer to help you decide.

What Defines a Campaign?

CAST offers several different campaign types depending on your organization's goals, ranging from introducing a new feature (AutoPay, Walmart Bill Pay, etc.) to offering incentives for enrolling in paperless eBilling.

Our most common campaign supports new clients migrating from a legacy solution to the Paymentus solution. Campaigns of this type involve pre-launch elements focused on “Coming Soon” messaging, and post-launch elements that focus on “Now Available” messaging.

Generally, these campaigns mirror each other. The goal is to reinforce the stated goals of our clients and ensure a smooth transition for their customers. For instance, if there is a new offering such as digital wallets, this may become a focal point of the campaign to drive awareness in the pre-launch phase, and adoption once the solution has been implemented.

In most cases, pre- and post-launch campaigns serve as educational materials for customers. The most important aspect of any migration is to ensure there are no surprises for customers looking to pay their bills. That is why we typically recommend pre-launch campaigns with at least 30-day lead times. Given the sensitive nature of paying bills online, any unannounced shift in the payment experience can cause customer confusion and increase call center volume.

How Should My Organization Assess Its Marketing Needs?

To assess your marketing needs, focus on what changes your customers will actually encounter after migrating to Paymentus. CAST recommends that all organizations answer the following questions to gauge their needs:

• Will customers need to create new accounts or re-enroll with a new Customer Portal once live?
• Will customers need to enroll in AutoPay or do you want to drive more adoption of automated payments?
• Are there new functionalities customers should be aware of in the new Customer Portal?
• Will new payment options be offered that you need to make your clients aware of?
• Will the bill/statement have a different and improved design or feature a different customer portal URL?
• Is there an essential payment adoption KPI that your organization is looking to achieve?
• Are there particular demographics you are targeting (e.g., paper-based customers)?

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, it’s likely that even a light pre-launch campaign (e.g., a customer email one week prior to launch explaining the differences) would be beneficial for customers.

However, if the customer experience remains unchanged, CAST advises against pre-launch communications. If the experience is the same, there is little benefit to promoting a system that customers are already familiar with. In fact, announcements may prompt customers to assume action is required. This can lead to increased call volumes as customers question what may have changed and what they must do to ensure their bill is paid on time.

How CAST Can Help Assess Your Needs

CAST is a complimentary service that delivers strategic marketing consultation for our clients, with full capabilities in creating and delivering campaigns that are proven to drive digital adoption. As a client adoption specialist, it is my job to understand your goals and situation, and work with our team to provide recommendations on how your organization can maximize its Paymentus solution.

For complex projects (e.g., system deployments introducing new payment types, deployments where customers must re-enroll within the new system or for AutoPay), we often recommend educational, multi-touch campaigns that take advantage of your most powerful channels including email, web, in-office signage, bill inserts, and even scripts for customer service representatives. For more straightforward projects (e.g., go-lives where all data transfers and no action is required from customers), less can often be more. During a discovery call, we learn about your organization's specific goals and tailor our strategy accordingly. If you’ve ever wondered what marketing efforts may be right for your implementation, we have you covered!

For more information or to request a Discovery Call with a Client Adoption Specialist, visit paymentus.com/cast.