How Do You Run Event-Triggered Campaigns in SFMC?
Use Journey Builder entry events (API, Salesforce Data, File Drop, CloudPage, Audience) with governed data, consent, and decisioning to launch right-time, right-channel messages—transactional or promotional—at scale.
Direct Answer
In SFMC, event-triggered campaigns are built in Journey Builder by defining an Entry Event (API Event, Salesforce Data Event, CloudPage form, File Drop, or Audience change) that injects a contact using a stable Contact Key. You pass the event payload into the journey, then orchestrate decisions, waits, and channel activities (Email/SMS/Push/In-App/Ads) with guardrails for consent, frequency, and transactional vs. commercial sends. Success is measured by conversion events you post back (e.g., order placed, case closed, opportunity won).
What You Need in Place
SFMC Event-Triggered Campaign Playbook
Follow this sequence to move from ad-hoc sends to governed, real-time programs.
Model → Ingest → Orchestrate → Classify → Validate → Launch → Observe → Optimize
- Model events: Build an event catalog and data contract (JSON) for each trigger; align to Contact Key and consent attributes.
- Ingest data: Create the Data Extension and Event Definition (API Event or Data Event); ensure primary keys and sendable attributes are correct.
- Orchestrate paths: In Journey Builder, wire Entry Event → Decision/Warm-up waits → Email/SMS/Push; branch by product, lifecycle stage, or locale.
- Classify sends: Mark activities as Transactional when they provide critical service info; otherwise use commercial classification with frequency caps.
- Validate content: Use test payloads, Contact Preview, and path testing; include fallbacks for missing fields and language.
- Launch safely: Start in Stopped with a canary audience, enable entry, then scale; set concurrency and re-entry rules.
- Observe & alert: Track entry counts, exits, bounces, conversions; route anomalies to ops via email or Slack webhook.
- Optimize: A/B test subject/creative, tune waits, and add rescue paths (e.g., cart reminder → price drop → win-back).
Event-Triggered Capability Maturity Matrix
| Capability | From (Ad Hoc) | To (Operationalized) | Owner | Primary KPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identity & Consent | Email-only keys, inconsistent opt-in | Stable ContactKey, purpose-based consent, locale/timezone awareness | RevOps/Privacy | Reachable Audience %, Complaint Rate |
| Event Ingestion | Manual imports | API/Data Events with schema validation and retries | Data/Marketing Ops | Event Freshness (p95), Error Rate |
| Decisioning | Single path | Dynamic splits by behavior, value, lifecycle | Lifecycle Marketing | Conversion Rate, Time-to-Action |
| Classification & Policy | Mixed send types | Transactional vs. commercial rules, quiet hours, caps | Compliance/Deliverability | Deliverability, Unsubscribe/Spam Rate |
| Observability | Opens/clicks only | Path analytics, conversion postbacks, anomaly alerts | Analytics | Revenue/Case Resolutions/Orders |
| Continuous Tests | One-off A/B | Always-on tests and holdouts | Lifecycle Marketing | Incremental Lift, ROMI |
Client Snapshot: From API Event to Activated Customer
A subscription brand posted signup_completed events to SFMC and launched a Journey with locale-aware content and frequency caps. Result: faster first-use, lower complaint rate, and higher 30-day retention. Explore results: Comcast Business · Broadridge
Map your triggers to The Loop™ and govern the operating model with RM6™ for durable lift in acquisition, activation, and retention.
Frequently Asked Questions about Event-Triggered SFMC Journeys
Operationalize Event-Triggered Journeys
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