How to Send Annual Emails and Text Messages Using Automations

Want to send birthday greetings, anniversary messages, or annual reminders to families? Enrollio makes it easy to set up automations that trigger on specific calendar dates each year.

What You'll Need

• A custom date field in your parent/family records (e.g., "Child's Birthday" or "Enrollment Anniversary")
• An automation with date-based triggers

How to Set Up Annual Messages

Step 1: Create a Custom Date Field

First, make sure you have a custom field to store the important date:

1. Click Settings in the left navigation
2. Select Custom Fields
3. Click Add Field
4. Choose Date as the field type
5. Name it something like "Child's Birthday" or "Enrollment Start Date"
6. Save your changes

Step 2: Build Your Annual Message Automation

1. Go to Automations in the main menu
2. Click Create Automation
3. Give it a clear name like "Annual Birthday Messages"
4. Click Add Trigger
5. Select Date-Based Trigger
6. Choose your custom date field (e.g., "Child's Birthday")
7. Set the trigger to fire Annually
8. Choose how many days before or after the date to send (0 = on the exact day)

Step 3: Add Your Message

1. Click the + button below your trigger
2. Select Send Email or Send SMS
3. Write your message — use merge fields like {{child_first_name}} to personalize
4. Click Save

Step 4: Activate Your Automation

Once you're happy with your message, toggle the automation to Active in the top right corner.

💡 Pro Tip: Send birthday messages a few days early! Set your trigger for 2-3 days before the actual date so families have time to respond or book a celebration at your center.

Popular Annual Message Ideas

• Child's birthday: Send a personal greeting from staff
• Enrollment anniversary: Celebrate families who've been with you for 1, 2, 3+ years
• Re-enrollment reminder: Trigger 30 days before contract renewal dates
• Summer camp registration: Remind families when registration opens each year

Important Notes

• The date field must have a value for the automation to trigger
• Automations check for matching dates daily, so messages send automatically
• You can pause an automation temporarily without deleting it
• Test with your own contact record first to make sure timing is correct

💡 Pro Tip: Create separate automations for different age groups or program types. This lets you personalize messages even further — like mentioning "kindergarten readiness" for 4-year-olds versus "toddler milestones" for younger children.