Happy Monday!

Let’s get that caffeine kick and a naming system that actually makes sense. ☕️

Today’s read time is 3:01 min. A short one.

Ever spent way too long hunting for the right email campaign because your naming system is a mess (or doesn't exist)? You're not alone. Let's tackle this chaos together.

Stay tuned, I've included a handy campaign naming generator template for you to download at the end.

Here's what you'll find in today's email:

• Quick insights into managing campaign chaos.

• Guess what? We've got our very first sponsor post—woohoo! Your click on it could be the reason I enjoy a delicious cup of coffee tomorrow!

• A clear framework to streamline your campaign naming.

• Actionable quick hits to boost your productivity immediately.

• Tool Spotlight: A simple Google Sheet "Name Generator" template you can copy today.

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How to fix your messy campaign names in 4 steps

Deep Dive

Imagine needing to update your post-purchase sequence. You open your marketing platform, only to be greeted by this naming nightmare:

• Email Flow Copy (Final)

• Email Flow Copy (FINAL-FINAL)

• Abandoned_Cart_Flow_V2

• ABANDONED CART 2023

• Welcome-Flow-Jan

• new_welcome

• TEST-DO-NOT-SEND

• Winback Campaign (old)

• winback_campaign_new

Twenty minutes later, you're still searching. Sound familiar?

We lifecycle marketers spend our days in automation platforms, yet few create naming conventions that actually work.

The result? Hours wasted, confusion about current versions, and sometimes, costly mistakes.

The hidden cost of campaign naming chaos

Messy naming isn't just frustrating. It creates serious problems:

• Wasted Time: Lifecycle marketers lose hours each month just searching.

• Training Overhead: New team members struggle to understand chaotic systems.

• Risky Mistakes: Sending test emails to large audiences because names look similar.

The simple naming framework

After years of creating campaigns, here's the proven naming structure saving teams countless hours:

[DATE][TYPE][AUDIENCE][PURPOSE][VERSION]

Let's decode it:

1. DATE 

• When you last updated the canvas

• Format: 2024-02-03

• Helps you track freshness at a glance

2. TYPE

• Journey, Blast, Trigger, etc.

• Tells you what kind of campaign it is

• No more guessing if it's automated or one-time

3. AUDIENCE

• NewUsers, ActiveUsers, ChurnRisk, etc.

• Who's receiving this campaign

• Instant clarity on your target

4. PURPOSE

• Welcome, Abandon, Upsell, etc.

• What it's trying to accomplish

• The "why" at a glance

5. VERSION 

• v1, v2, LIVE, TEST, etc.

• Which iteration is this

• No more confusion about which is current

So, our earlier mess transforms neatly into:

❌ Email Flow Copy (FINAL-FINAL)

✅ 2024-02-03_JOURNEY_NewUsers_Welcome_LIVE

❌ ABANDONED CART 2023

✅ 2025-01-14_TRIGGER_ShopperIntent_CartAbandon_LIVE

❌ Winback Campaign (old)

✅ 2024-07-31_BLAST_InactiveUsers_Winback_v2

When naming follows a clear pattern, finding campaigns becomes effortless. Simple structure, massive productivity.

Your 4-step naming cleanup plan

Ready to clean up without disrupting your workflow?

Step 1: Create Your Naming Key

Document your naming convention clearly and simply. Share this guide with your team.

Step 2: Start with New Campaigns

Immediately apply your naming rules to new campaigns. Don't rename everything at once.

Step 3: Rename During Updates

Rename older campaigns according to your new standards whenever you edit them.

Step 4: Schedule a Clean-Up Day

After testing your convention on new campaigns, dedicate a day to systematically rename important existing campaigns.

Bonus tip: Use Tags or Folders to group campaigns by business unit, product, or customer journey stage for easy filtering.

Start Small, Win Big

You don’t have to overhaul your entire system today. Start small. Focus first on your most frequently updated campaigns.

A marketing manager I advised implemented this method on just two key sequences. That small change saved her team 3 hours weekly, reducing confusion dramatically.

Clear naming conventions may not boost open rates, but they build a foundation for efficient, error-free marketing.

Take a quick screenshot of your current campaign list. Could you improve it?

Well, that’s all for today, folks. Did you find this content useful? Forward it to your colleagues if you did.

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