Campaign Scheduling Strategies
Campaign Scheduling Strategies
Overview
How you schedule a campaign affects its realism and the quality of your data. PhishGrid offers three scheduling options.
Scheduling options
Send immediately
Sends all emails at once when you click Launch.
Best for: Quick tests, verifying deliverability, or time-constrained situations.
Downside: Users in an office may tip each other off if multiple people receive the same email simultaneously.
Specific date and time
Schedules the campaign to launch at a precise future moment.
Best for: Campaigns tied to specific events — Monday morning when users rush through email, right after a company all-hands, or during busy periods when vigilance drops.
Tip: The highest click rates tend to come from campaigns sent during high-distraction times (Monday 9 AM, Friday afternoon, or right after a major announcement).
Date range (randomised send window)
Spreads emails randomly across a defined window (e.g., over 2 weeks).
Best for: Large organisation-wide campaigns. Users can't tip each other off because they receive the email at different times. This is the most realistic option.
Recommended cadence
| Programme maturity | Frequency |
|---|---|
| New (first 3 months) | Monthly |
| Established | Quarterly baseline + follow-ups |
| Mature | Quarterly + event-driven (after incidents or news) |
| Compliance-driven | Per policy (often monthly or bi-monthly) |
High-impact timing strategies
- Monday morning — users rushing through weekend backlog click impulsively
- Payday scenarios — "Your payroll has changed" emails get broad engagement
- After IT announcements — "Update your password" during a real IT communication wave
- Tax season / major events — topical urgency lowers user scrutiny
- After a real phishing incident — users are primed; test and immediately train