I have begun creating an email sequence using automation leading up to a launch period. Because the launch is at a specific date, I want all subscribers to be at the same step of the automation. I have added all the existing subscribers to the automation so they are in sync but how can I have new subscribers join the exact step that the rest is in? Is this even possible or do I just need to schedule each individual email as a separate campaign to accomplish this?
Hello @shorombolifestylecoa,
Welcome to the forum. 
In my opinion, the easiest way would be to do individual campaigns. Have a single email in the automation which gives them the run-down so far, but do launch updates via campaigns.
What you have asked is possible, but would need quite a lot of If/Else statements checking whether the current year/month/date (three separate conditions) are after a specific date. Whenever the answer is yes, you could then move the contact to a wait condition until you want to send the next email in the queue.
This would need you to plan out the entire campaign timing in advance though, or at least have a wait period that contacts can sit in until you know when you want to send out the next email.
As such, I think doing it as campaigns would make it easier for you.
Hope that helps.
If you would like screenshots of what I meant above, in case my written explanation is not clear, let me know. 
Thanks for your reply. I think you are right. I am over complicating things. I am going to schedule them as separate campaign. However, I do think I will use the Automation to map out the whole sequence and have the emails and format ready. Or do you suggest another way to do this? Are email created in the automation also available in de Campaign tab Past emails?
To my mind, the only downside I see to mapping the entire sequence out in the automation already would be that you will have to be very rigid in making sure that the emails are all ready and waiting to go at the right time. Of course, if you plan to do a launch update every month, then that is not such an issue, but if you have not planned out the entire sequence yet, you will have to make allowances for anything you have not yet planned, and leave contacts in a Wait action until you have them in place.
It is therefore doable, but will depend on your other work processes all running to schedule.
Regarding the emails, you could either create a template first, and then use that for all your emails, either in the automation or the individual campaigns.
But yes, otherwise any emails you have previously created, either in an automation or campaigns are visible in the “Past campaigns” tab, so you have some options.
Hope it helps.
This helps! Thanks a lot!
1 Like
I’ve helped out a business before with a lauch on a specific date. We used “if/else” conditions based on date. So if a contact joined after a certain date, it would skip them over the first emails in the automation.
Thanks! I have opted for a simpeler approach and scheduled all emails as separate campaigns.