How we create a time-limited campaign

Campaigns template

Use this template when you are creating a public campaign. This template is for use by Buckinghamshire Council employees.

A campaign is a planned sequence of communications and interactions to support or encourage people to take a particular action. Use this template to bring together both internal and external links to guidance and information in a way that makes it easier for users to take action.

Campaigns pages should always be:

• time-limited - designed to support a planned programme of comms activity with a specific end date
• standalone - no other pages on the site should host links into a campaigns page
• helping users find information - not asking users to complete a task on that page
• co-branded - the campaigns 'site' can carry its own brand but be clearly identifiable as part Buckinghamshire Council
• designed in line with our style guide

View an example of a good campaign page.

You don’t need a campaigns page for:

• generic news announcements - use the news template
• statutory guidance or policy updates - use the long form template
• duplicating information already on the Buckinghamshire website
• essential information about Buckinghamshire Council services, this should be on the main site

Choose another content template

The campaign template brings together information and guidance around a single topic. It works as a landing page for a communications campaign, for example, if you want to direct users to a page from your social media posts.

Campaigns pages are not indexed on the website. That means that users won't find them using search terms. Make sure the link to the page is in all communications about your campaign (such as emails, tweets or other social media).

The template allows you to use:

• a hero image
• 3 section headings (required) which create navigation tiles at the top of the page
• images and embedded media in each section
• external and internal links
• body text in each section

Your page title should be clear and tell the user what the page is about. For example, 'Money problems - advice and support if you are struggling to make ends meet'.

Use an introduction to explain the campaign in plain english.

Your content should support or encourage the user to take action or adopt the behaviour that your campaign is trying to achieve.

Use headings to structure your content in a way that:

• helps users decide if the information is relevant to them
• helps users find the information they need to take action or change their behaviour

Use active words that describe the change that you want them to make, such as 'Make your money go further.'

Writing good headings and titles

Images can be a useful part of any comms campaign. Images can help the user to:

• feel like the campaign is relevant to them (context)
• understand information in a different way (as in a diagram)

Remember that not all users can view images. Your images should support the text rather than explain the text. Make sure that anything you want the user to read is in the body text, not in an image. Screen readers will not read text that is contained within an image.

Always describe images for people who can't see them using alt text or a caption. All images, except decorative images, must have alt text that:

• tells people what information the image provides
• describes the content and function of the image
• is specific, meaningful and concise

Using images in your content (GOV.UK)

Creating accessible webpage and documents

The campaigns page template include two different types of image:

• hero image - the image that stretches across the top of the page
• standard image - a smaller image that sits next to body copy

Images will resize to fit the user's browser window, but have a fixed ratio requirement. Hero images can appear differently on different types of screen. Check how your image appears on different devices before you publish.

Header images must be 1800x668.

Standard images must be 660x412.

When you are creating a new campaign, get in touch with the web team as early as possible in your planning.

Contact the webteam via ServiceNow if you need to:

• design content that supports your campaign
• advise on existing content that could be included in your campaign
• decide if your campaign needs its own page or site

You can find more guidance on writing content in the content design resources in the GOV.UK Service Manual.