Select Campaigns from the navigation on the left menu then click the "New" button on the far right.
Next, name your campaign (a default one will be provided with date and time) and select the phone number you want the campaign to send from. Make sure that text message campaign is chosen and then create campaign.
Write your message in the compose window on the left and a preview of your message will display on the phone on the right.
Note: Depending on cell phone networks and the number of characters in your message, text messages can get broken up into multiple segments.
If you would like to personalize your message you can enter variables in your message using {{ }} for example {{first_name}}. Your variables will turn red if you format them correctly.
Note: You should only use variables that are updated in your contact records. But if you use a variable and some contacts do not have that variable filled in their record, the variable will be ignored. For example, "Hi {{first_name}}, to show your support..." would be delivered as "Hi, to show your support..."
If you would like to use our link tracking feature or need an extra long link to get shortened, use the chain link symbol shown above to add your link. Once typed in correctly, click create URL.
The blue folder symbol above will open our template database. If you have troubles deciding what to write or how to write the message in mind, feel free to choose a template and edit it as you see fit. You can search by topics if you have something specific in mind. Just make sure to click the insert button when you find the one you want.
The red paperclip is for MMS(Multimedia Messaging Service). Click to insert an image such as a logo, meme, gif, virtual flyer, and more.
Note: We recommend using opt-out language when sending your first message and any messages that may include asking for support. An example would be 'Reply STOP to UNSUBSCRIBE'. This counts towards your 300 characters when included.
Once you have crafted your perfect message, you can test it yourself to make sure it is delivered correctly and any links are correct and images clear. Click the paper airplane symbol shown above and type in your phone number to test the message.
Note: You can do this as many times as you'd like to as many numbers as you'd like, each test will use 1 credit.
When you are finished testing your message and everything is perfect, move over to the contacts tab and select 'add contacts' to choose your recipients. If you do not have contacts imported into your database, see Formatting Files for Uploading to learn how to format your files and import your contacts correctly.
If you have already added contacts to your contacts database you can add them right to your campaign via the add from tag(s) tab shown above. You can search by name or search by tag.
Note: If wanting to do more advanced filtering, you can also add contacts from the contacts database by following the instructions in our Adding Contacts from the Contact Table article. We recommend opening a separate browser tab to do this.
Once you have filtered the list you want to add (or if adding everyone from your contacts), make sure to check the box on the far left of the table to include everyone on the first page of the table. To include everyone on every page that you have filtered, make sure to check the circle above that says 'all # contacts filtered'.
Note: the above picture is an example of filtering the tag 'staff' to add to this campaign.
Once you have selected everyone you want to send to, click add.
Your contacts will now load into the campaign. This can take some time depending on the number of contacts you want to add. A few hundred could take a minute or two, whereas several thousand could take half an hour or so. A percentage of the progression will show in blue next to the 'add contacts' button. When it is complete, the percentage will go away and the number of contacts you added will show.
Next you'll click the delivery tab and from here you will be able to select how you want your messages delivered.
Your available options are:
Schedule: Schedule allows you to set the time and date you would like your message to be sent. The timezone you account is set to will show.
Recurring: Recurring will send your message on a schedule for example every Monday at 8am.
Peer-to-Peer: Peer-to-Peer loads the message and then allows you to manually send messages to your contacts individually.
Immediate: Will send messages as soon as you finalize your message and hit send now.
If choosing immediate, a pop up will ask if you are sure you want to send now. Click Send Now if immediate, Schedule if recurring or scheduled, or Launch Campaign if peer-to-peer.
Once your campaign is active, it will look like this. Hover over any buttons to see what they do, but some important ones are in red above.
The gray clock means pending. The green airplane means sending. The blue check means delivered. The dark chat bubble means replies. The smiley faces show sentiment analysis, good/bad/neutral replies. You can also view link clicks and replies.
To view the replies and respond, click the reply button.
Here you can reply to the contact that responded. You can see the messages you have sent to them and if they have responded. You can now have a 1 on 1 conversation with them to answer any questions or express gratitude. Once you are done replying, clicking next will open up the reply from the next person for you to view and respond.
Notes: Each additional reply you send will count as a credit. If you happen to get a negative response or need to manually unsubscribe (or opt someone out) because they are the wrong number, etc, you can do so by clicking the red bell at the top by the contacts phone number.