This guide will show you how to create campaigns from "SMS Campaigns" in your menu. If you have the space within your database to upload the list you plan on texting into "Properties", we highly recommend see this guide instead : How to Start an SMS Campaign - Best Practices . Keep in mind that when you you upload your lists straight into "SMS campaigns" (shown in this guide) the system won't be able to identify addresses you may have already texted in the past, plus you won't want to miss out on "List Stacking" which can only be done within "properties".
Make sure you have completed steps 1 and 2 before you try to start texting!
1. Integrate your account with your chosen third-party vendor (Twilio, Plivo, Signalwire, etc.)
This is REQUIRED and must be completed first.
2. Complete your SMS Settings - Click here to see what you need to set up before texting
If you've run out of space in your database to manage more properties, this guide will be a great fit!
Start by going to the menu on the left and clicking on "Campaigns" then "SMS Campaigns".
Click "Create new campaign" on the right
You'll need to provide the following information for your new campaign:
Campaign Name → Your Campaign Name should be a unique name that describes your campaign and is easy to reference.
Market → Select the Market for your campaign from the dropdown list of your available markets.
Time zone → Select the time zone of the contacts you'll be texting in this campaign. The time zone determines the window during which text messages can be sent (texts will only be sent from 8:30am to 8:30pm local time).
Webhook → You can select the webhook that you have configured, or you can supply a Podio push email address, and assign the campaign to specific Users if you choose them from the dropdown (the default is set to all users).
Once completed, click "Create Campaign".
Importing Contacts → If you are importing your contacts/list directly to your SMS campaign, click "yes". (If you select "no" you can always find the campaign you've created on the main "SMS campaigns" page and upload contacts later)
Drag and drop your file here or click the box and select it from your computer files. You file MUST be in CSV format. -
To learn how to convert an XLSX file to CSV, please watch the video above. Once it uploads, click the blue arrow to move forward.
Mapping Data → Once the file has been uploaded, you will provide mapping details to continue with the import process. You will match fields from your source file to the fields provided in the interface.
In the screenshot below, the Source Fields on the left represent the fields that we found in the file. Use the dropdown menus under the Destination Fields on the right side of the page to match your fields to the appropriate destination fields in our data.
Note that Phone 1 is a mandatory field, so you should ensure that your import data includes value for this field.
Choose if you'd like the system to scrub your data and find people who are on the national do not call list, then click "submit".
After clicking "submit" it will take you to your campaign and begin uploading and filtering your file (scroll to the bottom on the page to view the progress - shown in the image below)
Select the template that you'd like to use for your campaign ( highlighted in image below )
Once your contact finish uploading and you've selected the templates you'd like to use, the contacts will appear at the top and you'll be able to preview the messages you're about to send (messages that populate come straight from your previously created template and will rotate at random automatically). Once you're ready, leave your mouse on the "send" button and click it repeatedly to send your messages!
TIP: Keep an eye on the "total sent today" number and be sure to take a break around 100 messages sent. This will allow you the time to go to "inbox" and reply to people who have already started texting you back as well as give your purchased phone numbers a break which will improve your deliverability! Learn more about inbox best practices HERE
