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Sending a Text Message

Via a Trigger

Text messages can be sent to your customers via a trigger on product, list, automation, or segment.

Add a Trigger for text message on a Product or a List

  1. Select Product or Lists & Contacts from your Simplero Dashboard
  2. From the Products tab or Lists tab, locate and click on the product or list you want to perform the trigger
  3. Select the Content tab
  4. Scroll down to the Triggers section and click the white +Add trigger button

    Trigger_text_message_from_list
  5. The Add new trigger screen will open. Complete the fields:
    • Select what you want to happen
    • In the Do this field select Text message to a customer option
    • Type your message in the Message to send field
    • Click the Save changes button and you are set

      Trigger_text_message

Via Automation

  1. Select Automation from your Simplero Dashboard
  2. In the Automations tab, click the + Create new automation button in the upper right corner

    Create_new_automation_button
  3. Name your Automation and click the OK button

    Name_your_Automation
  4. Click the blue + Add a step button for your automation

    Add_a_step_button_for_automation

    Text_message_for_automation
  5. Select Action for the step
  6. In Do this section, click the drop-down arrow and select the Text message to customer option
  7. Type your text message
  8. Click the Save changes button

Via a Product or a List

  1. Select Product or Lists & Contacts from your Simplero Dashboard
  2. From the Products tab or Lists tab, locate and click on the product or list you want to perform the trigger
  3. Select the Participants tab (for Products) or Subscribers (from Lists)
  4. In the Participants/Subscribers screen, check the box next to the participant's name you want to perform the trigger
  5. Click on the Select action... drop-down menu and select Text message to customer... option

    Product_trigger_text_message
  6. The Text message screen will open.
  7. Type your text message and click the Text message to customer button

    Text_message_to_Product
  8. And you're good to go.

Via a Segment

Step 1: Create a new List

  1. Select the Lists & Contacts from your Simplero Dashboard
  2. Select the Lists tab
  3. Select the blue + Create a new list in the upper right corner
    Create_a_new_list_button
  4. Complete the Lists configuration such the Name, Internal name, Email settings for Notifications and so on
  5. Click the blue Create list button when done

Step 2:  Add your Customers/Subscribers to the List


There are 3 ways to add customers/subscribers:

  1. Manual Add:  This section allows you to enter the names and email address of your subscribers.
    • Select the Lists & Contacts from your Simplero Dashboard
    • Select the Lists tab
    • Select the list you want to edit
    • Select the + Add subscribers tab
    • Select the Enter Manually tab
      Subscribers_Manual_add
    • Enter the email address and name in the box
    • Click the blue Import emails button to add your subscribers
  2. Copy Subscribers from a List or Product: This section allows you to move people from another lists or products over to this new list.
    • Select the Lists & Contacts from your Simplero Dashboard
    • Select the Lists tab
    • Select the list you want to edit
    • Select the + Add subscribers tab
    • Select the Copy from other tab
      Add_subscribers_from_sublist
    • Select the sublist from the Lists or Products 
    • Click the blue Copy now button to add your subscribers
  3. Import CSV File: This feature allows you to import a list you have saved in CSV format.
    • Before importing, make sure the encoding of the file is UTF-8. That's an indication of how special characters - basically anything but the 26 letters of the English alphabet and the digits 0-9 are stored. If it's not UTF-8, then it's probably going to get rejected by Simplero, and you'll need to change the encoding before uploading. Here's an online tool that can help you detect encoding and convert it to UTF-8.
    • Select the Lists & Contacts from your Simplero Dashboard
    • Select the Lists tab
    • Select the list you want to edit
    • Select the + Add subscribers tab
    • Select the Import from CSF file tab
      Import_CSV_file_to_add_subscribers
    • Click the Choose file button to choose your subscribers list from your computer
    • Click the blue Upload file button to import your subscribers

*Note that if your file downloaded as a zip file you will need to open the zip file and save the CSV file before importing

* If you are migrating from another mail platform check out our guides on Migrating


Step 3: Create a Segment

  1. Select Lists & Contacts from your Simplero Dashboard
  2. Select the Segments tab
  3. Click the blue + Create a segment button located in the upper right corner

    Create_a_segment_button
  4. In the Include section, click the white Add... button and choose where you are collecting these contacts from (e.g. a list, broadcast, product, auto-response, automation, space, etc.)

  5. Click the blue Save button and this will start populating all the contacts for that segment
  6. You don't need to select anything in the filter, it will automatically choose "active subscribers".
  7. Once the list is done "calculating", click the Perform action... button

    Perform_action_button_for_segment
  8. Under Do this select Text message to customer, type your message and click the Go do it! button.



Note

Due to the way text messages work, a message longer than 153 characters, or 67 characters if special characters are used, will be broken into multiple text message segments. A message of 240 characters will, therefore, be sent and billed as 2 messages if no special characters are used, or 4 messages if the message contains special characters. The way messages are broken up into individual messages depend on the country and carrier.

Billing notes

Each sent message is billed. That means if a text is broken into 3 sent messages you are billed for 3 texts.

Our plans do not include text messages. To see your current usage from your account, go to Settings > Plan and Billing.  Simplero does not stop you from sending texts. Instead, you are billed at the end of the billing cycle for the total cost. The rates can be found on the text message pricing page.

Do also note, that administrator text message notifications about new purchases (set up under Settings > Product) are not counted towards your usage of text messages.

 

Text message replies

Please note that our system is not set up to receive replies to text messages you send out. 

Last updated 3 Dec 2018.
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