Customization options with SMS marketing

[StaceyJ867]

Tour Route information is how we want to use our SMS subscription.  We want guests to be able to sign up for the date of their tour either in advance, or on the day of travel by texting "Trolley" to our number, or scanning a QR code.  We will then update them up to 5 times during the day with any information that is delaying the tour, or stop closures for various reasons.  I'm wanting to them automatically remove those from our route database, and only those for the next day will receive that days messages.  

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Email responses to questions:

I had planned on using the SMS tool similar to Short Codes that are utilized in a variety of businesses.

I would want to reach out to the entire group that had signed up to receive texts the day of their tour, so no need for any one off texts. We have 13 stops for example. If stop 2 is closed temporarily, I would want to send a text to all that signed up notifying them that the stop is temporarily closed and when we expect it to open up again. If there is traffic delay that is causing delays in getting to a stop on schedule, I would send a group text to notify folks of the delay in arrival.

I had hoped to include a "Text XXXXXXX to 12345" type of message in our ticketing locations and brochures. A QR code pointing guests to that location would be possible, I would think. To be sure I understand, this would different from Short Codes in that the guest has to go through a sign up page? Can that sign up page just require their name and email address to send a confirmation? Can we gain that confirmation through a message like "Text yes to confirm you agree to sign up for texts."?

[William_A]

User responses to questions bolded and in blue.

I'm not sure the SMS tool nor Automated Path Builder (APB) are quite capable of what you're wanting to accomplish at this time, based on the description. However I would like to gather some more info to get over to the devs handling these systems on new ways they can look at potentially developing them.

Would you be wanting to utilize all of this purely through the SMS tool, or through the APB in conjunction with SMS?

I had planned on using the SMS tool similar to Short Codes that are utilized in a variety of businesses.

If changes are needed to be made day-of for a tour, where would you make the changes or additions to the flow? With automated texts or series, it's the same series for all contacts not per group, so admittedly it would be difficult to add a one-off text.

I would want to reach out to the entire group that had signed up to receive texts the day of their tour, so no need for any one off texts.  We have 13 stops for example.  If stop 2 is closed temporarily, I would want to send a text to all that signed up notifying them that the stop is temporarily closed and when we expect it to open up again.  If there is traffic delay that is causing delays in getting to a stop on schedule, I would send a group text to notify folks of the delay in arrival.

For SMS, contacts have to give permission before they can start receiving them. Would you be collecting the contacts' SMS permissions ahead of time, or would the QR code be leading to a landing page sign up form so they can provide those? Or are you wanting to have the capability to customize the "Join" keyword text for your SMS to be "Trolley" instead? (they'd still have to provide their email address and then reply "yes" to confirm)

I had hoped to include a "Text XXXXXXX to 12345" type of message in our ticketing locations and brochures. A QR code pointing guests to that location would be possible, I would think. To be sure I understand, this would different from Short Codes in that the guest has to go through a sign up page? Can that sign up page just require their name and email address to send a confirmation? Can we gain that confirmation through a message like "Text yes to confirm you agree to sign up for texts."?

[William_A]

Thank you for the email response with additional info on what you're looking to do. At this time, the SMS tool isn't going to work quite like what you're wanting, but you can accomplish a good portion of it with the caveat of requiring a significant amount of manual work. For example, sending alerts to the tour guests would be as simple as making a new SMS campaign, and sending it to the applicable list. If the tour is occurring on multiple days however, you'd likely need to update the list regularly, or have a separate list for each day of the tour. In this regard, it'd become pretty cumbersome. This might work for a short-term event, but a regularly daily tour schedule that takes place over weeks, months, or year-round wouldn't really be feasible with the SMS tool.

Our SMS service, in accordance with Compliance and legal messaging restrictions, does require express permission for texting. Anyone signing up for the messages would need to either go through the Text-to-Join (TTJ) setup for the SMS service, or would need to go through a landing page form you've setup that has an SMS opt-in. At the moment, the only way for someone to become a contact through the TTJ would be to text "join" and their email address to the phone number you've been assigned. Check this article if you need additional info on the differences between TTJ functionality and the overall SMS service.

While much of that functionality isn't really available in the current SMS tool, or would require a significant amount of daily manual work to maintain the lists and messaging for, it is good feedback to have. We'll get this passed along to our devs and integrations teams for further, future developments of the SMS system.

[YitzchokD8]

what I'm looking is to set up a automatic SMS system. Create your invitation thru a SMS system in a few min.
people could text keywords and choose invitation templates that they like and they could text back there details like name time place and the system Will automatically park there details on the invitation in the right place and pay for it and get back there personalized invitation everything by SMS.

More detailed:
Whoever texts this number gets back a welcome msg with a list of options text back B for boy G for girl W for wedding etc. And then the system automatically sends back five pic from different styles invitation with a watermark. If B for boy.....
Every invitation pic has a code he texts back the code which one he likes and then the system asks in which hall will it be what time and signature name and automatically the system adds this info on the invitation he choosed in the right place and then he pays for it then he gets back his final completed invitation with his details without watermark.