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Create a Text-to-Join Marketing Automation Flow
Create a text-to-join marketing automation flow and invite new contacts to opt in to your SMS marketing with a keyword.
Use the "texts a keyword" trigger in your automation flow to send a text message to new SMS contacts who opt in for your SMS marketing. Add additional steps to your flow to create a personalized path for your SMS contacts.
In this article, you'll learn how to create a text-to-join marketing automation flow.
Before you start
Here are some things to know before you begin this process.
- Depending on your plan, you may not have access to all marketing automation flow tools. To find out what features are included in each plan, check out our pricing page.
- To learn more about marketing automation flows, how it works, and your pricing plan’s capabilities, check out About Marketing Automation Flows.
- Automation flows with SMS Marketing functionality require an approved SMS Marketing program.
- To create a traditional SMS signup form for new SMS contacts, check out Create and Promote an SMS Marketing Signup Form.
- When you create a text-to-join marketing automation flow, the Allow customers to subscribe to your SMS audience with this keyword slider is toggled on by default. This must stay on to enable text-to-join.
How it works
After you submit an SMS Marketing application and get approved, use a marketing automation flow to create an automated workflow that subscribes new SMS contacts to your audience after they text you a specific keyword.
Use the "texts a keyword" trigger to assign a new or existing keyword to your text-to-join automation flow. When your flow is set up and turned on, the keyword triggers a subscribe action for new SMS contacts, then automatically sends them an SMS using a Send SMS action. This SMS could be a welcome message, discount code, or back-in-stock notification.
The SMS Marketing application requires you to choose an SMS phone number specific to your program. This is the phone number your new subscribed SMS contacts text a keyword to. Promote this phone number and your text-to-join keyword on your website, in-person marketing materials, social media, or wherever you’d like to offer contacts a simple way to opt in for your SMS marketing.
Create a text-to-join automation flow
Use text-to-join to invite new contacts to opt in for your SMS marketing with a simple keyword. You can assign 1 keyword to a text-to-join marketing automation flow. Change a keyword at any time as long as your flow is paused.
To create a text-to-join automation flow, follow these steps.
- Click Automations, then click All flows.
- Click Build from scratch.
- Enter a Name for your flow, then click the drop-down to choose an Audience. Since this map is specific to SMS contacts, you’ll want to choose your connected audience.
- Click Choose a trigger.
- Click Contact Activity, then click Texts a keyword.
- In the Keyword text box, type a new or existing keyword, then click Create a new keyword or click the existing keyword. This is the keyword that new contacts will text to your program’s number to opt in for your SMS marketing.
- The Allow customers to subscribe to your SMS audience with this keyword slider is toggled on by default. To create a text-to-join automation flow, this must stay on.
- Click Save trigger.
Add a Send SMS action
Automatically send text messages to your subscribed SMS contacts with a Send SMS action in an automation flow.
To add a Send SMS action to your text-to-join automation flow, follow these steps.
- From your text-to-join flow, click and drag the Send SMS action from the side panel into your map. Or, use the plus icon (+) on the map, then select the Send SMS action.
- Click Edit name, type the name of your SMS in the text box, then click Save.
- In the Send time section, click View to view the quiet hours details.
- In the Content section, click Edit content to enter the SMS builder.
- Type your text message in the Message text box. A preview of your message will automatically appear on the screen. To learn more about the SMS builder, check out Create and Send a Marketing SMS.
- When you’re ready, click Save and continue.
- Click Save.
- Add additional steps to your flow as needed.
- When you’re ready to turn on your text-to-join automation flow, click Continue, then click Turn On.
That’s it! New SMS contacts will be subscribed to your audience and receive your text message after they text the keyword to your SMS Marketing program’s phone number.
Note
- A keyword can be assigned to multiple flows. If you set up more than 1 automation flow with the "texts a keyword" trigger, assign different keywords to each in order to avoid confusion or duplicate sending.
- If the keyword, "join" is active for 1 flow, and it's assigned to multiple flows, it will automatically be active for all assigned flows.
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