Sending text messages from Infusionsoft is a popular request from Infusionsoft users. While we don’t have text messages built into our software yet, text messaging can be implemented two ways. There are industry guidelines [pdf] which marketers must adhere to in order to maintain strong relationships with their contacts.
IMPORTANT: While sending text messages from Infusionsoft is possible with third-parties, we do not support any non-native integrations via our support team. Sorry, when this becomes a natural part of the App, we’ll support it then.
As with any contact you initiate with your prospects and customers, consent is essential. At Infusionsoft, we have very strict guidelines which dictate that all our marketers require consent from recipients, whether that is phone, fax, e-mail (and now) text messaging.
One Infusionite (slang for “our staff”), Kelsey Bratcher, discovered a relatively easy way to integrate opt-in SMS text messaging into your marketing campaigns with Infusionsoft.
Ingredients to Text Message with Infusionsoft:
- Infusionsoft (or really, any marketing automation solution)
- Bulk SMS provider such as Clickatell
- Cell phone number provided by the contact
- Permission from contact to receive text messages
- E-mail template to be used for sending to the bulk SMS provider on your behalf
- A message that is less than 160 characters long
How to Setup Text Messaging with Infusionsoft
- Login to your Infusionsoft application.
- Create a new e-mail template. Learn about creating e-mail templates…
- Change the type of e-mail to Plain Text.
- Enter the bulk SMS provider’s address in the To: field. (For example, we’ll use Clickatell’s e-mail address.)
- Enter a subject line, as it’s required. However, recipients won’t see the subject line.
- In the body, enter the following bits of information. You can use any Merge Field as desired. We recommend using “Phone3″ as that field is rarely entered and you can have a Web Form populate that field for cell phones.
api_id: Enter your API ID with Clickatell.
user: Enter your Username with Clickatell.
password: Enter your Password with Clickatell.
to: 1~Contact.Phone3~
text: Enter your message to send.
- Save the template and setup some strategic follow-up sequences so you can send text messages to your contacts.
Tip: Set conditions on the follow-up sequences so you send text messages only when it’s essential, otherwise you could end up costing yourself a lot more money.
Here is a screenshot of what your template may look like (courtesy, Kelsey Bratcher):
This is a screenshot of Infusionsoft's e-mail template for SMS text messaging usage with Clickatell.
Another method — although somewhat unreliable — is to send traditional e-mails to your contact’s cellular network. If you know the network your contact is using (such as AT&T, Verizon, etc), then you can set up specific campaigns to e-mail those users. There isn’t a universal standard in sending e-mail to phone numbers, but here is a great list that provides information to help you e-mail phone numbers easily.
A few great ideas for providing useful content in your text messages would be:
- Birthdays or Anniversaries
- Follow up for an email, fax, voice or direct mail marketing campaigns
- New product announcements
- Special offers just for text message users
- Order confirmations, thank you messages
- Webinar or seminar announcements
- Urgent internal announcements for employees
I want to also reiterate the importance of permission — it’s vital — just like e-mail, recipients can report messages they don’t want to their provider. Be aware, wireless carriers (like ISPs) could block Infusionsoft for inappropriate use. We wouldn’t want that, so use this tip responsibly to provide a great value to your contacts and watch your business grow effectively.
We hope you enjoy using this newer medium to connect with your contacts. Share your feedback, questions and thoughts in the comments below.
Thats great. Which service do I have to purchase from Clickatell? In order to get API ID, Which could be used with InfusionSoft…
By looking at the example image, you would need to register for a SMTP API.
@Khalid,
I suggest using the e-mail to SMS gateway provided by Clickatell:
http://www.clickatell.com/solutions/business/email.php
~Joe
Simply amazing. Teleflip used to have a similar service. Thank you Kelsey and Joe for taking the time to lay out the process of setting up text messaging in great detail. Hoorah Infusionites!
@Khalid if you use the link Joe provided and you use the trial you will get 10 credits for free to test it out. You will then need to setup an “API” on Clickatell the option I described in my post is for SMTP. This way you can send email to Clickatell and they will relay the text message.
The next challenge I am going to overcome is to setup an easy way to do A/B split testing.
Brilliant!
Been waiting for this for a long time, I love it!
@Dan,
Glad you enjoyed these tips. Let us know if there’s anything else you’ve been waiting for.
~Joe
I am glad this information is helping people.
This solution works great for immediate and one-off SMS messages. Thanks.
My challenge is that I want to incorporate sending an SMS message in a follow-up sequence. As soon as Infusionsoft sends one email to sms@messaging.clickatell.com in a batch, all other emails to that address in the same batch fail.
Has anyone found a work around to this?
cheers
Pete
Ok, here is some help for you guys… I've spent 3 days working on this and I think you'll like what I've got.
1. Customer opts into your mailing lists…
a. I created a custom field for phone number as I couldn't get it to send correctly.
b. When customer ops in, you can tag them. I tag them as mobile marketing.
2. I created an account at 3jam.com. This is a virtual number that has some API capabilities.
a. Customer can send text to my number with their email, and it will then post to infusionsoft form. The form can them remove them from the mobile marketing campaign! Automation! It can also remove the tag, mobile marketing. If you need help, we can help you get set up. So, basically, they receive an email that says, to stop text your email to 2342342344. It then removes them from the campaign, removes tag, and sends them a confirmation text.
3. I had the same problem with mass mailings. What a drama! I found a desktop application that will support sending mass emails to same address via your ISP. http://www.coloradosoft.com/worldmrg/ – The trial version actually works fine.
4. To send mass emails, you can export from infusionsoft, which is why you want to have the tag set up. So, if they've opted out, they will not get added to new mail list. Once you've imported into desktop application, you can send mass emails.
5. Of course, you'd want to add your opt out message, so they could text their email to your 3jam number, and get removed. Thus the next export, they would be removed.
The only thing that is tricky, is that you have to duplicate the sms@messaging.clickatell.com email all the way down your export list. You can do this easily, by selecting all the cells where you need to add the email address to while holding down the control button. Then type in sms@messaging.clickatell.com and hit control+enter and presto, the email address is set for all of the people you exported.
Thus, you can send SMS on compaigns, automate the opt outs, and even send mass sms to your list while giving them an auto opt-out feature.
I also set up my 3jap phone system to have a voice message where they can leave their mobile number in the event they reply with the wrong email list and do not get opted out, and then I can manually remove them.
I'm a Infusionsoft consultant, so if you need more help, I'd be happy to help! We're very good at setting up the carts, etc.
Cheers,
Matt
http://www.lawmarketingsystems.com
I have paid a developer to create a full text messaging automation system that completely integrates with Infusionsoft.
It will send an unlimited number of pre-created text messages at an appropriate time to any number of people, as part of a follow-up sequence, or in any other place that an action can be used.
Again, this system will work as part of a follow-up sequence, instant send, or ANY place in Infusionsoft that an action can be run (which is just about everywhere).
Right now it's configured to work with clickatell – which is dirt cheap for sending text messages, worldwide.
All you need is a server that runs php (most do) and my collection of scripts.
If you're interested in purchasing this system, shoot me an e-mail. You can reach me at:
bob@infusioncoachinggroup.com
I have paid a developer to create a full text messaging automation system that completely integrates with Infusionsoft.
It will send an unlimited number of pre-created text messages at an appropriate time to any number of people, as part of a follow-up sequence, or in any other place that an action can be used.
Again, this system will work as part of a follow-up sequence, instant send, or ANY place in Infusionsoft that an action can be run (which is just about everywhere).
Right now it's configured to work with clickatell – which is dirt cheap for sending text messages, worldwide.
All you need is a server that runs php (most do) and my collection of scripts.
If you're interested in purchasing this system, shoot me an e-mail. You can reach me at:
bob@infusioncoachinggroup.com
Amazing article! I was looking for something entirely different when I came across your site. I really enjoyed the thought you put into this writting. i will bookmark to return later.
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