Send a text to a list

Text messages get read. Pick the people on Contacts, write one message, and send it to all of them from your own number. Each person gets their own copy with their name filled in.

Before you start

• A phone number on your account and, for US numbers, an approved US texting registration.
• People who agreed to hear from you by text. You will be asked to confirm this.
• Enough in your wallet. The window shows the cost before you send.

Steps

1. Open Contacts and filter to the people you want, for example Tag · equals · spring-workshop.
2. Select them: tick the header box, then press Select all if there are more pages.
3. In the selection bar, press ··· and choose Send SMS.
4. Fill in Action name, for example Spring workshop reminder. It names the send in your reports.
5. Check From shows your number.
6. Write the Message, for example Hi {{first_name}}, spaces are left for Saturday's candle workshop at {{business}}. Reply to book yours. {{first_name}}, {{name}} and {{business}} are filled in for each person. The count underneath shows characters and segments.
7. Under Send, choose All at once, At a time (a date and time in your time zone) or In batches (for example 50 contacts every 10 minutes).
8. Read the box underneath: Selected, Filtered out (no phone or opted out), Final, and the cost.
9. Tick I confirm everyone on this list has agreed to hear from us by text, I have contacted them within the last year, and this list is not from a third party.
10. Press Send texts (or Schedule).

What happens next

• A message confirms how many were texted, and how many failed with the first reason.
• Marketing › SMS lists every bulk text with Sent, Failed and When. Hover over the failed figure to see why. Scheduled and batched sends appear under Scheduled until they finish.
• On texts from a US number to US numbers, the opt-out line (for example Reply STOP to Unsubscribe) is added automatically on the first text to each person and then at the interval you set on the Compliance tab.
• Each text is checked again as it goes: opt-outs, your daily sending limit and US registration. Anything refused is counted as failed, not sent.
• Replies land in Conversations.

For agencies

Open the client first (Sub-accounts › Open) and send from their account and number.

Troubleshooting

"You need a phone number to send bulk messages." Get one under Settings › Channels.

"Your number is still being registered for US texting. Texts to US numbers will be refused until it is approved." Wait for the registration to be approved, or send only to non-US numbers.

"Nobody to text — contacts without a phone number and those who opted out are excluded." None of the selected people can be texted. Check they have phone numbers.

"You have reached today's texting limit of … messages." New numbers start with a daily limit that rises as you send. Use In batches to spread a big send over time.

The scheduled send didn't go out at the exact minute. Scheduled sends are picked up by a scheduler that runs every few minutes (opening Contacts or Marketing also runs it), so allow a few minutes after the time you set. Batches go out at the interval you chose.

"Bulk texts are paused for 24 hours…" Too many people opted out, or too many texts failed. See the article on sending limits and pauses.

Related

• Daily sending limits and texting pauses
• Texting costs and your balance
• Opt-outs (STOP) and texting compliance settings
• Change, message or export many contacts at once
• Send a text message campaign