SMS

SMS (Short Message Service) is a paid service in Bronto that enables you to create and send SMS and multimedia (MMS) messages. You can also use SMS keywords to interact with your contacts. To get started, follow each section in this guide.

Create SMS Keywords and Confirmation Message

SMS keywords enable your contacts to receive specific content from you on a one-time or subscription basis.

To create an SMS keyword, in Bronto go to Messages > SMS Keywords > Create Keyword. Then choose whether you want to create a Basic or Subscription keyword.

Choose Basic for a single interaction with your contacts, or Subscription for continuous interaction. For example, you can use a basic keyword for a one-time promotion, or a subscription keyword for an ongoing campaign.

For Basic and Subscription, set a keyword name, description, and optionally add message content. For Subscription only, set a monthly frequency cap and compose a Confirmation Message. When a contact subscribes to your keyword, Bronto sends the confirmation in reply.

Tip: When you import contacts to Bronto, update the Confirmation Message to remind previously opted-in contacts that they are subscribed to receive SMS content from your organization, or that a keyword or short code has changed. After the import, you can change the Confirmation Message again to be relevant to future contacts who opt-in.

Customize STOP And HELP Messages

Bronto provides default replies to contacts who send STOP <keyword> or HELP to your short code. The default replies contain placeholder contact information which you can modify to be relevant to your organization.

In Bronto go to Settings > Platform Settings > SMS Settings. Remove the placeholder email and phone number (Help Message only), and input the appropriate contact information for your organization.

Import Previously Opted-In Contacts

Use Data Loader to import the phone numbers for your previously opted-in contacts. When you configure the import in Data Loader, select the SMS keyword to associate with the contacts you want to import, and select Update Contacts for the Data Loader type.

When the import completes, Bronto will trigger the Confirmation Message for the contacts in the import.

Tip: If you have email addresses associated with contact phone numbers, import them together to include the addresses and numbers in the same contact record.

Create SMS Messages

Go to Messages > SMS Messages > Create New Message > Create SMS Message.

The message editor supports plain text, links, and dynamic tags and content.

For more information on how to create, edit, and delete an SMS message, see SMS Messages.

Tip: Use the Insert drop-down menu to input dynamic tags for products, carts or orders, RFM, custom or system fields, or webforms. For messages that you send inside the United States, use the Media URL field to convert the SMS to a multimedia message (MMS). An MMS enables you to send an image link, image, or GIF.

Schedule SMS Messages

Go to Messages > All Messages > SMS.

Select the SMS message that you want to schedule, and click Schedule.

Choose whether to send a Test or Regular message.

For a test message, input the phone numbers that will receive the test message, then click Schedule. To select recipients for a regular message, choose the appropriate keyword(s). Contacts who are subscribers to the keyword(s) you select will receive your message.

(Optional) You can exclude contacts based on a keyword, list, or segment.

Next, choose the date and time for Bronto to send your message.

Click Schedule.

Workflow Examples

A Bronto Workflow enables you to automate steps in a multichannel marketing lifecycle. In a Workflow, you specify triggers, filters, and actions which deliver automatically the most appropriate message, at the right time, to a contact from your organization.

The following examples show how you can use a Workflow to automate SMS interactions with your contacts:
  • Capture SMS Replies

    Use Custom Fields in a Workflow to capture SMS replies that you can use in other automation or segmentation steps.

    Note: For each new SMS reply, Bronto overwrites the Custom Field.
  • Collect Opt-In Email Addresses

    Use a Workflow to collect the email address for each opt-in.

    Tip: Bronto includes a template that you can use to create your own email address Workflow.
  • Welcome Series

    Create a Workflow that sends a series of welcome messages to a contact when they subscribe to a keyword.

    Bronto sends your Workflow messages in addition to the confirmation message and optional messaging for a Subscription keyword.

    Tip: Bronto includes a template that you can use to create your own Welcome Series Workflow.