Overview
Short Message Service, SMS, or texting is a critical communication tool that is available to you via ClientTether.
The details outlined below will provide you with information on how to effectively communicate via text/SMS with your contacts within ClientTether.
Please remember: In order to send a text/SMS to your Contact within ClientTether, the "OK to SMS?" setting in the Contact Profile must be toggled on (showing green). Please refrain from turning on this feature unless you have express permission from the Contact to communicate with them via text/SMS.
Topics
- Rules, Regulation, Best Practices
- Action Plan Text Messages
- Template Text Messages
- Manual Single Text Messages
- Manual Group Text Messages
- Unsubscribing from Text Messages
Rules, Regulation, Best Practices
If you are operating within the United States please ensure you are in compliance with TCPA regulations. If you are operating in Canada please comply with CASL regulations.
All Clients and Users are also required to follow our Acceptable Use Policy.
Action Plan Text Messages
Text messages within an Action Plan are sent directly to your Contacts and appear to them as a standard text/SMS sent from a phone.
If you are utilizing text/SMS messaging within an Action Plan, we encourage you to include the use of Tokens such as 'First Name' to personalize the text message.
To send a text/SMS manually, navigate to the Text panel within the Contact Profile and type your message content in the message box.
Please note that when sending a text/SMS within ClientTether, you have the option of adding in additional phone numbers, including hyperlinks, sending the message immediately or delaying the message to send at specific time/date, as well as excluding the client and sending the message to other parties, as needed.
Exclude Client:
If you wish to exclude the client and send the text/SMS to other parties or members of your team and NOT include the Contact, select the "Exclude Client" box and then manually add the phone number you intend to send the message to within the "Enter Alternate Number" field.
You can also attach files to your text/SMS via the File Attachment input button just under the message box.
For more information on Action Plans click here.
If a message has been sent utilizing the "Exclude Client" feature, this selection will be indicated above that specific message within the Text tab of the Contact Profile as well as indicated with the History Notes of the Contact Profile. This notification is provided so that you can confirm which text/SMS messages were sent to the Contact and which text/SMS messages were sent to other parties as needed with the Contact excluded.
Template Text Messages
Template Text Messages are sent via the Manual Single Text Messages or the Manual Group Messages.
These are pre-written messages that are handy to have, but don't necessarily fit into an action plan.
They are created in the Template area (Can be found under the Action Plan Menu)
You are again able to select Tokens to personalize the message.
Also add a meaningful subject and type in your content. You can add attachments with the File input.
Also if you are sharing this template with sub accounts you may check the box next to "Protect from Overwriting" if you do not what them to be able to make any changes.
Manual Single Text Messages
These Text Messages are sent from within the Contact Profile.
Open the contact profile and go to the tab that is labeled Text.
- In here you can select to have this text be immediate or delayed.
- You can select whether you would like a notification.
- You can add in additional phone numbers
- You can opt to exclude the client
- Make sure you check the exclude client box, and include the number you want to receive the text in the box for Alternate Numbers.
- You can select a text template
- You can type your message (Note Tokens are not available)
- You can attach files.
- Click "Send SMS" When ready
- Or if you realize you don't need to send it or just want to reset the message click "Clear".
Manual Group Text Messages
To send these go to the contact list Check the boxes of all contacts you would like in the message.
Next click the Blue SMS button at the top left part of the screen.
Please note this does not send out a big group text, but an individual text to each recipient.
You will see the number of contacts selected.
You can from here
- Select immediate or Delayed timing
- Choose a template
- Type in a manual message
- Add an attachment with the File Input.
- Send message when ready
- Click Clear if you wish to disregard
Unsubscribing from Text Messages
Contacts have the option and the right to opt out of receiving text messages your you at any time.
This page provides information on the opt-out and opt-in keywords supported by our Programmable Messaging service. We automatically handle standard English-language reply messages such as STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, or QUIT for Toll-Free and Long Code messages. When a recipient sends a STOP or other opt-out keyword, the system will creates a "block list" entry. In addition, the phone number will be set to SMS OK = False and a History Note will also be generated indicating the same. Once a block list entry is created for a specific recipient phone number, any future attempts to message them will fail. Recipients can use the START, YES, or UNSTOP command to resume receiving messages.
When a recipient uses the STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, or QUIT keywords it triggers an automatic reply, which confirms that the recipient has been unsubscribed. It also tells them that the START, YES, or UNSTOP commands will re-subscribe the recipient to messages from your phone number.
When using a Messaging Service to send SMS messages, any STOP keyword replies will apply to the entire pool of phone numbers in the Messaging Service. Similarly, a START keyword will disable blocking for the entire Messaging Service, and allow messages to the recipient once more.
It is important to note that text message campaigns may be subject to various legal compliance requirements, depending on the nature of the campaign, the location of the sender and the recipient. While Twilio handles the above-described messages in accordance with industry standards, customers should consult with their legal counsel to ensure compliance with all applicable legal requirements.