In today’s fast-paced world, reaching your audience quickly and effectively is more important than ever. SMS text messaging boasts 5x more engagement than email, making it one of the most powerful tools for connecting with your audience. Whether you’re looking to update registrants or drive action, text messaging ensures your message gets seen—fast.
We’ve developed a built-in SMS platform that allows you to send targeted messages to your past and present registrants with just a few steps. This guide will show you how to create, schedule, and send SMS messages to your registrants, as well as manage your messages and set up keyword auto-responses for common questions.
Example Use Cases
Announce new events
Offer special discounts
Send limited-time promotions and specials
Distribute important information before and during the event
Communication and follow up with your registrants after the event
NOTE: Currently, text messaging is available for businesses that are based in the US and Canada.
It can take about upwards of two weeks for your account to be approved to send your first SMS message. If you would like to learn how to sign up for an SMS plan, click here.
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Create Your First Text Message
From the Pages screen, click Text Messaging from the top menu bar
Click the Create New Campaign or a Create Campaign button
Campaign Name: Enter the text message name (this is for internal and reporting purposes only)
Send To: Select the RedPodium page(s) for which you'd like to send a text
Add Filter: If you send the text to a single page, you can choose to filter the text to only send to people who selected a specific registration option option or registered between specific dates
Pro Tip: The filtering option goes away when you send a text message to multiple pages. Filters are only available when you select one page per text message.
FAQs
Can I import phone numbers into my text?
Can I import phone numbers into my text?
Right now, phone numbers cannot be imported into the text messaging feature. Our system will only send texts to registrants on your RedPodium pages who opt in to receive texts from your organization.
Schedule and Send Your Text Message
Select Send Immediately to send the first text immediately, or select Pick a Date/Time to schedule the text to send on a future date and time
In the Message field, add your text information. You'll notice the sample text message appear on the right update as you type your message
Click Send a Test Message if you would like to a test message to a phone number of your choice
Click Send Campaign or Schedule Campaign
NOTE: Text message character count includes message text, account name and opt-out language. Carriers will bill the message as two messages when using more than 160 characters. The organization name will only send in the first sms message and will not be included in the following messages. More details on this under FAQs.
FAQs
How do my registrants know the messages are from me?
How do my registrants know the messages are from me?
On the first text message you send, our system includes the name of your account at the top of the message as it’s listed in your Organization Details. Here is how to view and update this account name if desired:
From the top menu bar, hover over the Gear icon in the top right corner
Select Organization Details from the dropdown
Click Edit Settings
View or adjust the Company Name as desired
Click Save
Why is my RedPodium Organization name showing up on the text message?
Why is my RedPodium Organization name showing up on the text message?
According to the new carrier guidelines, the first message sent to any number must include the sender's name.
RedPodium will not include this account name in subsequent messages. If you want to update your organization's name, you can do so in the Organization Details. Any future messages will reflect the updated name. Here is how to view and update this account name if desired:
From the top menu bar, hover over the Gear icon in the top right corner
Select Organization Details from the dropdown
Click Edit Settings
View or adjust the Company Name as desired
Click Save
What counts as a single text message?
What counts as a single text message?
A single text message includes up to 160 characters. RedPodium allows you to send text messages that are longer than 160 characters. If your message exceeds 160 characters, it will be billed as two (or more) messages, depending on the total character count.
Can I Send a Page Link in my SMS messages? Will this count towards the character limit? Does the text message auto link the page link, or do I need to paste this link in the text message?
Can I Send a Page Link in my SMS messages? Will this count towards the character limit? Does the text message auto link the page link, or do I need to paste this link in the text message?
Yes, you can send a page link in your SMS messages. To send a page link, we recommend pasting your link into the message itself. This link will count towards the character limit on your messages. If you would like to shorten your link, we recommend using a link shortener site to reduce the number of characters.
If a registrant has registrant has registered for multiple events, will they receive multiple text messages if I send a text to multiple RedPodium pages?
If a registrant has registrant has registered for multiple events, will they receive multiple text messages if I send a text to multiple RedPodium pages?
Our text messaging feature will only send one text message per phone number. So if someone registers for multiple events on your account, our system will only send them one message per text you send. It will not send duplicate text messages.
Can I send emoji's in my text message?
Can I send emoji's in my text message?
No, emojis are not supported right now in the text messaging feature.
Is there a limit to how many recipients I can send an SMS Message to?
Is there a limit to how many recipients I can send an SMS Message to?
Yes, SMS Text Message Campaigns can send up to 30,000 recipients per campaign.
Manage Your Text Messages
NOTE: While a text in the sequence has a status of Scheduled, you can view, copy, edit, send a test and delete the message.
But once a text message is sent, you are no longer able to send a test, make edits or stop it from sending. You can only copy and view the text message. When a text has sent, you can then see how many recipients were sent the message, and what time the text was sent.
Warning: Deleting a text message cannot be undone. So proceed with caution.
From the Pages screen, click Text Messaging in the top menu bar
Find the Text Message you would like to manage, and click any of the following icons:
The duplicate icon allows you to copy a previous message to send again
The pencil icon allows you to edit the text
The eye icon allows you to view the text
The phone icon allows you to send a test message to a number of your choice
The trash can icon allows you to delete the text
Pro Tip: You can search for your text in the Search bar or filter your texts by the Page, Status, or Date!
Add Keyword Auto-Responders
Keyword Auto-Responders are a great way to give standardized answers for questions your registrants might have about your event. For example, prompt your registrants to respond with the word "event" to automatically receive a text response with the latest details for an upcoming event you are hosting.
From the Pages screen, click Text Messaging from the top menu bar
Click Keywords on the left-hand side of the screen
Click Create Keyword
Enter the Keyword that your registrants can text in to your number
Enter the Response Message you'd like to auto-send back to the person after they text the keyword
Enter the Hint - If your registrants text-in the word help, it will give them a list of the keywords and the associated hint or description of what the keyword will get them
Keyword FAQs
Can I create multiple text message keywords?
Can I create multiple text message keywords?
Yes, you can create multiple SMS text message keywords.
If someone replies to a text message I send, can I reply back?
If someone replies to a text message I send, can I reply back?
Right now, the SMS feature supports one-way broadcast messaging to your registrants, along with keyword-based replies. We recommend setting up keyword replies to answer common questions that your registrants may have. The ability to reply to text messages in conversation format may be considered for future updates.
If someone texts us without using a keyword, is there a standard message that would be sent to them?
If someone texts us without using a keyword, is there a standard message that would be sent to them?
If a text is sent without code word, the text does not go anywhere, and the registrant does not receive a response.
General FAQs
How does a subscriber opt out?
How does a subscriber opt out?
The first text message a registrant receives includes instructions to reply with STOP to opt out, following industry standards. When they do so, their number is added to a carrier-managed do-not-send list. If a registrant opts out by mistake or wishes to receive messages again, they can reply with the keyword START to resume. When a registrant opts out, they opt out of all future messaging from that number, not just that registration page.
Can a registrant opt in to receiving text messages after submitting their registration?
Can a registrant opt in to receiving text messages after submitting their registration?
Yes, registrants can opt in to receive text messages after submitting their registration by logging into the Registrant Account Center, and opt in from there. This article walks through how registrants can use the Registrant Account Center.
Can I see who has opted into text messaging? Will this show any contacts who choose to later opt out through texting STOP?
Can I see who has opted into text messaging? Will this show any contacts who choose to later opt out through texting STOP?
To see who has opted into text messaging, we recommend downloading a Contact export. This report will show which registrants opted in upon registering and any registrants who opted in to text messaging through the Registrant Account Center. If a registrant later chooses to opt out through texting STOP, the Contacts import will not update with this information.
From the Pages screen, click the Contacts tab in the top menu bar
Click Download Contacts
