How to…
…Send SMS text messages
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How to…
Contents
Page 3
An Introduction to sending SMS
text messages
Page 4
Why Messenger?
Page 6
Where to start
Page 7
What are the legals?
Page 10
Five easy steps to sending SMS
Page 14
Extra tools
Page 18
Easily post messages to social
networks
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How to…
An introduction to
sending SMS text
messages
Sending business SMS text messages is more than sending a quick text
message. When planned and created well, it will yield results for your
business that no other form of communication has before. This guide will
take you through the steps to send single and multiple text messages
from start to finish.
Why integrate SMS text messages into your business? The stats
speak for themselves…
 97.5% of text messages are opened within 5 seconds of being
sent
Ofcom
 81% of adults keep their mobile phones switched on all of the
time, even when they are in bed.
Media.ofcom.org.uk - 2011
 Response rates for mobile are 4 times higher than other direct
marketing mediums.
Mobile Data Association 2011
 There were more than 32 million smart phones in the UK in 2011
which is expected to double by 2015
Mobile Squared
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How to…
Why Textlocal’s
Messenger?
Messenger is the choice for businesses UK wide, ranging from SME’s to
blue chip corporations who benefit from the Textlocal service daily for
sending multiple SMS. Messenger can send up to 8,000 text messages
per second and typically processes 25 million text messages per month.
However big or small your campaign, Messenger will execute your
mobile communications with easy-to-use-tools, accurate reporting and
explanations at every step of the way. Our robust platform can become
an integral part of any communications strategy.
Our awards speak volumes. Textlocal have been commended on our
platform, marketing innovation, mobile communications and much
more.
Serving over 100,000 businesses, our service proves time and time again
to keep businesses of all sizes at the forefront of mobile
communications.
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How to…
How SMS has worked
for our other clients
We generated an ROI of 16:1 by maximising the value from unsold ticket
inventory using SMS Marketing.
Jonathan Broad, English National Opera
Through our mobile marketing text services our customers can manage
their finances with ease. Usage has grown over 200% in the last year in
line with our customer growth figures.
Gary Solomon, Card One Banking
In the first 3 months we had received over 120 messages into our
Textlocal short code from people expressing their interest in foster care,
for our client Fostering Solutions.
Kate Bindotti, Clock Communications
Sending bulk SMS has helped to keep our members motivated in a costeffective way. Since launch, the campaign has helped 366 people quit
smoking.
Jennifer Cawkwell, NHS Knowsley
We have over 200 testimonials from other customers, read them here.
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How to…
Where to start
When you open your Messenger account you will automatically have 10
free text credits to test the system with. This way, you don’t have to
spend a penny before you understand how simple the platform is.
Before you send your messages you need to make sure you have
enough text credits. One credit is worth 160 characters (one standard
text message). If you use more than 160 characters in your text, two or
more text credits will be used.
These can be purchased online with a credit card, debit card or PayPal. If
you require 1,000 credits or more we can raise an invoice for you to pay
by bank transfer. If you need more than 50,000 credits please contact us
for a quote.
Price promise
We continually review our bulk SMS prices to ensure that you benefit
from the most competitive prices on the market. We only use UK
Networks to send texts to UK mobiles, unlike many companies that use
cheaper foreign networks – that way we are able to guarantee you the
level of service that we do.
However, if you do get quoted a lower price elsewhere, then please call
the Textlocal Customer Care Team on 0845 009 3180 and we’ll
endeavour to at least match it or in most cases beat it.
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How to…
What are the legals?
Textlocal will make
sure you are legally
compliant with all
your mobile
communications
Staying legally compliant
Whichever way you choose to compile your database, it is important to
always make sure you stay legally compliant. Here is an overview of
what the legals state:
The ICO (Information Commissioners Office) state that organisations may
not send a text message if the recipient has not agreed to it, unless;
•
•
•
the sender has obtained your details through a sale or
negotiations for a sale;
the messages are about similar products or services offered by
the sender; and
you were given an opportunity to refuse the texts when your
details were collected and, if you did not refuse, you were
given a simple way to opt out in all the text messages you
received.
For more information on staying compliant, visit:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/marketing/
texts.aspx
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How to…
How Messenger
keeps you compliant
60777
Opt-outs
We recommend you include an opt-out path on all messages you send.
This gives the recipients the chance to easily remove themselves from
your database and any future messages from you.
It’s simple to stay legally compliant with Messenger…
By ticking one box, Messenger will add an ‘opt-out’ path your messages
to give you peace of mind, e.g. ‘text KEYWORDSTOP to 60777.’ This gives
a simple instruction to the recipient on what to do if they would like to
remove themselves from your database and so they no longer receive
any messages from you.
By texting your free opt-out keyword to the Short Code, that particular
phone number is automatically removed from all of your contact groups
and added to your opt-out list. Messenger takes care of this for you, you
do not have to do anything. The number will stay on the opt-out list until
the owner of the number chooses to opt back in.
Messenger will not send a text to any number on your opt-out list.
When you add new data, Messenger will cleanse and strip out any
numbers which have previously opted-out of your messages.
You can also manually opt-out phone numbers by adding them to the
opt-out list – perfect if any of your customers contact you directly with an
opt-out request.
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How to…
Sending SMS
You have opened your account, uploaded your data and you’re ready to
go. Now what?
2.0
messenger
Sending any kind of communication to customers can be daunting,
especially if you are sending many of them. This guide covers everything
you need to know about sending SMS with Messenger.
Where to start
Log into Messenger and click on ‘Send Text Message’ on the top left of
the main navigation bar. This brings up the screen you need to plan and
create your messages, whether sending single or multiple messages.
This is the main screen for creating your text messages.
Hover your mouse over this icon on every page of Messenger for
explanations on how to navigate around the page and what each term
means, or use our Wizard to learn, step by step, how to use your
Messenger account.
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How to…
Tip: Create a test
group of friends and
colleagues to send
trial messages to
5 easy steps to
creating your text
message
Step 1 – who are you sending your message(s) to?
Starting on the left hand side of the page, select the group or individual
contacts who you want to send your message to. If you have not yet
uploaded any contacts, please see How to Create a Database which
explains how to do this.
You can either choose a group, inbox contacts (people who have text
one of your inbound numbers), individual contact numbers or enter
new numbers singularly.
Step 2 – Creating a sender name
Your sender name is the ‘from’ name that your message appears from
on the recipients phone. This can be anything you wish up to 11
characters, but remember this important rule:
! If you are using a sender name which isn’t a phone number (i.e.
your company name), you will not be able to receive replies
because the receiving handset doesn’t have a receiving number to
send the message back to
! To receive replies you will need to set a number as your sender
name. This can be either of the following:
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How to…
1. Your own mobile number. All replies will go straight to your handset
and bypass Messenger. A good option if you are only expecting one or
two replies while on the go. If you are expecting more replies we
recommend using one of our other options for ease of management.
2. A Dedicated Inbound Number (also known as a DIN or Virtual Mobile
Number) is a number provided by Textlocal which you will be the sole
user of during your contract. It looks like a normal mobile number and
replies are routed directly to your inbox in Messenger. Like all inbound
numbers, you can forward inbound text messages to up to 20 email
addresses and set up a new reply. This costs £35 per month with
discounts available for six and 12 month contracts.
3. Simple Reply Service. This service is readily available in Messenger
and has no monthly fees. Simply select the Simple Reply Service as the
sender name and we will allocate an available inbound number so
people can reply to you. All replies will be stored in your Simple Reply
Service inbox. Each message you send via the Simple Reply Service will
use 1.5 credits.
Creating the right sender name
Depending on the type of handset the message is being sent to, the
sender name will often be the first thing that your recipient sees so it is
important to get this right. The obvious choice is to use your company
name, or a shortened version of it to fit within the 11 character limit. If
your message is about a certain product or event, try using that to
generate maximum awareness.
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How to…
Step 3 – What to say in your message
You know your customers better than anyone, so you should have a
good idea of what kind of messages will get the best result. We suggest
you follow these simple rules:
 Make sure what you are offering is clear, whether it is a special offer,
information or a product.
 Give a clear call to action. Your message is wasted if the recipient
doesn’t know what to do with it. Clearly state if they need to quote a
code, call a number, click a link or simply visit you to act upon your
message
 Keep your texts targeted. In ‘The How to Create a Database’ we
suggest segmenting your customer groups with information you hold
on them. This enables you to send messages to people who are more
likely to take an interest in it. For example, there is no point sending
the male members of your gym a special offer on the ladies only
section.
 Don’t send your messages in UPPERCASE
Step 4 – Templates and history
If you send the same message on a recurring basis you can store this as
a template and simply select it from the drop down menu under you
sender name options. You can edit these at any time in the templates
and history section in the drop down on the main navigation bar. We will
also store your previous messages if you need to repeat them again.
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How to…
Step 5 – Hitting send
As you hit send, a preview will appear of the message you are sending.
It will show the true custom fields, how many credits each message will
use and what time the message will be sent.
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How to…
Extra tools to perfect
your messages
Messenger provides a range of tools to personalise and inject more
information in your messages.
Custom fields
Custom fields allow you to enter individual information about the
recipient to accurately personalise your messages to give them more
impact. This works with any extra data you upload with the contact
numbers so you can insert this information into the message. When
uploading your phone numbers, you can add other columns of
information; you simply have to make sure you give the columns the
correct headings in the custom fields.
Uploading data in this format would allow you to send a message like
this:
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How to…
Hi Jon, we have
a great offer on
in our Chester
branch. Shop in
store this
weekend to
receive 25% off
at the till.
Messenger will do all the hard work for you and pull in the information
into each message.
Page links
Use the ‘insert page link’ tab to insert one of your pre-created mobile
web pages. For more information on mobile web pages, please see
‘How to create Mobile Web Pages.’ If you have not yet received your
copy of this guide, text MWP followed by your email address to 60777 to
receive your own FREE copy directly to your email or click here.
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How to…
http://tx.vc/r/Ba
Short links
Short links are exactly that – a shortened version of a web link. The
shortened version uses fewer characters in your text, giving you more
room to say what you need to. There are several benefits to using a link
in your text messages:
 The link provides a gateway to a mobile web page containing a
wealth of information that you could not get across in a 160 character
text message
 More two way communication can be encouraged by using links to
online forms which users can fill out from their phone
 All short links are trackable; we provide data of who exactly opened
your link, what time and what device they used. This allows for
targeted follow ups.
Scheduling and segmenting your messages
Scheduling messages
Like any form of marketing, it is important to consider when your
customers are going to be most receptive to the message you send.
There is little point sending a message for buy one get one free on
pizzas at 9pm when people are likely to have eaten. This is where
scheduling comes in. Once you have perfected your sender name,
message, custom fields and opt-out, tick the schedule box instead of
hitting send. It will then give you the option to select the time and date
you want to your messages, up to 12 months in advance. You can view
and amend all scheduled messages in your reports section.
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How to…
Staggered sending
When sending large volumes of text messages, it’s important to think
about the responses you could potentially get. If you send 5000 text
messages, could you handle an influx of hundreds of calls or orders
within minutes? While it is a nice problem to have, this situation can be
easily avoided. Place an instruction in Messenger to send the messages
between certain times and the frequency that you would like to send
them. This example will break the messages down and send a batch
every five minutes between 9-5pm.
Field validity periods
If your offer or information is time sensitive, set a date and time when
it expires. If the message is still waiting to be sent, we will cease to
attempt to send it after the date you have specified.
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How to…
Posting your
messages to social
networks
Twitter
Configure your Twitter account with Messenger and you can post your
messages as a tweet for all your followers to see. Remember to keep
your message to 140 characters
LinkedIn
Start new discussions on LinkedIn easily by automatically
sending your text messages as posts to LinkedIn.
Facebook
Automatically send your text messages to your Facebook
account as a status update.
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How to…
Configuring your Social
Networks to
Messenger
Posting your SMS to
your social media
platforms is a great
way to reach mass
audiences within
seconds
Once you have clicked on the Social Media tab, you will then be taken to
a screen where you can click on an icon for each social network. Each
one will take you to the relevant log in page, where you will need to
enter your user name and password and confirm you give Textlocal
permission to configure your account.
Once set up, you will have an option on the bottom left of your ‘send
message’ screen where you can tick which social media platform you
would like to post your message to.
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How to…
Call us:
0845 009 3180
Visit us:
www.textlocal.com
@
Email us:
[email protected]
Follow us:
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