Here are the main changes you should be aware of when using SMS:
The SMS area is now accessed by expanding the Campaigns drop-down menu and selecting SMS.
Triggered SMS profiles are no longer needed to send SMS campaigns using a program. Instead, you can just add the SMS campaign node to your programs.
Contacts now store both email and SMS channels identifiers. This means you can send email and SMS campaigns to contacts from the same lists (previously known as address books) instead of using a separate one for each. This also makes it easier to look at your contacts across multiple different channels collectively.
Data fields have also been combined. This means all the data fields you would have previously used in only email campaigns are now available to use in your SMS campaigns too.
Learn more about how contacts have changed in Understand contacts.
Create and send an SMS campaign
Creating and sending SMS campaigns works exactly the same as before, except that you can now select from any of your lists, segments or marketing preference groups to send to, just as you can for email.
To find the SMS area, go to Campaigns > SMS.
Send SMS campaigns using programs
Unified contacts has simplified the way you can send SMS campaigns using programs.
To create a new program, go to Automation > Programs, select NEW PROGRAM and choose a template.
Learn about working with the program builder.
Drag the new SMS campaign node onto the canvas.
Select the node to open the settings menu and choose an SMS Broadcast campaign or Triggered campaign.
Select APPLY.
SMS data fields: what’s changed
Data fields have improved with unified contacts; in addition to the SMS data fields (@FIELD1@), you now have access to all your labelled contact data fields (@FIRSTNAME@).
Check out the side-by-side comparison below – unified contacts is on the right (2).
Add a data field to an SMS message
In the SMS editor, select the Personalize icon.
Choose the data field you want from the side panel.
SMS sends: what’s changed
After you create your SMS campaign, you must choose the lists (previously know as an address books), segments, or marketing preference groups you want to send it to. With unified contacts, we now show you how many mobile number contacts you have in your lists, segments, or marketing preferences before you send the SMS.
