In this article
- Introduction
- Before sending
- How-to
- FAQ
SmartSMS combines SMS high open rates with the high impact of a landing page. It's a powerful way to engage and track mobile-toting customers across your site.
How do SmartSMS work?
In addition to standard SMS texts, E-goi comes complete with SmartSMS, a unique feature that allows you to text your contacts a link to a landing page with a signup form, promo, survey, etc.
E-goi will also track any contacts tapping the landing page link, allowing you to follow their journey across your site.
Requirements for sending SmartSMS
- An E-goi account with a plan that allows you to send SMS.
- A contact list (the contacts' mobile numbers) imported into E-goi.
- A sender for your SmartSMS message, previously validated in E-goi.
- A landing page (either on your site or created in E-goi)
Costs
The cost of a SmartSMS is the same as a standard SMS.
Before sending
Sender
A sender lets your contacts know who sent them the SmartSMS message.
Senders work the same way as a standard SMS.
Message encoding
Encoding sets which characters the SmartSMS's text message can display.
Encoding works the same way as a standard SMS.
Message parts
If the message text is too long, it's best to just carry it over to the SmartSMS's landing page.
Alternatively, you can use the Fit into how many SMS? option to split the message into parts.
This works he same way as a standard SMS.
Landing page link
SmartSMS messages always includes a shortlink to the landing page of your choosing.
The shortlink is about 35 characters long. Contacts tapping it will be taken to the landing page.
Unsubscribe link
Although not mandatory, you should include an opt-out link in your SmartSMS so contacts can unsubscribe if needed.
The unsubscription link works the same as a standard SMS.
Sending the campaign
Creating a SmartSMS campaign
1) Click the Engage menu, go to SmartSMS, and hit Create.
2) Select the contact list to send the SmartSMS to, choose whether to send it once or make it recurrent and hit Next.
3) You can create the message From scratch, from E-goi templates or from templates you've saved. Name the campaign (it won't be seen by your contacts) and proceed.
4) Choose how you'll create the SmartSMS's landing page. You can do it From scratch, from a Landing page you created in E-goi or from a Landing page on your site.
5) If you choose to create it from scratch, you can do it now or pick an E-goi template.
6) The SmartSMS editor will appear. Choose the message sender (if you don't have one yet, hit the "+" button to add it).
7) Type int the text of your SmartSMS. To test it, click Test delivery.
6) When you're done, click Next and follow the steps shown to send the campaign.
Viewing the campaign report
1) Click the Engage menu, go to SmartSMS, and click View all.
2) Click on the campaign's Report button.
Adding conditional content
Segment-based variations allow your SmartSMS to display different content depending on who receives it.
This feature works the same way as a standard SMS.
Best practices for sending SmartSMS
Frequently Asked Questions
I've got questions about the "SMS" bit of a SmartSMS
The SmartSMS's landing page link is shown at the end of the message. Can I switch it to another location?
Yes. Insert the !link code where in the text you want the landing page link to appear.
Can I customise the landing page link with my site's domain?
Yes. The link's URL format is fixed, but you can replace our domain with your site's:
1) Create and set up E-goi's CNAME for the landing pages you create in E-goi.
2) Once the CNAME is up and ready, you can then choose your domain as your landing page link when creating your SmartSMS.
Are SmartSMS messages compatible with all mobile phones?
Any mobile device able to receive SMS messages can also receive SmartSMS messages. Acessing the SmartSMS's landing page requires an Internet connection, which is usually available at all times.
Do SmartSMS messages have a character limit?
Yes, the same as a standard SMS. A SmartSMS's landing page will obviously lets you expand any your message text into the landing page with no restrictions though.
If I set the SmartSMS landing page to be on my site, can I enable Track & Engage for it?
Yes. While editing your SmartSMS, under Landing page link, click Edit and then Advanced, where you'll be able to enable Track & Engage to track your landing page visitors.
Link preview doesn't show up on a mobile phone
This behaviour (which E-goi can't control) depends on:
- the mobile device (very old phones probably won't support link previews)
- the mobile's operating system (Android or iOS)
Preview requirements
On Android phones (Samsung, Huawei, etc.):
- The latest version of the Android Messages app
- Your link should be placed either at the very beginning or end of the message
- Your message must include one link only
On iOS phones (iPhone):
- People receiving your message must have your SMS sender in their contact list
- Your link should be placed either at the very beginning or end of the message
- Your message must include one link only
Customising the preview's pic and title
To specify a picture, place this code snippet between the <head> tags of the webpage you'll be linking to:
<meta property="og:image" content="https://www.example.com/my_pic.jpg"/>
To specify a title, you can do something similar, but keep in mind the preview will already fetch the page's title. If you would still like a different title to show up (make it smaller than 36 chars), place this code snippet between the <head> tags of your page:
<meta property="og:title" content="A catchy title"/>