How To Build SMS Opt-In Campaigns

Building SMS Opt-In Campaigns

An SMS opt-in campaign, often called a text-to-join campaign, is a powerful tool for businesses advertising on physical media like billboards, flyers, or direct mail. The process is simple for the customer: they see your offer and a unique keyword, then text that keyword to your dedicated phone number to join your list and redeem the promotion.

Successfully capturing these new contacts and automating their onboarding relies entirely on configuring a specific automation trigger within your CRM.

Core Concept: The Customer Replied Trigger

The foundation of any SMS opt-in campaign is the "Customer Replied" workflow trigger. This automation is designed to listen for incoming text messages to your CRM number. When a new contact texts your keyword, this trigger activates and starts a predefined sequence of actions for that person.

How to Set Up Your Campaign

Follow these steps to create a functional SMS opt-in campaign.

1. Plan Your Keyword and Offer: First, decide on a short, memorable keyword (e.g., "DEAL" or "COUPON") and a clear call-to-action for your advertising materials.
2. Create or Select a Dedicated Phone Number: In your CRM's settings, ensure you are using a dedicated phone number capable of receiving SMS. This is the number you will advertise.
3. Build Your Automation Workflow: Navigate to the automations section of your CRM and create a new workflow. When prompted to select a trigger, choose "Customer Replied" or an equivalent trigger based on an incoming SMS.
4. Configure the Trigger Conditions: Within the trigger settings, specify the exact keyword you want the system to detect. You can often set this to trigger on any message or only messages containing your specific keyword.
5. Build the Automation Actions: After the trigger, add the actions you want to happen when someone opts in. Common steps include:
   • Adding the contact to a specific list or tag (e.g., "SMS Opt-In").
   • Sending an immediate automated text reply to confirm their opt-in and deliver the offer.
   • Starting a longer welcome sequence or notifying your team.
6. Activate and Test Your Workflow: Publish or activate the workflow. Finally, perform a live test by texting your keyword to the advertised number from a mobile phone to ensure the entire process works correctly.

Once active, every person who texts in will be automatically captured as a contact and run through your defined welcome sequence, turning a simple text message into an automated marketing funnel.