To create an SMS campaign in Sarbacane Campaigns, import your contacts, write your message, set the SMS type and sender, send yourself a test, then send or schedule the campaign. Allow for ten steps.
A Sarbacane Campaigns license.
SMS credits: you can create a campaign without credits, but you can't send it.
Mobile numbers: a landline number cannot receive SMS messages.
In Sarbacane Campaigns, click Create a campaign, then choose SMS campaign.
Import your contacts, then click Next. For details on the import methods and the Contact analysis window, see the article How to import contacts into a Sarbacane SMS campaign?
You arrive at the Message step, shown in the breadcrumb at the top of the screen. Write your SMS in the phone-shaped preview. The settings panel on the right lets you set the SMS type and sender, and indicates whether a link is already in place.
Optional: in the toolbar above the message in the phone-shaped preview, click the chain-link icon (Insert a link). Choose the destination (an external web page, a Sarbacane form, or a Sarbacane landing page), then enter the URL. The link is tracked automatically, so you'll know who clicked.
Optional: right next to the link, click the curly braces icon { } to insert a personalization field (first name, last name, or any other data from your contact list).
In the panel on the right, under SMS type, choose Marketing (promotional message: offer, invitation, survey…) or Notification (purely informational message: appointment or order confirmation…).
Note: in marketing SMS messages, the STOP opt-out notice is added automatically because it is required. Messages are sent Monday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.: an SMS scheduled outside these hours will be sent during the next permitted time slot.
In the box on the right, check the character counter. The cost per contact depends on the length of the message:
up to 160 characters: 1 credit;
from 161 to 300 characters: 2 credits;
from 301 to 450 characters (the maximum): 3 credits.
If your message contains an unsupported character (such as “ê”), Sarbacane will flag it and suggest a replacement.
Under Sender, select an option:
Standard number: a number assigned automatically. Your recipients can reply, and their replies appear in the statistics.
Custom: a name of 3 to 11 plain characters, with no spaces or special characters. Your recipients cannot reply. For marketing SMS, the STOP SMS notice adds 11 characters to your message. If the chosen name is a protected brand, a brand declaration is required.
Go to the Review step: check the SMS type, sender and link, then click Send a test to receive the SMS on your phone.
Warning: an SMS that has been sent cannot be canceled or modified. Check your test before sending.
At the Send step, choose Send immediately, Schedule send (for the date and time of your choice) or Send in batches (in small batches to optimize the delivery rate).
Note : to the right of the preview toolbar, the “•••” menu provides access to other settings: Statistics (enable or disable click tracking), URL domain (the domain used to shorten your link), Unsubscribe list and Start over (clears the entire message).
The campaign appears in My campaigns, sent or scheduled.
Your SMS credit balance is probably insufficient. You can create a campaign without credits, but it won't be sent without them.
Check in this order:
Length: 1 credit for up to 160 characters, 2 credits for 161 to 300, 3 credits for 301 to 450.
Double-byte characters, such as €, [ ] or { }, which count as two. See Characters accepted and not accepted in SMS.
The STOP SMS notice, which counts toward the length of marketing SMS messages.
The destination country: an SMS sent abroad may cost more credits.
For marketing SMS, messages are sent Monday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Your SMS hasn't been lost: it will be sent during the next permitted time slot.
You chose a Custom sender. To receive replies, choose Standard number.
