Do you want to reach your advocates on their phones? An SMS Activation lets you send a text message directly to opted-in advocates who have a cell phone number on file.
📱 What Is an SMS Activation?
An SMS Activation is a text message alert you send to a selected audience. Texts are sent using SMS, the same standard text messaging technology every mobile phone uses, so your messages arrive in your supporters' regular messaging app like any other text.
Texting in AdvocacyAI is one-way. You can send texts to your supporters, but replies aren't received or shown in AdvocacyAI. If you want supporters to take action, include a link or clear next step in your text.
A few things to know before you start:
- It goes to opted-in advocates only. Only advocates who have a cell phone number on file and have opted in to SMS will receive the message.
- It sends from your account's dedicated SMS number. Every SMS goes out from the phone number assigned to your account.
- You can write up to 3 message versions. The system randomly rotates between versions, so your advocates don't all get the exact same text.
☎️ Set Up An SMS Number in AdvocacyAI
Before you can send texts through the platform, we’ll need to set up your SMS number. Please contact us at help@advocacyai.com and our team will send you a form with the information we need to register a phone number for your account.
SMS Activations are an add-on package to your AdvocacyAI subscription. If you would like access to SMS activations, contact the AdvocacyAI team for help.
⚙️ Let's Build Your SMS Activation
Make sure you are logged in to your AdvocacyAI account. On the navigation bar, locate the "Activate" section and click on the "Activations" tab.
Click the blue "New Activation"button and choose "SMS Activation" from the menu. That opens the Create SMS Activation page.
The page is split into two panels: SMS Setup on the left covers your audience, scheduling, and sender details. SMS Content on the right is where you write the message.
#1 Name Your Activation
SMS Name: A name for this activation. It's for internal use so you can find it later.
#2 Choose Your Audience
Select one or more audiences to send the SMS to. You can select multiple audiences and the system will deduplicate advocates automatically.
Once you select an audience, three counts appear:
- Total Audience Size: Everyone in the selected audience(s).
- With Cell Numbers: How many of those advocates have a phone number on file.
- Opted In with Cell: The number of advocates who will actually receive the SMS. They have a phone number and have opted in to receive communications from your organization.
#3 Set Your Send Time
Select a day and time for your SMS activation to go out. In addition, you can use SmartSend to deliver the SMS at the time each recipient is most likely to read it (up to 24 hours after your scheduled send time).
If you need to send your SMS activation immediately, you can do so in the “Review and Test” step.
#4 Write Your SMS Activation
In the SMS Content card on the right, write the text message your advocates will receive. You can add up to 3 different message versions. The platform rotates between the variations across your audience.
Use the following variables to personalize each message:
- Advocate First Name
- Advocate Last Name
When you are ready to move on, click "Review and Test" at the bottom of the page. To save your work and come back later, click "Save Draft" instead.
🔍 Review and Send Your Activation
The Review Activation SMS page lets you preview and test before anything goes out.
#1 Test Your Activation
Enter a phone number to send a test to. You can test to multiple numbers and each test appears in the Test SMS History table with its delivery status. Click "Send Test" to continue.
#2 A/B Test Your Variations
Turn on A/B testing for your activation to see which version performs best. We’ll send each variation to a portion of your audience, then send the best-clicked one to everyone else.
#3 Review Your Schedule or Send Immediately
The Schedule SMS card shows your audience, total audience size, and scheduled send time. If SmartSend is on, that's confirmed here too. You have 2 options when you're ready to send:
- "Confirm and Schedule": schedules the SMS for the date and time you set. You'll see a confirmation pop up before your SMS is scheduled.
- "Send Immediately": sends the SMS to your audience right now. You'll see a confirmation pop up before anything goes out.
If your SMS is already scheduled and you need to cancel it, click "Cancel Schedule" to pull it back into draft mode.
➕ Requesting More SMS Credits
SMS credits are set by the AdvocacyAI team when you add the SMS activations package to your account. To request more credits, contact our team at help@advocacyai.com
Your plan includes an annual texting bundle, a set number of texting credits for the year. Each text you send uses credits from your balance, and most texts use just one.
One credit covers a standard text of up to 160 characters, about two short sentences. That's the standard set by mobile phone carriers, and it applies to every texting service. Longer texts are sent in more than one piece and use more than one credit, but your supporters still see a single message. Keeping texts short and direct is the easiest way to make your credits go further.
❓ FAQs
What's the difference between "With Cell Numbers" and "Opted In with Cell"?
"With Cell Numbers" is everyone in your audience who has a phone number on file. "Opted In with Cell" is the smaller group, those who also have SMS opt-in enabled. Only that group receives the message.
Can I write more than one version of my SMS?
Yes! You can write up to 3 different message versions in the SMS Content card. The system rotates between them across your audience.
What is SmartSend?
SmartSend delivers each message at the time that recipient is most likely to engage (up to 24 hours after your scheduled send time). It's optional and can be toggled on or off in the Send Time section.
Can I cancel a scheduled SMS activation?
Yes! On the Review page, if the SMS is already scheduled, you'll see a "Cancel Schedule" button instead of the send options. Click it to cancel.
What phone number does the SMS activation come from?
Every SMS sends from your account's dedicated SMS number, shown in the "From" section of the setup page. Contact support if you'd like to use a different number.
👋 Need More Help?
Reach out to us at help@advocacyai.com and we'll get you back on track!