There's a bunch of ways to send messages in the Web Portal, so to keep things simple, let's just look at the most common two:
- Quick Message
- New Message with the phone preview - also used for sending bulk messages
Quick Message
Just like sending a message from your own handset, Quick Message is an easy way to send ad hoc messages fast!
You'll find the Quick Message button in the header bar of every page so it's always one click away:
Click it to send a message in two simple steps:
- To - enter a mobile number, contact name, group name, or even a combination.
- Compose - type your message here, the character count and credits are calculated as you type.
Once you’re finished, hit Send now and your message will be processed. Simple!
Helpful Tips:
- You can send to multiple contacts and/or groups with Quick Message.
- If you have any saved templates, you can select them from the drop down in the top left of this box to pre-populate your message.
- You can add an opt-out message using the "Add unsubscribe" option, which will appear in the top right of this box if you have Automatic Unsubscribe activated in your account settings.
- Check the bottom of the message box to see how many characters and messages are being utilised for your send.
"New Message" with Preview
Use this option if you want to send more complex personalised and bulk messages.
In the left-hand menu, click Messaging and then New Message:
Next, select your Sender ID, and then enter the recipient(s) name or number, or contact group(s) in the recipient field. You can also search through your contact list and contact groups to add recipients in bulk:
Now, compose your message in the Message Content field. You'll see that as you type, the message preview on the right will update in real-time:
When you are happy with your message, click the Send now button in the bottom right corner.
Helpful Tips:
- You can send to multiple contacts and/or groups.
- You can copy a column of numbers from an Excel or CSV file and paste them straight into the recipient field.
- Similar to the Quick Message function, you can quickly add an opt-out message by clicking the dropdown on the "Add unsubscribe" button.
- If you are using personalisation, the preview will show you the content in line with the fields you are using (e.g. if you are sending to a saved contact who's first name is John and you type "Hi #Firstname# ..." the preview will show "Hi John").