Automations: send a series of texts automatically

An automation (sometimes called a “drip campaign”) texts people a few times over days or weeks after they join one of your lists. For example:

• Right away: “Welcome to Rosa’s Bakery texts! Here’s 10% off your first order.”
• 2 days later at 10:00 AM: “Have you tried our new sourdough? It’s out of the oven at 7 AM.”
• 1 week later at 10:00 AM: “Thanks for being with us. Show this text for a free coffee this week.”

You set it up once. Everyone who joins the list gets the same series, starting from the day they join.

Before you start

• You need a texting number that Dial Raven has turned on. Ask Dial Raven support if you don’t have one yet.
• You need a list to start from. Make one on the Contacts page, or set up a Sign-up keyword (like “Text JOIN to …”) that adds people to a list.

Create an automation

1. In the menu on the left, click Automations.
2. Click New automation.
3. Under Basics:
   • Give it a name only you see, like “Welcome series”.
   • Pick the number the texts come from.
   • Pick the list. Anyone added to this list starts getting your texts.
4. Under Texts, write your first text. Leave Days at 0 and Hours at 0 to send it right when someone joins.
5. Click Add another text for the next one. Pick how long to wait after the text before it:
   • Type the number of Days and Hours, or
   • Check Send at a set time of day and pick a time, like 10:00 AM, to send it that many days later at that time.
6. Optional: click {first_name} to put each person’s first name in the text, or Add a picture to send a photo (JPG, PNG or GIF up to 1 MB).
7. Check the Timeline on the right. It shows when each text would go out if someone joined right now.
8. Click Save automation.

Saving doesn’t send anything yet.

Turn it on

1. Open the automation (Automations, then click its name).
2. Click Turn on.

From then on, everyone added to the list gets the texts. That includes people who text your sign-up keyword, fill in your sign-up page, are imported from a spreadsheet, or are added by hand.

People already on the list: they don’t get the texts unless you check Also send to people already on the list before you click Turn on. If you check it, everyone on the list right now starts from the first text.

Each person goes through an automation only once. If they leave the list and join again later, they don’t start over.

When people stop getting the texts

• They text STOP: they stop getting all your texts right away, including every automation. This always happens.
• They reply (optional): check Stop when they reply so follow-ups stop once someone answers. Their reply shows in your Inbox, so you can take it from there.
• You remove them from the list (optional): check Stop when they’re removed from the list.

Pause, change or delete

• Pause: click Pause on the automation’s page. No more texts go out. People who join the list while it’s paused wait. When you click Turn back on, everyone picks up where they left off.
• Change a text: edit it and click Save changes. The new wording is used for texts that haven’t gone out yet, including for people already partway through.
• Delete: at the bottom of the automation’s page, click Delete automation, then Yes, delete it. Texts that already went out stay in your Inbox. Nobody gets the rest.

See how it’s doing

The automation’s page shows:

• People: everyone who has started it. In progress are still getting texts. Finished got every text.
• Texts sent, Delivered and Failed.
• Opted out: people who texted STOP or were added to your opt-outs.
• Replied: people who texted back.

The list at the bottom shows each person, what text they get next, and when.

Good to know

• Quiet hours: texts only go out between 8 AM and 9 PM in your company’s time zone. A text due at night goes out at 8 AM the next morning, and the next text’s wait counts from then.
• Monthly limit: automation texts count toward your plan’s monthly texts, just like blasts. A picture text counts as 3. If you reach your limit, the next texts wait instead of going out. Nobody skips a text: once there’s room again (Dial Raven raises your limit, or your new month starts on the 1st), each person gets the text they were waiting for and then carries on with the rest. Ask Dial Raven about a bigger plan if this happens.
• Opt-out line: the first text anyone gets from your number automatically ends with “Reply STOP to opt out.”
• No health information: don’t put private health details in texts. Texting isn’t HIPAA compliant.