Sending Bulk SMSs

Sending bulk SMSs is a powerful way to communicate with your clients efficiently. This guide will walk you through the steps to send bulk SMSs.

#Prerequisites

Before you can send bulk SMSs, ensure the following:

1. Client Contacts: Ensure that the clients you want to message have valid phone numbers saved in the system.
2. Permissions: You must have the necessary permissions to send SMSs. Contact your administrator if you encounter any issues.

#Steps to Send Bulk SMSs

Follow these steps to send bulk SMSs:

#1. Navigate to the Bulk SMS Page

• Go to the Operations section in the sidebar.
• Click on Bulk SMS.

#2. Select Recipients

• You can choose recipients based on the following criteria:
  • All Clients: Send SMSs to all clients in the system.
  • Specific Groups: Target specific client groups (e.g., individual clients, business clients).
  • Custom Selection: Manually select clients from the list.

#3. Compose Your Message

• Enter the message you want to send in the Message field.
• Use placeholders to personalize the message. For example:
  • {name}: Inserts the client's name.
  • {balance}: Inserts the client's outstanding balance.

Example:

Hello {name}, your current balance is {balance}. Please make a payment by the due date to avoid penalties.

#4. Preview the Message

• Click on the Preview button to see how the message will appear for each recipient.
• Ensure that the placeholders are replaced correctly with client-specific data.

#5. Send the SMS

• Once satisfied with the message, click Send SMS.
• Confirm the action in the pop-up dialog.

#6. Monitor Delivery Status

• After sending, you can monitor the delivery status of the SMSs in the SMS Logs section.
• The logs will show whether the messages were successfully delivered or if there were any errors.

#Best Practices

• Keep Messages Short: SMSs have a character limit (usually 160 characters). Ensure your message is concise.
• Avoid Spamming: Only send SMSs to clients who have opted in to receive messages.
• Test Before Sending: Send a test SMS to yourself to ensure the message is formatted correctly.

#Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues while sending bulk SMSs, consider the following:

• Invalid Phone Numbers: Check that the clients' phone numbers are valid and correctly formatted.
• Insufficient Credits: Verify that your SMS gateway account has enough credits to send the messages.

For further assistance, contact your system administrator or refer to the System Settings documentation.

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