Dynamic SMS Text Messages allow you to send personalized and timely messages to donors. Using Dynamic Text Messaging, you can automatically send a text message after someone makes a donation or subscribes to your organization. Messages can be scheduled to go out minutes or hours after the event, helping you stay connected to your donors.
This article will guide you through how to set up and use Dynamic SMS Text Messages.
Text Message Dynamic Pricing
To use the SMS Text Dynamic message feature, you must have an SMS plan set up for your GivingFuel account. The text messaging feature comes at an additional cost. Click here to learn how to sign up for a text messaging plan.
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Create a Dynamic Text Message
Hover over the Text Messaging tab in the top menu bar
Select the Dynamic Messages tab from the dropdown menu
Click Create Campaign
Add a Campaign Name for your dynamic message. This is for internal and reporting purposes only
Select the GivingFuel Page(s) you want to send the dynamic message to
If your Dynamic Text Message is for a single page and uses the After Purchase trigger, add a Filter(s) to only send a text to donors who gave to your organization between specific dates. You can filter by Date Range or target donors based on whether they gave before or after a specific time
Pro Tip: The filtering option goes away when you send a text message to multiple pages. Filters are only available when you select one page per text message.
The filtering option is only available when using the After Purchase trigger. This option is not available when using the After Subscribe trigger.
Select the trigger event that determines when your text message is sent
After Donation: Automatically send a text after a donation is made
After Subscribe: Automatically send a text after a visitor subscribes to your event through the Subscriber Popup
Set the timing for your Dynamic Message by choosing how many minutes or hours after a donation the text should be sent
Enter the Message you'd like to send. As you type, a sample text message on the right will update in real time to show you a preview
Pro Tip: To use the After Subscribe trigger, your Subscriber Popup must be set up to collect phone numbers. When this feature is enabled, subscribers who enter a phone number will receive your Dynamic Text Message. Visitors who skip the phone number step will not receive your text message.
Click here to learn how to collect phone numbers with your Subscriber Popup.
Click Add Variable to add the recipient's first name, last name, or full name to the text message. Click here to learn more about adding variables to your text message
Click Send a Test Message if you want to send a test message to a phone number of your choice
Click Schedule Campaign
Note: Carriers may block messages sent to certain recipients if the message contains a bit.ly (shortened) URL. To improve deliverability, we recommend using a full, non-shortened URL instead.
Pro Tip: The text message editor has a 320-character limit. This total includes the account name, opt-out language, and any content you enter.
Add a Recipient's First Name, Last Name, or Full Name to the Text Message
You can personalize your text messages by dynamically inserting a recipient’s first name, last name, or full name using text message variables. This allows each message to feel more direct and engaging. GivingFuel also gives you the option to add custom fallback text in case a contact does not have a name associated with their phone number. This ensures your message reads naturally for all recipients.
Pro Tip: Variables are not compatible with the After Subscribe trigger in Dynamic Text Messages. First and last names are not collected during subscription, so subscribers will always see the fallback (default) text instead of their name.
When creating your text message, click Add Variable above the message field
Select the variable you want to add to your text message. You can add the first name, last name, or full name to the text
Add fallback (default) text that will appear if the recipient does not have a name associated with their phone number. To do this, enter the text you want to appear inside the quotation marks in the
default: "there"field. If left unmodified, the text "there" will be inserted when a recipient does not have a name on file
Pro Tip: You can use the Variable Preview options above the sample message to see how your message will appear. This feature can be used to preview how your text will look when a name variable is added.
Click Sample to preview how the text message appears when a contact has a name. If your message includes a variable, this option inserts a sample name into the text
Click Fallback to preview how the text message appears when no name is available. This uses the default text you added for the variable
Note: The text message editor has a 320-character limit. This limit includes the account name, opt-out language, and any content you manually enter including variable placeholders (such as {{ first_name | default: "" }}). This character count is based on the variable text itself, not the recipient's actual name.
When the message is sent, variables are replaced with real data. Because actual values may be longer or shorter than the placeholder text, the final delivered character count of each message may vary.
Manage Your Dynamic Text Message
Note: After saving a Dynamic Text Message, you can copy, edit, view, or delete your text, but you cannot edit the message settings of the text.
If you set a Dynamic Message to Inactive and there are messages in the queue, those texts will be sent. After the texts in the queue are sent, GivingFuel will stop sending texts for the inactive campaign. If you want to halt all future messages from sending, including those in the queue, we recommend deleting the dynamic message.
Warning: Deleting a text message cannot be undone. So proceed with caution.
Hover over the Text Messaging tab in the top menu bar
Select the Dynamic Messages tab from the dropdown menu
Find the text message you want to manage, and click any of the following icons:
The Status toggle allows you to turn on or turn off the Dynamic Text Message
The duplicate icon allows you to copy a previous message to send again
The pencil icon allows you to edit the text
The eye icon allows you to view the text
The trash can icon allows you to delete the text
FAQs
How far out can I send a Dynamic SMS Message to my donors?
How far out can I send a Dynamic SMS Message to my donors?
You can send the message 0-59 minutes or 0-59 hours after the donation is made or a visitor subscribes.
How do my donors know the messages are from me?
How do my donors know the messages are from me?
On the first text message you send, our system includes the name of your account at the top of the message as it’s listed in your Organization Details. Here is how to view and update this account name if desired:
From the top menu bar, hover over the Gear icon in the top right corner
Select Organization Details from the dropdown
Click Edit Settings
View or adjust the Company Name as desired
Click Save
Can I send emojis in my text message?
Can I send emojis in my text message?
No, emojis are not supported right now in the text messaging feature.
What user permissions do I need to send Text Messages?
What user permissions do I need to send Text Messages?
A user must be an Admin to send out text messages. Any account owner and Admin can send Text Messages.
If I set up a Dynamic SMS campaign, will this campaign send to donors who have already given to my organization or subscribed?
If I set up a Dynamic SMS campaign, will this campaign send to donors who have already given to my organization or subscribed?
No, dynamic text message campaigns are not retroactive. Dynamic text messages will only send to donors who give or visitors who subscribe after the campaign is created. Anyone who completed those actions before the campaign was set up will not receive the message.