What Are Manual Action SMS?
Manual actions are located in the Conversations area. The best way to think of these is as a queue of tasks for you to complete. They make your communication & follow-up more efficient while still allowing you the ability to personalize each message. Unlike the automated SMS option, a manual SMS task creates a queue of people you need to follow up with. Then you can clear that queue when you'd like to.Why are they helpful/beneficial?
One of the most valuable points of a manual SMS is the ability to see & edit a message before you send it. This allows you to further personalize the message, unlike an automated SMS.
Manual actions are still created automatically through workflows & campaigns, but the ability to edit before sending is helpful.
How To Create A Workflow With A Manual Action SMS
To start building a manual action SMS, it has to be a part of a campaign or workflow. We will show you how to add this action into a workflow.
First, go to "Automations" & click "Create Workflow"
Select Start From Scratch
Click "Start from scratch" & then click "Create new workflow"
Add A Manual SMS Action
Click on the "+" to add your first action.
Search For Manual SMS
Click the "Search Action" field & search for "Manual SMS"
Write Your Message
Now, all you have to do is write your message. You have a few options here.
You can select a template you've already written or write a new message.
You can add in Custom Values. One of the most commonly used is Contact > First Name.
You can also add Trigger Links
You can also add files as attachments.
Before finalizing, you can test how the message sends by sending it to yourself. Type in your number with the country code & click "Send Test SMS"
When you are done writing your message be sure to click "Save Action"
