Creating Personalized Text Messages With Custom Fields

Text-em-all allows you to add personalized fields in your text messages when you upload a file on the Create Broadcast page. You can add a contact's first name, last name, notes, or any other custom field you might need to add to your text message. 

Before you Begin

Personalization, by default, relies on the information included in your existing contacts including first name, last name, and notes. If you need to add custom fields you will have to upload a file through the Create Broadcast screen. See the directions below. 

How do I add personalization in Create Broadcast?

You may add personalization to a broadcast on the Create Broadcast page. The following steps will lead you through how to add personalization.

1. Navigate to your Create Broadcast page.
2. On step 1 select your message type as Text or Text & Voice.
3. On step 3 you will have the opportunity to type a text message. To add personalization to your message click the orange personalization icon below the text field.
4. You may choose from First Name, Last Name, or Notes. Click Insert to make your selection.
   1. You may add alternate text in case one of your contacts does not have any data in the chosen field. For example, you could type the word "friend" into the First Name field so that a text reading "Hello {{First Name}}" will read "Hello friend" if the contact has no first name data. 
5. After typing your message and including your personalization you will need to click Apply Personalization. *You won't be able to proceed until you click this button. 
6. The system will confirm how many valid records you have with the ability to preview your message. 
   1. If there is any missing data or character count conflicts, the system will show that you have found issues. Click view/edit issues to resolve issues.
   1. You will see two possible issues, "Exceed Max Character Length" and "Missing Personalization Field". You may choose to resolve these issues or exclude those messages from the broadcast. You can select the pencil icon to the right of the contact record to fix the issue and add in the missing field. You can also select the circle icon to exclude the contact from the broadcast. Once you have resolved the issues click Close. 
7. When ready click Continue to proceed to step 4 of Create Broadcast.

How do I add custom fields for personalization? 

Custom fields can only be added on the Create Broadcast page. You must upload a file with your contacts and custom fields included in order for this feature to work. Follow these directions to add custom fields.

1. Navigate to the Create Broadcast page
2. On step 1 select your message type as Text or Text & Voice. 
3. On step 2 select Upload a File
4. Upload your file in the dialog and then click Modify once it is uploaded. 
   1. Note each column's name. If you have more than first name, last name, and notes you will see more columns that you can use in the personalization fields. 
5. If everything looks good click Next, then Import
6. On step 3 when adding personalization you will see Custom Fields options that you may add. Use the above steps if you aren't sure how to add personalization.