Message Templates

Message templates help you create campaigns faster by providing pre-written messages for common scenarios. Templates include personalization fields and can be customized before sending.

What Are Message Templates?

Template Benefits

Speed:

• Create campaigns in seconds
• No need to write messages from scratch
• Pre-formatted with best practices

Consistency:

• Maintain brand voice across campaigns
• Ensure CASL compliance in every message
• Standardize common communications

Personalization:

• Include contact’s first name, last name, email
• Merge fields automatically populate from contact data
• Professional appearance increases engagement

Proven Effectiveness:

• Based on high-performing message formats
• Optimized message length (under 160 characters when possible)
• Clear call-to-action included

Available Templates

TextFlow includes these pre-built templates:

1. Welcome Message

Use Case: Greet new subscribers when they join your list

Template:

Hi {first_name}, welcome! We're excited to have you on board. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

Best For:

• New customer onboarding
• List opt-in confirmations
• Initial contact after sign-up

Customization Ideas:

• Add your business name
• Include a welcome offer
• Mention what to expect from your messages

2. Appointment Reminder

Use Case: Remind customers about upcoming appointments

Template:

Hi {first_name}, reminder about your upcoming appointment. Reply Y to confirm or call us if you need to reschedule.

Best For:

• Healthcare appointments
• Service bookings
• Consultation reminders
• Salon/spa appointments

Customization Ideas:

• Add specific date/time
• Include appointment location
• Add your phone number for rescheduling

3. Promotion

Use Case: Announce sales, discounts, or special offers

Template:

Hi {first_name}! Limited time offer - special savings just for you. Visit us today to take advantage. Reply STOP to opt out.

Best For:

• Flash sales
• Seasonal promotions
• Exclusive offers
• Time-sensitive deals

Customization Ideas:

• Specify discount percentage
• Add expiration date
• Include promo code
• Mention specific products

4. Follow Up

Use Case: Thank customers and encourage repeat business

Template:

Hi {first_name}, thank you for your recent visit! We hope to see you again soon. Questions? Just reply to this message.

Best For:

• Post-purchase thank you
• Service feedback requests
• Customer satisfaction checks
• Re-engagement campaigns

Customization Ideas:

• Reference specific purchase/visit
• Ask for review or feedback
• Offer loyalty discount
• Invite them back with incentive

Using Templates in Campaigns

Step 1: Create Campaign

1. Navigate to Campaigns → Create Campaign
2. Complete Campaign Basics step
3. Select your Audience
4. Proceed to Message & Compliance step

Step 2: Select Template

1. Click Use Template button
2. Template dropdown appears with all available templates
3. Review template previews (each shows full message text)
4. Click on desired template

Step 3: Customize Template

After selecting a template:

Message Text Field:

• Template content appears in message box
• Edit any part of the message
• Add specific details (dates, prices, locations)
• Keep personalization fields: {first_name}, {last_name}, {email}

Character Count:

• Monitor character count: 0/1600
• Segment count shows SMS parts: (1 segment)
• Standard SMS: 160 characters = 1 segment
• Unicode SMS: 70 characters = 1 segment

Preview:

• Real-time preview shows final message
• Includes business signature (if enabled)
• Shows opt-out instructions (if enabled)
• Displays exactly what recipient sees

Step 4: Review and Send

1. Verify personalization fields are correct
2. Check message preview
3. Ensure compliance settings enabled
4. Click Next to review
5. Launch campaign

Personalization Fields

Available Merge Fields

Templates support these personalization fields:

Field	Description	Example Output
{first_name}	Contact’s first name	”Jane”
{last_name}	Contact’s last name	”Smith”
{email}	Contact’s email address	”jane@example.com”

How Merge Fields Work

Before Send:

Hi {first_name}, welcome to our store!

After Merge (for contact “Jane Smith”):

Hi Jane, welcome to our store!

Using Personalization Effectively

Best Practices:

1. ✅ Always Use First Name

   • Increases open rates by 26%
   • Makes messages feel personal
   • Higher engagement and response rates

2. ✅ Fallback for Missing Data

   • If contact has no first name, field shows as blank
   • Example: Hi {first_name} becomes Hi (with space)
   • Consider: Hi {first_name}! vs Hello! (choose template accordingly)

3. ✅ Don’t Overuse Personalization

   • Using first name 2-3 times feels spammy
   • Use once at the beginning
   • Focus on message content, not excessive personalization

4. ✅ Test Before Sending

   • Send test message to yourself
   • Verify fields populate correctly
   • Check for formatting issues

Adding Personalization to Custom Messages

You can manually add personalization fields:

1. Type your message in the message text box
2. Click +First Name, +Last Name, or +Email buttons
3. Field inserted at cursor position: {first_name}
4. Continue typing your message

Example:

Type: "Hi "
Click: +First Name
Type: ", your order is ready for pickup!"
Result: "Hi {first_name}, your order is ready for pickup!"

Customizing Templates

Editing Template Messages

Templates are starting points - you should customize them:

Personalize for Your Business:

Original: "Limited time offer - special savings just for you."
Customized: "Flash Sale! 30% off all items this weekend only. Shop now at Main St location."

Add Specific Details:

Original: "Reminder about your upcoming appointment."
Customized: "Reminder: Your dental cleaning is tomorrow at 2 PM. See you then!"

Include Call-to-Action:

Original: "Thank you for your recent visit!"
Customized: "Thanks for dining with us! Loved your meal? Leave us a review: [link]"

Add Urgency or Scarcity:

Original: "Visit us today to take advantage."
Customized: "Only 5 spots left! Book by Friday to save 20%. Call (416) 555-0123."

Message Best Practices

Keep It Concise:

• Aim for under 160 characters (1 SMS segment)
• Get to the point quickly
• Avoid unnecessary words

Be Clear:

• State purpose immediately
• Include specific details (date, time, offer)
• One message = one purpose

Include Action:

• Tell recipient what to do next
• Make action easy (reply, call, visit)
• Create sense of urgency when appropriate

Stay Compliant:

• Always include opt-out instructions (auto-added by TextFlow)
• Include business name/signature
• Honor quiet hours

Template Character Limits

Understanding SMS Segments

Standard SMS (GSM-7 encoding):

• 1 segment = 160 characters
• 2 segments = 306 characters (153 per segment with header)
• 3 segments = 459 characters (153 per segment)

Unicode SMS (special characters, emojis):

• 1 segment = 70 characters
• 2 segments = 134 characters (67 per segment with header)
• 3 segments = 201 characters (67 per segment)

What Triggers Unicode:

• Emojis: 😀 🎉 ❤️
• Special quotes: ” ” ’ ’
• Non-English characters: é, ñ, ü, etc.

Character Count Tips

Optimize for 1 Segment:

• Template message: ~100 characters
• Business signature: ~20 characters
• Opt-out instructions: ~30 characters
• Total: ~150 characters (fits in 1 segment)

Watch the Preview:

• Live preview shows final character count
• Includes all additions (signature, opt-out)
• Segment count updates in real-time

Cost Consideration:

• Each segment = 1 message credit
• 300-character message = 2 credits
• Keep messages concise to reduce costs

Compliance Settings

Automatic Additions to Templates

When you use a template, TextFlow automatically adds:

Business Signature:

• Configured in: Settings → Campaign Defaults
• Example: - Demo Company
• Appended after your message
• Checkbox: “Include business signature”

Opt-Out Instructions:

• Configured in: Settings → Campaign Defaults
• Default: Reply STOP to unsubscribe.
• Required for CASL compliance
• Checkbox: “Include opt-out instructions”

Quiet Hours:

• Enforced: 9 PM - 9 AM (recipient timezone)
• Messages delayed if sent during quiet hours
• Checkbox: “Respect quiet hours”

Example with All Additions

Your Template Message:

Hi {first_name}! Limited time offer - special savings just for you. Visit us today.

Final Message Sent:

Hi Jane! Limited time offer - special savings just for you. Visit us today.

- Demo Company

Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

Character Count:

• Template: 84 characters
• Signature: 16 characters
• Opt-out: 27 characters
• Total: 127 characters (1 segment ✅)

Advanced Template Techniques

Creating Template Variations

Test different versions of the same template:

A/B Testing Example:

Version A (Urgency): "Flash Sale! 30% off ends tonight. Shop now: [link]"
Version B (Value): "Save big! Get 30% off everything. Limited time: [link]"

Track Performance:

• Send Version A to 50% of list
• Send Version B to other 50%
• Compare response rates
• Use winning version for future campaigns

Seasonal Template Variations

Customize templates for seasons/holidays:

Welcome Template - Holiday Edition:

Original: "Hi {first_name}, welcome! We're excited to have you on board."
Holiday: "Hi {first_name}, welcome! Happy holidays from our team to you!"

Promotion Template - Seasonal:

Original: "Limited time offer - special savings just for you."
Summer: "Summer Clearance! Beat the heat with cool savings on all items."
Winter: "Warm up with hot deals! Winter sale - save up to 40% this week."

Industry-Specific Customization

Adapt templates for your industry:

Restaurants:

Base Template: "Thank you for your recent visit!"
Restaurant: "Thanks for dining at [Restaurant Name]! Come back Tuesday for half-price appetizers!"

Retail:

Base Template: "Limited time offer - special savings just for you."
Retail: "New arrivals just dropped! Show this text for 15% off your purchase today only."

Healthcare:

Base Template: "Reminder about your upcoming appointment."
Healthcare: "Reminder: Dr. Smith will see you tomorrow at 3 PM. Reply C to confirm or call to reschedule."

Real Estate:

Base Template: "Hi {first_name}, welcome!"
Real Estate: "Hi {first_name}! Thanks for requesting info on [Property Address]. Let's schedule a viewing!"

Template Workflow Tips

Save Time with Templates

Workflow 1: Quick Campaign

1. Click Create Campaign
2. Enter name, select audience
3. Use Template → Select “Promotion”
4. Customize with specific offer
5. Launch (total time: 2 minutes)

Workflow 2: Recurring Campaign

1. Use “Follow Up” template
2. Customize for your business
3. Send campaign
4. Next month: Duplicate previous campaign
5. Minor tweaks and send (total time: 1 minute)

When NOT to Use Templates

Templates aren’t always appropriate:

Skip Templates For:

• Highly specific/unique messages
• Multi-paragraph communications
• Messages requiring complex formatting
• Extremely time-sensitive urgent alerts
• Very technical or detailed information

Write Custom Messages For:

• Personalized 1-on-1 follow-ups
• Responding to specific customer inquiries
• Unique announcements (grand opening, new location)
• Crisis communication or urgent alerts

Troubleshooting Templates

Template Not Applying

Problem: Clicked template but message box stays empty

Solutions:

1. Click template button again
2. Refresh page and try again
3. Try different template
4. Clear browser cache

Personalization Field Not Populating

Problem: Message shows {first_name} instead of actual name

Cause: Contact has no first name in database

Solutions:

1. Update contact with first name before sending
2. Use template without personalization
3. Send test to contact with complete data

Message Too Long After Template Applied

Problem: Template + signature + opt-out exceeds desired length

Solutions:

1. Shorten template message (remove unnecessary words)
2. Disable business signature (if not needed)
3. Keep opt-out instructions (required for compliance)
4. Aim for template text under 100 characters

Preview Doesn’t Match Sent Message

Problem: Preview shows different formatting than actual SMS

Solutions:

1. Test send to your own phone first
2. Check compliance settings (signature/opt-out enabled?)
3. Verify personalization fields have data
4. Review quiet hours settings (message may be delayed)

Template Checklist

Before sending a campaign with a template:

• Template selected and applied
• Message customized with specific details
• Personalization fields tested ({first_name} etc.)
• Character count reviewed (prefer 1 segment)
• Preview checked for final appearance
• Business signature enabled (if desired)
• Opt-out instructions enabled (required)
• Quiet hours respected (enabled)
• Call-to-action clear and specific
• Test message sent to yourself
• Links tested (if included)
• Compliance review complete

Best Practices Summary

Do’s

1. ✅ Customize Every Template

   • Add specific details (dates, offers, locations)
   • Make it relevant to your audience
   • Include your business personality

2. ✅ Test Before Sending

   • Send test message to yourself
   • Verify personalization works
   • Check formatting on mobile device

3. ✅ Keep It Short

   • Aim for under 160 characters when possible
   • Remove unnecessary words
   • One message = one purpose

4. ✅ Use Personalization

   • Include {first_name} for personal touch
   • Verify contacts have first names in database
   • Test with real contact data

5. ✅ Monitor Performance

   • Track open and response rates
   • Compare template performance
   • Refine messages based on results

Don’ts

1. ❌ Don’t Send Templates Unmodified

   • Always customize for your specific campaign
   • Add details, offers, dates
   • Make it personal to your brand

2. ❌ Don’t Overuse Personalization

   • Using {first_name} multiple times feels robotic
   • One mention at the start is enough
   • Focus on message value, not gimmicks

3. ❌ Don’t Disable Compliance Settings

   • Always include opt-out instructions
   • Respect quiet hours
   • Include business signature for transparency

4. ❌ Don’t Ignore Character Limits

   • Long messages cost more (multiple segments)
   • Recipients may not read long texts
   • Keep it concise for best results

5. ❌ Don’t Use Wrong Template for Purpose

   • Match template to campaign goal
   • Don’t use “Promotion” for appointment reminders
   • Choose appropriate starting point

Next Steps

Now that you understand message templates:

• Scheduling Campaigns - Schedule your template-based campaigns for optimal timing
• Campaign Analytics - Track performance of different templates
• Two-Way Messaging - Respond to replies from your template campaigns

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Templates help you create professional, compliant, and effective campaigns in seconds. Customize them to match your brand and watch engagement soar!