Feel like you need some guidance prior to sending out your first text campaign? Consider utilizing these best practices when implementing and using your Ocelot Texting platform.
- Testing
- Since testing this product is as simple as creating and sending test campaigns to your own phone, there is no distinct test environment for Texting. Utilize staff phone numbers to create a small person contact list (name/mobile phone) so that all Texting agents may generate sample Campaigns.
- Clearly label your test contact lists and campaigns so that they can be easily differentiated from your "live" lists and campaigns.
- Contact Lists
- Think about the groups/cohorts of students you want to nudge throughout the academic year. You may have several lists and use cases for each contact list. If you load these first before creating a campaign, it will help you to eliminate duplicate lists and establish consistency in your ongoing effort.
- Upload a new contact list when you have significant changes and don't want to maintain the old list. Clone an existing contact list if you only have a few small changes to make (i.e. you have a few students to add or remove in order to send another campaign to that list).
- If you do not have a header row in your CSV file, select "header row". If the field does not have a title, you will be prompted to create one after uploading the list into the system.
- To maintain ongoing organization with your contact lists and campaigns:
- Include date information in the title (i.e., 20-21 Admissions Applicants 1/1/21)
- Utilize tags, which will adhere to search filters (i.e. Fall applicants 21/22, Spring applicants 21/22, FAFSA Follow-up, Graduation Requirements, Testing Requirements)
- Reusable Phone Numbers
- Set up reusable phone numbers for specific uses.
- Open, ongoing use (not used in campaigns) - Set up a reusable phone number to promote to your student population as a number assigned to a specific office or a counselor to text anytime. This number can be agent-backed or bot-backed. If the reusable phone number is agent-backed, you can set the inbox settings for the responses to be sent to either an Office inbox or a specific agent.
- See the Utilizing Reusable Number article, for more information.
- Assign reusable phone numbers to specific offices to be used in Campaigns - this creates a recognizable phone number students can recognize as communication coming from one office.
- Open, ongoing use (not used in campaigns) - Set up a reusable phone number to promote to your student population as a number assigned to a specific office or a counselor to text anytime. This number can be agent-backed or bot-backed. If the reusable phone number is agent-backed, you can set the inbox settings for the responses to be sent to either an Office inbox or a specific agent.
- Using reusable phone numbers also creates a better user experience. If a student responds to a Campaign after it has been archived, the message will follow the unsolicited message settings of the reusable phone number.
- Set up reusable phone numbers for specific uses.
- Agent-backed vs. Bot-backed Campaigns
- Agent-backed (responses to your texts are fully managed by your staff)
- For agent-backed campaigns that will be managed by multiple agents, consider separating the contact list for cohorts by agent so each agent may engage with their assigned cohort in the Active Campaign area. Create a tag with each agent's name for each applicable campaign. The agent will then be able to use their own name in the search bar to populate their screen with just their own lists.
- Bot-backed (responses to your texts are managed by your chatbot, with the option for agents to jump into any conversation)
- Review our Bot-backed Campaign Best Practices article for tips on how to best use your AI chatbot to support your text conversations.
- Agent-backed (responses to your texts are fully managed by your staff)
- Consider the format of your text message
- Review our Best Formatting Practices article for Ocelot's recommendations around being strategic with the messages you send to your audience.
- Opt-in or Opt-out?
- If you haven't already established a texting expectation with your audience, consider:
- Using your first campaign to announce the service to your entire community and inviting them to opt-out if desired.
- Adding a related question to your admissions application to allow future students to opt out before receiving a text in the first place.
- In every text, consider ending your message with directions on how to opt-out, if desired. There are a handful of industry-standard phrases that a text recipient can use to opt out (even if you don't mention it in your text message).
- If you haven't already established a texting expectation with your audience, consider:
- Establish internal policies
- For agents to respond to agent-backed Campaigns within a specific time period (i.e. 24 - 48 hours).
- For agents to review bot-backed Campaigns within a specific time period (i.e. 24 - 48 hours).