Your First Campaign

Ready to send your first message with SallyJo? This guide will walk you through creating and sending your first SMS campaign.

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• ✅ A verified phone number
• ✅ At least one contact in your system
• ✅ A clear message and call-to-action

Step 1: Choose Your Campaign Type

1. From your dashboard, click Create Campaign
2. Select SMS Campaign
3. Choose your campaign type:
   • One-time Campaign: Send immediately or schedule for later
   • Automated Campaign: Set up triggers and sequences

Step 2: Select Your Audience

Choose Your Recipients

• All Contacts: Send to everyone in your database
• Specific List: Choose from your contact lists
• Tags: Target contacts with specific tags
• Custom Segment: Create custom criteria

Preview Your Audience

Review the audience size and make sure you're targeting the right people.

Step 3: Create Your Message

Write Your Message

• Keep it under 160 characters for single SMS
• Include a clear call-to-action
• Add personalization with merge tags like {{first_name}}

Example Message:

Hi @{{first_name}}! 🎉 Your exclusive 20% off code is: SAVE20. 
Shop now: bit.ly/yourstore 
Reply STOP to opt out.

Message Guidelines

• Always include opt-out instructions
• Be clear and concise
• Use a friendly, conversational tone
• Include your business name

Step 4: Schedule Your Campaign

Choose when to send:

• Send Now: Immediate delivery
• Schedule: Pick a specific date and time
• Time Zone Delivery: Send based on recipient's time zone

Best Times to Send SMS

• Weekdays: 10 AM - 8 PM
• Weekends: 12 PM - 6 PM
• Avoid: Early morning (before 8 AM) and late night (after 9 PM)

Step 5: Review and Send

Final Checklist

• ✅ Message content is correct
• ✅ Audience is properly selected
• ✅ Send time is appropriate
• ✅ Links are working (if any)
• ✅ Opt-out instructions included

Send a Test Message

Before sending to your full audience:

1. Click Send Test
2. Enter your phone number
3. Review the test message
4. Make any necessary adjustments

Launch Your Campaign

Once everything looks good, click Send Campaign!

Monitor Your Results

After sending:

• Check delivery rates in real-time
• Monitor replies and engagement
• Track click-through rates (if you included links)
• Review opt-outs and bounces

Common Issues and Solutions

Low Delivery Rates

• Check if your number is properly verified
• Ensure you're not sending to invalid numbers
• Review your message content for spam triggers

High Opt-out Rates

• Make sure recipients opted in to receive messages
• Check message frequency and timing
• Ensure content is relevant and valuable

Next Steps

Congratulations on your first campaign! Now you can:

• Create email campaigns
• Set up automation
• Analyze your results

📊 Pro Tip: SMS typically has a 98% open rate, much higher than email. Use this channel for your most important messages!