SMS: Overview
Along with emails and chat messages, SMS is an important communication channel. You can use it to send urgent messages that need clients' immediate attention.
SMS, explained
SMS is a communication channel that is suitable for communicating impending deadlines, critical updates, or time-sensitive requests. It allows you to create messages within your TaxDome account and send them to concrete clients or even in bulk.
Attention! The SMS feature is available only for firm owners from the US and Canada. If you are in another country and need SMS, use the Suggest an idea feature to draw attention to your need.
Here's what you need to do to start using SMS:
1. Register your brand on Twilio (a third-party service we collaborate with to provide you with the SMS feature) and get a new phone number for sending SMS.
2. Add client phone numbers. All phone numbers are stored in the contact details. You can add them when importing new clients or edit for the existing ones. The crucial thing is that each phone number you will use for sending SMS should be specified as Primary phone.
3. Top-up the firm balance. SMS is a paid feature. Incoming and outgoing SMS cost $0.04 USD each. That's how it goes because Twilio has its own fees. We don't charge any extra money.
4. Announce your phone number. When Twilio tells you your brand is verified and gives you a phone number, you'll see it in Integrations > SMS. Then, you can tell clients about the contact phone number for SMS using the Firm announcement feature.
5. Start sending SMS right from your portal. You can connect to specific clients or send a bulk message to several clients. The messages (sent and received) are displayed in the threads in the Communication tab of the client accounts. Your clients see and reply to you from their phones.
Best practices
Here are several pieces of advice that will help you maximize your SMS communication channel efficiency:
- Be concise. Try to keep your message to a minimum number of characters (like on Twitter). The max length of an SMS message is 160 characters with spaces. Example:
- Personalize when possible: Include the client’s name or specific details to make the message feel personal. Use shortcodes in SMS templates for personalization.
- Provide contact options: Let clients know how to reach you if they need help.
- Don't use link shorteners. Shared or free public URL shorteners (e.g.,
https://bit.ly/3XYZabc) cannot be used in Twilio. If you insert them into a message, it will not be delivered. - Respect timing: Send messages during business hours to avoid bothering clients. Aim to send reminders or updates mid-morning or early afternoon.
Hello! Your invoice is ready. Please review it and pay by the end of the week. Thanks! (= 86 characters).
Example: Hi [CONTACT_NAME], your report for [CURRENT_MONTH_NAME] is complete. Let me know if you have questions. (the required information will be substituted for the words in square brackets).
Example: If you have questions, feel free to call or reply to this message.