What are SMS Lists?
An SMS list contains the contacts who have subscribed to the sender code via a list subscription campaign, import, or keyword campaign tied to a specific list. When sending a marketing broadcast campaign, you will select a specific list that the contacts must be subscribed to in order to receive the message. You can also add additional filters to limit the contacts who receive the message.
A majority of SMS marketing programs have a single marketing list per short code, but some program types, such as sweepstakes, require their own list.
The SMS Lists view is where you come to create new lists, manage both active and inactive lists, or drill down to review an individual list's performance.
To access the SMS Lists page navigate to Contacts > SMS Contacts SMS Lists.
💡 If you have multiple sender codes, you will need to select the correct sender code from the navigation dropdown menu.
📑 Click on a topic below to learn more about it:
Page Navigation
Sender Code Dropdown: Displays the Merchant Name and sender code provisioned to the merchant.
💡 If you have multiple sender codes, select the applicable sender code from the dropdown.
New List: Click to create a new SMS list.
Edit: Edit the properties of the selected list.
Search: Search for a list by name.
Sort: Use this function to sort columns.
Show/Hide Column: Customize your grid with the data you want to view.
Active/Inactive Tabs: Toggle between either tab to display any list that is active or has been deactivated. Both tabs contain the following details:
List Name: The list to which the contact is subscribed to.
Date Created: The date the list was created.
Subscribers: Total number of subscribed contacts on the list.
Minimum Age: The age a contact must be in order to opt in when using the age gate functionality.
Create a New List
⚠️ Setting up a list is required before any contact can be added or before any campaign can be set up in your SMS channel.
A Test list is an example of a new list that can be created by your team since the marketing list will already be set up by Listrak's implementation team.
The purpose of a test list is to store internal team members and send tests of upcoming broadcast campaigns.
To access the SMS Lists page navigate to Contacts > SMS Contacts SMS Lists.
💡 If you have multiple sender codes, you will need to select the correct sender code from the navigation dropdown menu.
To begin, click New List.
Give the list a unique name (required).
Select the list type from the dropdown.
Test: Subscribers to this list typically include either the individual(s) deploying broadcast messages or an entire internal marketing team if you have multiple SMS stakeholders. Learn more on how to add a single contact or multiple contacts to your list.
Marketing: Used to promote your brand, send offers or promotions, educate your subscribers, promote loyalty enrollment, announce new store locations or products, shopping cart recovery, or even enter into a sweepstakes.
⚠️ It is required to create a separate Sweepstakes marketing list used ONLY for the intent to subscribe contacts to a sweeps and send texts about the sweeps.Transactional: Used to send automated informational text messages such as; appointment reminders, order/delivery notifications, BOPIS, billing/payment notifications, account activation/recovery or, reservation confirmations.
Once the list type is selected, you will set up the List Messages. These messages are configured for all list types.
List Messages
Opt-in messages are the automatic responses sent to a contacts after they have subscribed via a Keyword Campaign, List Subscription Campaign, via an SMS Rest API or manually been added via a single contact or file import in the Listrak platform.
You can configure the messages to speak with your brand voice based on your needs.
Click here to learn more about each message type.
Select the opt-in type that best works with your strategy/brand.
💡 Helpful Tips:
The Listrak Implementation team configures these messages during the onboarding process for the Master List.
If you are creating a Test List simply Copy and Paste the message contents of all three types from the existing SMS Master List and select the same Opt-in Message type.
If your business requires an age gate ensure that you are following all legal guidelines.
Click Save List to create the new list.
Message Types:
Opt-In Configurations
The opt-in dictates what happens after a contact first messages your brand via the sender code to opt to receive mobile messaging communication.
Single Opt-in
The single opt-in configuration does not require the contact to provide written consent before being added to the sender code, resulting in sending the subscriber a single message.
Some carriers limit the type of messaging (e.g. shopping cart abandonment) when using Single Opt-In.
This message will be sent to contacts that were subscribed be either of the following methods:
Via SMS Rest API.
Manually subscribed within the platform via Add Contacts > Single Contact method.
Example of user experience:
Double Opt-in
The double opt-in configuration requires the contact to provide written consent before being subscribed to the sender code, resulting in sending the contact a series of two messages:
Asking for consent.
Confirming receipt of consent.
⚠️ Some carriers require a double opt-in for Cart abandonment messages.
This message will be sent to contacts that were subscribed by the following methods:
Via SMS Rest API.
Manually subscribed within the platform via Add Contacts > Single Contact method.
Via a Keyword campaign or a List Subscription Campaign.
Within either campaign, BOTH the Optional Opt-in Settings and the Enable Double Opt-in radio button need to be selected when creating the campaign to trigger the double opt-in responses.
Example of user experience:
Age Gate
Age gates are used for all SHAFT companies that require a contact to be over a specific age threshold in order to subscribe to messaging.
Select the minimum age and the date format a contact must follow when responding with their age.
💡 Minimum age will be determined by the program type and location. Contact your Account Manager to obtain more information from Listrak's compliance experts.
Configure 3 messages as part of the opt-in experience:
Date of Birth Request that is sent when a contact first engages with the subscription method.
Age Gate Confirmation that is sent if a contact is above the minimum age threshold based on their birthday response.
Age Gate Not Met that is sent when a contact is below the minimum age threshold based on their birthday response.
⚠️ The opt in type and he minimum age cannot be edited once the list is saved. Message content can be edited.
Example of user experience:
Existing Subscriber
This message is sent to current subscribers that try to signup while already on the configured list.
Example of user experience:
Edit a List
You can edit the properties of an existing list at any time, for example, if you need to update any links included in the list message.
To edit a list select the Active or Inactive Status tab > check the box to the left of the name > click Edit.
Active Lists
Editing an active list allows you to deactivate the list, make changes to the List configuration settings or, the List Message settings.
How to deactivate a List
A list can be deactivated by clicking the Deactivate button. By doing so this list will mark any associated keyword campaigns and transactional messages as complete/inactive - listing them in the table, and all scheduled broadcast messages will be permanently deleted.
💡 The deactivated list will move to the Inactivate tab.
Inactive Lists
Editing an inactive list ONLY allows you to reactivate the list. To reactivate the list
simply click the Activate button.
This will allow edits to be made to the list settings page and will re-associate all broadcast messages, keyword campaigns, and transactional messages.
List Dashboard
To access the List Dashboard, click on the List Name to see the detailed view of how a specific list is performing.
Page Navigation
The List Name is displayed at the top of page.
Date Selector: The date selector allows you to adjust the timeframe for your report view. The metrics in your report will update to show data for the selected range. The default range set to the last 30 days.
Edit List Settings/Cog Icon: Click to edit the settings for this list.
Subscribers Graph: The graph shows how the list is growing during the selected timeframe.
Use the legend to show or hide the subscriber count and suspension count during the timeframe.
Hover over a date to see the gross number of subscribers or gross number of suspended numbers through the date selected.
New Subscriptions: The number of new subscribers who have opted-into your sender code during the selected time frame - includes all subscription methods.
Unsubscribes: The number of individuals who have opted-out of your sender code during the selected time frame - includes all opt-out methods.
Carrier Suppressions: Displays the total number of contacts who had their service temporarily paused during the selected timeframe.
List Delta: Rate of change during the selected time frame. Suppressed contacts are still considered subscribed in the list delta calculations.
List Type: Displays the type of program that your list will represent - Marketing, Transactional, or Test.
Opt-Out Reasons
This graph displays all opted-out contacts broken down by reason and the percentage of contacts who were opted out due to each reason. Values are based on the selected time frame.
The reason or method assigned to a contact that has been opted-out of the sender code. Types include:
Mobile Originated User (MO): Mobile Originated (MO) text message sent from a consumer's mobile device to opt-out of a sender code. Listrak recognizes common ways to request an opt out, for example Stop, Quit, and Remove.
Delivery Failure: Assigned when Listrak receives information back from the delivery receipt indicating a phone number is no longer in use or service.
Opt-out: Assigned when a Listrak platform user removes a subscriber from the list via the Contacts page.
API: Assigned when the Unsubscribe Contact API is used to successfully unsubscribe someone from Listrak.
Import: Assigned when a Contact file is imported to Listrak used to opt-out contacts.
Deactivate: Assigned when a phone number is shared by carriers as numbers no longer associated with that carrier.
Permanent Error: Listrak received an error code indicating the messages will never be received.
Banned: Assigned when a contact is permanently removed from all communication with the sender code in Listrak.
Subscription Source
This graph displays all opted-in contacts broken down by reason and the percentage of contacts who were opted in via each source. Values are based on the selected time frame.
The source of how the contact was subscribed onto the sender code. Types include:
Mobile Originated (MO) User: Counted when the Mobile Originated (MO) text message is sent from a consumer's mobile device to opt in to a sender code such as opting in via a Keyword campaign.
Admin Subscription: Counted when a Listrak user imports a phone number to a list.
API: Counted when the Subscribe Contact API is used to successfully subscribe someone onto a list.
Import: Counted when a Contact file is imported into Listrak used to subscribe new contacts.
Subscription Point: Counted when a contact is subscribed to a list via a subscription point in Listrak associated with a List Subscription campaign.
Associated Keyword Campaigns
This section displays all keyword campaigns that are associated with a list during the specified time frame. These keyword campaigns contribute to the growth of the list and are categorized by Active, Scheduled, or Completed.
