Mass SMS

In Recruitment Marketing (RM), the Mass SMS Management page enables users to view the progress of current and past mass SMS campaigns and perform actions on them.

Audience 

All Users

Required Privileges:

• Mass SMS in Campaign
• Mass SMS in Source

Prerequisites

Required Configuration:

• Source/CRM → Features → Company can send SMS is on.

Optional Configuration:

• Campaign → SMS Settings → Single SMS Limits → Mass SMS User. This number controls the maximum number of candidates that can be sent a mass SMS. The default is typically 25,000 candidates.

Mass SMS Management

Navigate to Campaigns > Messages > Mass SMS.

By default, the Mass SMS page displays all Mass SMS messages that are still active (i.e., with a status of Scheduled, In Process, Paused, or Error) scheduled by any user at your company.

There is a row for each of the Mass SMS. The following is the information displayed:

• Mass SMS Name – The name given to the Mass SMS.
• Sender - This is the person who scheduled the Mass SMS.
• Status - The current status of the Mass SMS.
• Recipients - This is the total number of recipients (unique, valid SMS Phone numbers) that are included in the Mass SMS and should receive the SMS.
• Start/End Date - This field shows the Start Date and Time of the Mass SMS (scheduled or actual) and the Estimated End Date/Time (if not complete) or Actual End Date and Time (if Complete). The Estimated End Date and Time is when the last batch is scheduled (or the actual end date and time of the last batch sent, if complete).
• Sent/Remaining - This is the number of recipients sent the SMS (before the /) and the number of remaining recipients (after the /) that are in the Mass SMS. NOTE: The number of recipients includes unique phone numbers. If the list has two or more candidates with the same phone number (e.g., profiles with different email addresses not linked to the same person), that number will get only one SMS.
• Complete % - This is the percentage of the overall Mass SMS that has been completed based on what has been processed/sent.
• Undelivered % - This is the percentage of the Mass SMS that failed to be delivered. Typical reasons are that the number is not a valid SMS/mobile phone number, the number is not in service, the carrier cannot deliver, the number is previously unsubscribed, etc.
• Unsubscribed % - This is the percentage of recipients who unsubscribed from all future SMS communications from this mass SMS. A certain amount of unsubscribes is normal and expected.
• NOTE: Mass SMS is divided into daily batches, with the first batch consisting of 5,000 recipients and all subsequent batches comprising 25,000 recipients.

To perform actions for a specific Mass SMS, click the menu icon.

The following are the actions that can be performed:

• Reschedule - If the mass SMS is Scheduled or In Process, you may reschedule it. This allows you to choose a new start date and time for the next batch, or to schedule subsequent batches for Saturdays and Sundays.
• Pause - If the mass SMS is Scheduled or In Process, you may pause it. This means that no subsequent batches will be sent until it resumes.
• Resume - If the mass SMS is Paused, you resume it. You will be prompted to choose a new start date and time for the next batch.
• Cancel - If the mass SMS is Scheduled or In Process, you may cancel it. This means that all subsequent batches will not be sent. There is no option to resume a cancelled mass SMS.

The following actions are available on the Mass SMS Management page:

• Search by
  • Name - The name of the mass SMS.
  • Sender - The name of the sender of the mass SMS.

• Filters
  • Filter by Start Date - Filter the scheduled mass SMS by the start date. The default is All Time. You can select a range or choose your own range.
  • Filter by Status - This filter enables you to view mass SMS messages by various statuses. The default filter includes statuses such as Scheduled, In Process, Paused, and Error.
    • Scheduled - Includes all mass SMS that have been scheduled to send but have not had any batches sent.
    • Completed - Includes all mass SMS where all the batches were sent.
    • Cancelled - Includes all mass SMS that were cancelled. They may or may not have received batches.
    • Suspended - Includes all mass SMS that have been suspended due to unreasonably high drop rates, which usually indicate an issue with the message content. Please submit a Help Center ticket if your mass SMS is suspended.
    • Paused - Includes all mass SMS that are currently paused. They may or may not have sent some batches, but at this time, no further batches are scheduled.
    • Error - Includes all mass SMS where there was an error that stopped the mass SMS from completing. Please submit a Help Center ticket for assistance.
    • In Process - Includes all mass SMS that have had at least one batch sent and are still scheduled for completion.

• Sort By
  • Start Date – This is the default selection in descending order.
  • Name

Send Mass SMS

Navigate to the Talent tab. Source is selected by default. NOTE: The following steps can also be performed from Folders, Talent Network, Agency, Imports, and Job Candidate List.

To send a mass SMS to the entire list of candidates (up to the single Mass SMS limit configured for the company), do not select any candidate and click the page menu.

From the page menu, select Send Mass SMS.

The Send Mass SMS pop-up will be displayed.

Configure the following:

• Mass SMS Name - This name is used throughout RM to reference this mass SMS. The default is the Name of the Talent List or Search, along with the current date.
• To - This is the number of recipients that will be sent the mass SMS. This number is calculated from the following:
  • The total number of candidates in the search or talent list.
  • Less: The candidates without possible SMS-enabled phones (i.e., must have a mobile or home phone on the candidate record).
  • Less: The candidates with invalid SMS status (including invalid SMS number format and previous bounces).
  • Less: The candidates who have unsubscribed from SMS communications.
  • Less: The candidates who have not provided consent to receive SMS communications.
  • Click to see why - The details of the calculation will be shown.
• NOTE: If your talent list or search contains more than the maximum single mass SMS limit, then you will be automatically limited to that number.

• From - This is the from number for the mass SMS. If your company has only one SMS number pool configured, there is no option to change it.
• Limit to Top - This option enables the recruiter to send the top-ranked results in the list up to the specified number. This is useful if you have a search that returns a large number of candidates, and you want to contact the top 1000 (based on the rank of your search query/keywords).
  • The number defaults to the full number of valid SMS addresses in the list, or the single mass SMS limit, whichever is smaller.
  • You are not allowed to exceed the maximum single mass SMS limit.

• Select Template - Choose from SMS templates that have been published in your company.
  • You can type the start of a template name to find a matching template. NOTE: You cannot create a new template here.
  • As a best practice, the SMS template should be created and tested separately from sending the mass SMS. It must follow the Call to Action (CTA) templates as part of the Short Code regulations.
• Select Campaign - You can choose a Campaign. This will be useful for reporting on the progress of the Mass SMS later.
  • Best practice is to use either a new/unique Campaign for each mass SMS or use a shared/common campaign code when the Mass SMS is part of a larger initiative that includes more than one mass SMS, mass Email, or other activities. The campaign is required if the message has the Campaign Landing Page merge code. NOTE: This merge code requires a campaign code with a published landing page assigned; otherwise, it is optional.
• Select Talent Network - If the chosen SMS Template includes the Join Talent Network URL merge code, this field is required. Select from the list of talent networks available in the company.

• Select Career Site - This field is populated with the career site linked to the selected SMS template. The field is editable; you can select a different career site. The lists of available Career Site Pages and Jobs will be defined based on the selected career site.
• Select Page - This field is required if the selected template has the career site page merge code. Choose from the list of pages available for the selected career site.
• Select Job - If the chosen SMS template requires a job (i.e., it has a job merge code), then this field is required. Choose a job available for the selected career site. You can type the start of a job title or ID to find a matching job. Users without the Confidential jobs privilege in Jobs will not see confidential jobs in the drop-down list.

• Message - After selecting a template, you can make small changes to the SMS content or select a merge field. For Mass SMS, it is highly recommended to use a previously defined and vetted template, without making any edits, and to avoid using variable merge codes, such as Candidate First or Last Name.
• Auto Respond to SMS replies - You can configure your Mass SMS with an auto-response that will be sent to the candidates who replied to that SMS. The auto-response must use an SMS template. NOTE: Job or career site merge fields are not allowed in auto-response templates.

• Scheduled Start - SMS messages are divided into batches, and each batch is sent daily at the time specified in the Send Mass SMS dialog.
  • Send SMS at later time - Select this option to specify the date and time of the first batch. The default option is the current date, and the schedule start time is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes in the future. You can select any future date or time for the first batch of the SMS. Subsequent batches will be sent daily at the same time.
  • Send SMS immediately - Select this to start sending the SMS immediately. Subsequent batches will be sent daily at the same time.
  • Allow sending batches on Saturdays and Sundays. By default, RM does not send subsequent batches on Saturdays and Sundays to maximize click-through rates. Select this checkbox if you want to send the batches on weekends.

Click Save & Schedule. By selecting this option, the mass SMS will be added to a queue to be scheduled and sent.

Once a mass SMS is scheduled, you will receive a notification. The status of the mass SMS can be checked on the Mass SMS Management page.

Notifications

You will receive notifications about your Mass SMS when:

• You schedule a mass SMS (Info)
• Your mass SMS is paused (Warning)
• Your mass SMS is suspended (Warning)
• Your mass SMS is resumed (Info)
• Your mass SMS is cancelled (Info)
• A batch is sent on your mass SMS (Info)
• Your mass SMS is completed (Info)
• There was an error sending your mass SMS (Error)

Notifications can be received as emails, a digest, or only in the product.