How to Write SMS Messages & Replies
Once you’ve scripted and recorded your audio messages, it’s time to begin drafting your SMS messages and replies.
Every single topic in your SMS-based program is made up of at least one, if not many, messages and replies. Think of this as a "messaging sequence" made up of:
- The first message
- Replies
- Responses
The First Message
The first message of a topic's messaging sequence will be sent at the consistent "Message Time" that you've set in Program Details. By default, this is 10 am local time. This is the first message that users will receive from you each day of your program. This message also usually comes together with your audio file. These are usually the shortest messages of the day (between 100 - 200 characters). They should include a greeting, some context for the day's theme, a reference to the audio message, and the first reply word you expect users to send back to you. Here's an example:
Hi! It's Andre from Authoritive again. It's day 2 of our program, and today, we're going to talk about program objectives and why they're important. Listen to my audio message and text me back GOAL when you're ready.
User Replies
Replies are the specific words you expect back from users in order to progress through your messaging sequence. The most important thing to keep in mind about user replies is that they should be explicitly stated in your messages. Otherwise, users will not know what to respond with. These replies should be short, simple, and relevant to the content of the messaging sequence. Here are some great examples of reply words:
- GOALS
- HOW
- THINK
- WONDER
- WHY
- PLACE
- LOGIC
- EMOTION
- LEARN
- MEDITATE
There are also a few reply words that cannot be used and will lead your program to be rejected during your program's review due to SMS carrier regulations. These include:
- STOP
- ARRET
- START
- RESTART
- END
- QUIT
- UNSUB
- UNSUBSCRIBE
- UNSTOP
- HELP
Responses
Responses are messages that will be sent out as responses to the user once they've sent the system an expected reply. These messages can be ab it longer, and they should reference the content in the audio message and give users an actionable task or activity to engage with. Here's an example:
Here's one good way to think about a program objective: ask yourself, "what is the one thing I want my users to be able to do once they finish my program?" For example, the objective of the program you're experiencing now is: "By the end of this program, users will be able to design, develop, and deploy their own SMS-based program." Ready to write your own program objective? I have a really useful resource to share with you that should help. Just text me back WORKBOOK.
As you draft these messages, remember that this should feel like a conversation between you and an individual user. Keep them short, to the point, and approachable.