Templates are the messages Lead Sherpa sends to your prospects. This guide shows how to set your company name, create templates, and group them into categories you can use in campaigns.
The steps at a glance
- Open the Templates Manager.
- Set your company name(s) and default alternate message in Settings.
- Create at least 5 templates in a category.
- Use that category when you send from a campaign.
Resources
→ SMS Guide: Template - Best Practices
→ Required Template Field: {CompanyName}
→ How to Use Different Company Names in Templates
→ SMS Template Categories and Auto-Rotate Capabilities
1. Set your company name
- In the menu on the left, click the pencil icon to open the Templates Manager.
- Click Settings in the top-right corner.
In Company Template Settings:
| Setting | What it does |
| Company name | The company name used in your messages. Carriers require it, so templates without a company name aren’t accepted. You can add more than one name; each one gets a number, starting at 0, that you use in the {CompanyName:0} field. Choose carefully, since prospects see this name before they’re qualified. |
| Use Sender’s First Name in Templates | When it’s on, {UserFirstName} uses the first name of the user who sends the message. When it’s off, every message uses one name across all users. |
| Alternate Message | The default message sent when a prospect is missing data for a field in your template (for example, no first name). It’s filled in automatically on every new template. |
Click Save.
2. Create a template
-
Click New Template.
- Fill in the form
| Field | What to enter |
| Template Name | A name for the template. |
| Select or Create a Template Category | The category the template belongs to. When you send from a campaign, you pick a category and Lead Sherpa rotates through its templates. |
| Message | The text prospects receive, up to 320 characters. Click a dynamic field below the box to add it: {FirstName}, {LastName}, {StreetAddress}, {City}, {State}, {ZipCode}, {Custom1}, {UserFirstName} or {CompanyName:0}. |
| Alternate Message | The message sent when a prospect is missing data for a field you used. It starts with the default from Settings, and you can change it. |
- Click Submit.
Why 320 characters?
Messages longer than 160 characters may be split by the carrier into more than one message, so Lead Sherpa caps templates at 320.
3. What every template needs
- Your company name, using {CompanyName:0}. This is required. You can also add {UserFirstName}.
- The property address, using {StreetAddress}, so prospects know why you’re texting.
- A question at the end, to invite a reply.
Lead Sherpa adds “Reply STOP to opt-out” to the end of every initial message, so you don’t need to add opt-out language yourself.
Each category needs at least 5 templates
A category can’t be used in a campaign until it has at least 5 templates. The more templates you have, the less repetitive your messages are, which helps keep them from being filtered as spam. Start with 10 to 15 per category and keep adding more.
Avoid
- Links (URLs) in initial messages.
- Spammy language or ALL CAPS.
- Words and phrases carriers filter as spam. See the list in SMS Guide: Template - Best Practices.
Questions? Email support@leadsherpa.com.
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