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Overview

Knowlix SMS Marketing delivers text message campaigns to mobile audiences, providing direct communication channels with high open rates and immediate delivery. Create SMS campaigns, schedule bulk messages, segment audiences, and track engagement metrics from one centralized platform. Text message marketing reaches customers where they are most attentive: their mobile phones. SMS messages achieve 90%+ open rates within minutes of delivery, compared to email open rates typically below 20%. This immediacy makes SMS ideal for time-sensitive promotions, event reminders, appointment confirmations, and urgent customer communications. SMS campaigns integrate with mailing lists for audience segmentation, marketing campaigns for coordinated multi-channel initiatives, and CRM systems for personalized messaging based on customer data. Track click-through rates on links, monitor opt-out rates, and measure campaign ROI through conversion tracking. Compliance features include automatic opt-out link inclusion, blacklist management, and consent tracking to meet regulatory requirements (TCPA in United States, GDPR in Europe, and local regulations worldwide). Provide recipients control over their subscription preferences while maintaining efficient bulk messaging capabilities. Key capabilities:
  • Bulk SMS message creation and scheduling
  • Audience segmentation via mailing lists
  • Link tracking and engagement analytics
  • Opt-out and blacklist management
  • A/B testing for message optimization
  • Multi-channel campaign coordination
  • Template library for common messages
  • Character count optimization for cost efficiency
Important: SMS marketing requires compliance with telecommunications regulations. Obtain proper consent before sending marketing messages, provide clear opt-out mechanisms, and maintain blacklist compliance. Consult legal counsel regarding SMS marketing regulations in your jurisdiction.
💡 Pro Tip: Ask Your Knowlix for SMS tasks: “Create an SMS campaign for our sale event next week” or “Show me the delivery rate for yesterday’s SMS blast”

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SMS Dashboard

The SMS Marketing dashboard displays all message campaigns with status tracking and analytics.

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Dashboard Views

Kanban view (default): Displays SMS mailings as cards showing:
  • Subject line
  • Target audience
  • Send date/time
  • Status (Draft, In Queue, Sending, Sent)
  • Delivery metrics
List view: Traditional table layout showing detailed information:
  • Mailing name
  • Recipients count
  • Sent/Failed/Delivered counts
  • Send date
  • Campaign linkage
Calendar view: Timeline visualization of scheduled and sent messages:
  • Click future dates to schedule new messages
  • View message density by date
  • Identify campaign timing conflicts
Graph view: Charts and visualizations of SMS performance:
  • Delivery rates over time
  • Engagement metrics by campaign
  • Cost analysis
  • Customizable measures and groupings
Switch between views using icons in the upper-right corner.

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Creating SMS Messages

Compose and configure SMS campaigns for targeted audiences.

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Message Setup

To create SMS messages:
  1. Navigate to SMS Marketing dashboard
  2. Click Create
  3. Configure message settings:
    • Subject: Internal campaign name
    • Recipients: Target audience selection
    • SMS Content: Message text
    • Settings: Opt-out link, responsible person, tracking
    • Scheduling: Immediate send or future date/time
  4. Review character count and credit estimate
  5. Click Send, Schedule, or Test

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Recipient Selection

To choose message recipients: Select from Recipients dropdown: Mailing List: Send to predefined audience segments. Select mailing list from Select Mailing List field. Contact: Send to all contacts in database (or filtered subset). Lead/Opportunity: Target CRM prospects and opportunities. Event Registration: Message event attendees. Other record types: Any database object with phone numbers (orders, subscriptions, memberships). Recipient filtering: After selecting recipient type, click Add Filter to create targeting rules: Example filters:
  • Country equals United States
  • Tag contains VIP Customer
  • Last Purchase Date within last 30 days
  • Not Blacklisted
Multiple filter rules narrow audience to specific segments.

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Message Content

To write SMS messages:
  1. Click in the SMS Content text field
  2. Type message text
  3. Include links (automatically shortened for character efficiency)
  4. Add emojis for visual appeal
  5. Monitor character count displayed below field
Character limits: GSM7 standard format:
  • 160 characters per SMS
  • Uses standard Latin alphabet and common symbols
  • Most cost-efficient
Unicode format:
  • 70 characters per SMS
  • Required when using special characters, emojis, or non-Latin scripts
  • Higher cost per message
Multi-part messages: Messages exceeding single SMS limits split into multiple parts:
  • GSM7: 153 characters per segment (after first)
  • Unicode: 67 characters per segment (after first)
The system displays how many SMS credits each message consumes based on character count and format. Link tracking: Links in SMS messages automatically generate tracking codes. Analytics capture:
  • Click-through rates
  • Individual recipient clicks
  • Conversion from clicks to desired actions
View link performance in Configuration → Link Tracker.

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Message Settings

Settings tab configuration: Include opt-out link: Enable to add unsubscribe option at message end. Recipients clicking opt-out automatically add to blacklist.
Compliance requirement: Many jurisdictions legally require opt-out mechanisms in marketing messages.
Responsible: Assign campaign owner for tracking purposes. Tracking options: Configure what events to track (delivery, clicks, conversions).

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Sending Options

Send immediately: Click Send to deliver messages right away. Use for time-critical announcements or flash promotions. Schedule for later: Click Schedule, select date and time, then click Schedule. Messages send automatically at designated time. Ideal for coordinating with other marketing activities or reaching audiences at optimal engagement times. Test before sending: Click Test to send sample messages to test phone numbers. Enter multiple numbers separated by commas. Verify formatting, link functionality, and content display before full send. 💡 Your Knowlix: “Create an SMS campaign for our weekend flash sale targeting VIP customers” or “Schedule an SMS reminder for tomorrow’s webinar to all registrants”

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Mailing Lists

Organize contacts into targeted audience segments.

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Viewing Mailing Lists

To access mailing lists: Navigate to SMS Marketing → Mailing Lists → Mailing Lists List displays all configured segments with:
  • List name
  • Recipient count
  • Public/private status
  • Recent mailing activity

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Creating Mailing Lists

To create new lists:
  1. Navigate to SMS Marketing → Mailing Lists → Mailing Lists
  2. Click Create
  3. Enter Mailing List name
  4. Enable Is Public to allow subscribers to manage their preferences
  5. Click Create
  6. Add contacts to list
Adding contacts: Manually:
  • Click Add a line in recipients section
  • Select contacts from dropdown
Import:
  • Use import function to upload contact lists (CSV format)
  • Map phone number fields during import
  • Specify mailing list assignment
Automatically:
  • Create rules that add contacts based on criteria
  • Example: Add all customers who purchased in last 30 days
  • Dynamic lists update automatically as contacts meet conditions

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Mailing List Contacts

To view list members: Navigate to SMS Marketing → Mailing Lists → Mailing List Contacts Contact dashboard shows:
  • Name
  • Phone number
  • Email
  • Opt-in date
  • Active subscriptions
  • Blacklist status
Default filter excludes blacklisted numbers, showing only contacts eligible for messages.

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Subscription Management

Public lists: When mailing lists are marked Is Public, recipients can:
  • View all public lists they’re subscribed to
  • Update subscription preferences
  • Opt in or out of specific lists
  • Manage contact information
Subscription management pages accessible via links in message footers. Communication history: Each contact’s record maintains complete SMS history:
  • Messages sent
  • Delivery status
  • Link clicks
  • Opt-out events
Access history through contact detail pages or activity logs.

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Blacklist Management

Maintain opt-out lists for compliance and customer preferences.

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Understanding Blacklists

Blacklisted phone numbers cannot receive marketing messages. Blacklists ensure:
  • Regulatory compliance (honoring opt-out requests)
  • Customer relationship management (respecting preferences)
  • Cost efficiency (not sending to non-receptive contacts)
Automatic blacklisting: Recipients who click Unsubscribe links automatically add to blacklist. Manual blacklisting: Support staff or administrators can manually add numbers to protect customer relationships.

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Viewing Blacklisted Numbers

To access blacklist: Navigate to SMS Marketing → Configuration → Blacklisted Phone Numbers Dashboard displays all blacklisted numbers with:
  • Phone number
  • Blacklist date
  • Reason (if provided)
  • Active status

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Managing Blacklist Entries

To manually blacklist numbers:
  1. Navigate to SMS Marketing → Configuration → Blacklisted Phone Numbers
  2. Click Create
  3. Enter phone number
  4. Set Active checkbox
  5. Click Save
To remove from blacklist:
  1. Select number from blacklist dashboard
  2. Click Unblacklist button
  3. Confirm removal
Number immediately becomes eligible for future messages.

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Importing Blacklists

To import existing blacklists:
  1. Navigate to SMS Marketing → Configuration → Blacklisted Phone Numbers
  2. Click Favorites dropdown
  3. Select Import records
  4. Upload CSV file with phone numbers
  5. Map phone number field
  6. Confirm import
Useful when migrating from other platforms or consolidating multiple blacklists.

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Marketing Campaigns

Coordinate SMS with multi-channel marketing initiatives.

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Enabling Campaign Features

To activate campaigns: Navigate to Email Marketing → Configuration → Settings and enable Mailing Campaigns. This activates:
  • Campaign coordination across channels
  • A/B testing capabilities
  • Unified campaign analytics

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Campaign Creation

To create campaigns:
  1. Navigate to SMS Marketing → Campaigns
  2. Click Create
  3. Configure campaign:
    • Campaign Name: Descriptive identifier
    • Responsible: Campaign owner
    • Tags: Categorization labels
  4. Click Add
Adding SMS to campaigns: From campaign detail page, click Send SMS button. This creates SMS mailing linked to campaign for coordinated tracking. Multi-channel campaigns: Add multiple communication types to same campaign:
  • Send New Mailing: Email messages
  • Send SMS: Text messages
  • Send Social Post: Social media content
  • Push Notifications: Website notifications
All activities link to campaign for unified ROI analysis.

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A/B Testing

Optimize message performance through systematic testing. To enable A/B testing:
  1. Create SMS message
  2. Navigate to A/B Tests tab
  3. Enable Allow A/B Testing
  4. Configure test parameters:
    • Test percentage: Portion of audience receiving test variations
    • Winner Selection: Criteria for determining best performer (manual, click rate, leads, quotations, revenue)
    • Send Final On: Date/time to send winning version to remainder
  5. Click Create an Alternate Version to add test variations
  6. Modify message content, subject, or timing in alternate versions
Test execution:
  1. System sends test versions to specified percentage of audience
  2. Tracks performance metrics during test period
  3. Determines winner based on selection criteria
  4. Automatically sends winning version to remaining recipients at scheduled time
💡 Testing Strategy: Test one element at a time (message content vs. call-to-action vs. timing) to isolate what drives performance improvements.

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SMS Analytics

Track campaign performance and optimize messaging strategy.

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Reporting Dashboard

To access analytics: Navigate to SMS Marketing → Reporting Analysis options: Graph view (default): Visualize SMS performance metrics:
  • Delivery rates over time
  • Click-through rates by campaign
  • Cost per conversion
  • Audience engagement trends
Customize graphs using Measures dropdown:
  • Sent count
  • Delivered count
  • Failed count
  • Clicked count
  • Cost per message
  • Revenue generated
List view: Detailed tabular data:
  • Campaign name
  • Recipients
  • Sent/Delivered/Failed counts
  • Click rates
  • Send dates
Apply filters to narrow analysis:
  • Date ranges
  • Campaigns
  • Mailing lists
  • Status
Cohort view: Track audience behavior over time:
  • Retention rates
  • Repeat engagement
  • Long-term campaign effects

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Performance Metrics

Key indicators: Delivery rate: Percentage of messages successfully delivered (excludes invalid numbers, network failures) Click-through rate (CTR): Percentage of recipients clicking links in messages Opt-out rate: Percentage of recipients unsubscribing after message Conversion rate: Percentage of recipients completing desired action (purchase, registration, download) Cost per action: Message cost divided by conversions Revenue attribution: Sales attributed to SMS campaigns through link tracking Benchmark metrics: Industry average SMS open rates: 98% Industry average SMS click-through rates: 15-30% Industry average opt-out rates: 1-2% Compare campaign performance to benchmarks to identify improvement opportunities.

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SMS Templates

Create reusable message templates for common scenarios.

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Template Configuration

To create templates:
  1. Enable developer mode (Settings → Activate the Developer Mode)
  2. Navigate to Settings → Technical → SMS Templates
  3. Click Create
  4. Configure template:
    • Template Name: Descriptive identifier
    • Applies to: Record type (Contact, Lead, Order, etc.)
    • SMS Content: Message text with dynamic variables
    • Default values: Pre-fill values for common scenarios
  5. Save
Dynamic variables: Insert database fields into messages:
  • ${object.name} inserts contact name
  • ${object.mobile} inserts phone number
  • ${object.email} inserts email
  • ${object.company_id.name} inserts company name
Variables populate automatically when sending messages. Use cases:
  • Appointment reminders
  • Order confirmations
  • Payment receipts
  • Event notifications
  • Birthday greetings
  • Promotional offers

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SMS Provider Integration

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Default SMS Provider

Knowlix includes built-in SMS messaging through prepaid credit system. Purchase messaging credits, use them to send SMS campaigns. Credit management: Navigate to Settings → Buy Credits to purchase messaging capacity. Credit pricing varies by destination country and message length. Consult SMS pricing documentation for current rates.

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Alternative Providers

For specific regulatory requirements or regional preferences, integrate third-party SMS providers (like Twilio, Bandwidth, Plivo, or regional providers). Provider integration requirements:
  • Account with SMS provider
  • API credentials (account ID, auth token)
  • Virtual phone number from provider
  • Provider-specific module installation
Consult SMS provider documentation and implementation guides for detailed setup instructions.

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SMS Marketing Best Practices

Only send messages to recipients who explicitly opted in. Maintain records of consent dates and methods. Purchased phone lists or scraped data violate regulations and damage reputation.

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Provide Clear Opt-Out Mechanisms

Every marketing message must include easy opt-out instructions. Honor opt-out requests immediately (certainly within 24 hours, ideally instantly).

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Keep Messages Concise

Recipients scan messages quickly. Lead with the most important information. Include clear call-to-action. Limit messages to 1-2 sentences when possible.

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Personalize When Possible

Use recipient names and relevant details (recent purchases, location, interests). Personalized messages generate higher engagement than generic blasts.

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Time Messages Appropriately

Avoid late nights or early mornings. Research shows best SMS engagement occurs between 10am-8pm in recipient’s local timezone. Respect time zones when scheduling campaigns.

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Include Clear Calls-to-Action

Every message should drive specific action. Use action verbs (Reply, Visit, Call, Register). Include shortened links for easy access.

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Monitor Delivery and Engagement Rates

Track which messages perform well. Analyze why some campaigns succeed while others fail. Adjust strategy based on data, not assumptions.

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Segment Your Audience

Don’t send same message to everyone. Create audience segments based on interests, purchase history, location, or engagement level. Targeted messages outperform mass blasts.

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Test Before Sending to Full List

Always send test messages to internal phones before launching to full audience. Verify links work, formatting displays correctly, and content reads as intended.

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Respect Frequency Limits

Don’t over-message audiences. One message per week is reasonable for most businesses. More frequent messaging should provide significant value (time-sensitive deals, important updates).

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Track ROI and Attribution

Measure revenue generated from SMS campaigns. Use unique tracking links, promo codes, or landing pages to attribute sales to specific messages. Calculate cost per acquisition to determine campaign profitability.

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Maintain Compliance Documentation

Keep records of opt-ins, opt-outs, and message content. Documentation protects against regulatory inquiries and legal challenges.

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

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Messages Not Sending

Possible causes:
  • Insufficient credits
  • Invalid phone number formats
  • Recipient blacklisted
  • Network connectivity issues
  • Provider API temporarily unavailable
Resolution: Verify credit balance. Check phone number formatting (include country code). Review blacklist status. Contact support if issue persists.

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High Failure Rates

Possible causes:
  • Poor quality contact data
  • Landline numbers in mobile list
  • Inactive or disconnected numbers
  • Regional carrier restrictions
Resolution: Clean contact lists regularly. Verify numbers are mobile (not landline). Remove numbers that consistently fail. Consider phone number validation service.

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Low Click-Through Rates

Possible causes:
  • Unclear call-to-action
  • Poor message timing
  • Non-mobile-friendly destination links
  • Message doesn’t resonate with audience
Resolution: Test different CTAs. Analyze engagement timing patterns. Ensure landing pages are mobile-optimized. Segment audience for better targeting.

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High Opt-Out Rates

Possible causes:
  • Too frequent messaging
  • Irrelevant content
  • No value provided
  • Recipients didn’t explicitly opt in
Resolution: Reduce message frequency. Improve segmentation for relevance. Provide exclusive offers or useful information. Verify opt-in quality. Possible causes:
  • Link tracking not enabled in settings
  • Malformed URLs
  • Analytics cookies blocked
  • Short link service issues
Resolution: Enable link tracking in campaign settings. Verify URLs are properly formatted. Test links before sending. Use reliable URL shortening service.

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Need Help?

Ask Your Knowlix:
  • “Create an SMS campaign for Friday’s flash sale”
  • “Schedule appointment reminders to tomorrow’s appointments”
  • “Show me SMS delivery rates for last month”
  • “Add these phone numbers to the VIP customer mailing list”
  • “What’s my current SMS credit balance?”
  • “Create an A/B test comparing two promotional messages”
Contact Support: For questions about SMS provider configuration, compliance requirements, credit purchasing, or campaign optimization strategies, contact Knowlix support through the Help menu.