Keller Williams has partnered with Twilio to enable agents to send text messages to contacts through Command. This is done by purchasing a monthly subscription plan of credits, with any unused credits rolling over to the next month. Command will automatically track usage and the Command App will send notifications of responses. You can also track your usage of Twilio in the Command Settings.
While KW has integrated Twilio's messaging service with Command in the past, Twilio and KW have joined forces to make sending and receiving SMS/MMS messages seamless in Command.
- SMS (Short Message Service) - these are standard text messages, that only include text up to 160 characters.
- MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) - these are text messages that include images, videos, or other media. MMS allows up to 1600 characters.
When Twilio is used in conjunction with Command, this will allows users to send automatic texts to their leads and contacts, using SmartPlans, and users will be able to send and receive one-off texts to/from their leads and contacts through the Contacts applet. Replies also trigger a notification through the Command App, where you can respond on-the-go.
Monthly Subscription and Account Setup
1. To get started, you will need to purchase a monthly Twilio subscription, in the KW Marketplace. You can easily get to the Twilio product page, by going through Command Settings, finding Twilio on the Connected Apps page, and clicking on the "Subscribe in Marketplace" button. There are several monthly plans to choose from, and the decision should be made based on the number of text messages you plan on sending each month.
2. Once you have a subscription, you can go to Command settings and configure your account:
- Option 1 - If had previously had Twilio connected in Command settings, there is a path for you to transfer your current Twilio number into your Command Twilio account.
- Option 2 - If you have never used Twilio before, there is a path for you to create a brand new account, where you will be able to customize your new number in the setup process.
Use Twilio in Command
Once you purchase a Twilio subscription, in the Command Marketplace, and set up your Command Twilio number, you can now start using it in Command to communicate to your leads and contacts. Before you start using Twilio in Command, it is important to know how much each text will cost:
The following messaging rates applies to all messages sent and received. |
|
1 SMS (US and Canada)
|
1 Credit |
1 SMS (International)
|
2 Credits |
1 MMS
|
3 Credits |
If you send a message that has more characters than the character limits shown above, it will send, but will basically create secondary messages with the above credit usage. For example, if you send an SMS with 300 characters, you will be using 2 credits, since 1 SMS has a max of 160 characters. |
One of the best uses of Twilio in Command is to set up custom SmartPlans, where you can create a schedule of automatic emails, texts and reminders, to help you communicate systematically with your database. Without having Twilio set up in Command, any text steps you set up in a SmartPlan will send you a reminder to manually text each of the contacts on the plan, while having Twilio set up allows those text messages to be sent automatically.
Another great way to use Twilio in Command is direct messaging through Contacts. If your leads or contacts have a phone number that receives text messages, you can find their contact record, click on their phone number, and send them a text message through Command. Whenever you do this, you will see exactly how many credits you will be using for that specific text message.
Track Your Twilio Credit Usage
Once you start getting close to your credit limit for the month, you will receive notifications to let you know. You will receive both a Command and email notification when you reach 80%, 85%, 90%, and 95% of your monthly usage. Users can also track their Twilio usage for the month from within the Reports applet.
Make Changes to Your Twilio Subscription
Users can change their Twilio subscription at any time whether it be upgrading the subscription or downgrading the subscription. If you upgrade your credit subscription before you hit your limit, the new credit limit will be available immediately. If you downgrade your credit subscription, the new credit limit will be available immediately.
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