Communications - Mobile Messages

Learn how to create, manage, and send mobile messages. Mobile messages cover both in-app and SMS messaging.

Overview

MyStudio has three main ways that you can send communications to your members - email, in-app messages, and SMS. Mobile messages covers both in-app messaging, which is free to use in MyStudio, and SMS which requires the communication enhancement add-on. Maintaining communication is important in both retaining members and marketing your products.

Permissions and Accessibility

Staff Access:

Admin
- Full access
Manager
- Full access to sending communication
- Does not have access to the communication enhancement add-on
Staff
- No access

MyStudio Plan Restrictions:

To use emojis and send images through in-app messaging, you must have the communication enhancement add-on
To use emojis and send images through SMS, you must have the communication enhancement add-on as well as a Twilio connection.
There may be differences with SMS usage based on your Twilio plan

Specifications

In-App Messaging vs SMS

In-app messaging is free for general use in MyStudio without the addition of the communication enhancement add-on. This type of messaging will send a message directly to the member app, so if you are only utilizing this feature, it is important to get your members connected to the member app so that they can receive this type of communication.

If you would like to utilize emojis or image uploads, however, you will need to purchase the MyStudio communication enhancement add-on, but you will not be required to connect a Twilio account unless you want to send SMS.

SMS requires the purchase of the communication enhancement add-on and a connection to a Twilio account. For more information on integrating Twilio, please see one of the articles below that most suits your situation:

If you have been with MyStudio for a while and have an old number provided to you, you will need to connect to Twilio in order to send any SMS containing emojis or image uploads.

Drafting Mobile Messages

When drafting a mobile message, you will see the following settings:

Select whether you are sending an SMS or In-App message: If you do not have the ability to send SMS, you will be prompted to upgrade when you attempt to send the message.
Choose to send an email simultaneously with the mobile message.
Recipient section: this will usually be pre-populated based on your selection of customers, but you can always add any additional customers to the list.
Placeholder: Placeholders allow you to customize a message by having the system auto-fill information based on the placeholder you select. See further down for more details on these different placeholders.
Templates: Templates save you time in drafting messages. You can create a custom template ahead of time so that when you are ready to send that type of mobile message, you can simply choose it from the template list and send. The amount of custom templates you can create is determined by your MyStudio plan. See further down for more details on templates.
Emojis: You are able to add emojis to an in-app message as long as you have the communication enhancement add-on. You are able to add emojis to an SMS as long as you have both the communication enhancement add-on and a connected Twilio account.
Images: You can add images with JPEG, PNG, or GIF file types to emails. Images must be less than 3MB. Image previews will be in a 500x500 pixel container in the chat.
Mobile Message Body: Please note that 1 text message is equal to 160 characters, so the longer your message, the more usage you will consume.
Send message once to each recipient: Checking this box will ensure that the message is only sent once per email. So if you’re sending a message from all customers > program participants, this will prevent families with multiple registrants from receiving the same message multiple times.

Placeholders

Placeholders allow you to customize a mobile message by having the system auto-fill information based on the placeholder you select. The placeholder options are as follows:

Primary Customer: This can be used from all mobile message locations
First Name
Last Name
Participant: This can be used from all mobile message locations
First Name
Last Name
Age
Birthdate
Leads fields: We recommend using this when sending mobile messages only from All Customers > Leads or lead automations. Otherwise, the placeholder may be blank because the system doesn’t know what information to grab from.
- Program interest: This is selected while filling out the lead form
- Status: This will include custom statuses made
Trial fields: We recommend using this when sending emails only from All Customers > Trial Participants or from trial automations. Otherwise, the placeholder may be blank because the system doesn’t know what information to grab from.
Start Date
End Date
Membership fields: We recommend using this when sending emails only from All Customers > program participants or program automations. Otherwise, the placeholder may be blank because the system doesn’t know what information to grab from.
Status
Membership Program
Membership Option
Rank
Next Payment date
Next Payment amount
Bill past due
Start Date
End Date
Events fields: We recommend using this when sending emails only from All Customers > event participants or event automations. Otherwise, the placeholder may be blank because the system doesn’t know what information to grab from.
Event Title
Event category
Event Start date

Templates

Mobile Message templates help you save time when drafting communication. In Communications > Mobile Messages > Templates, you can view a list of pre-made system templates, or you can create custom templates. To create a template, click into the Custom Templates section and click “Add Template.” Then you will simply name the template and draft the subject line and email body. Once completed, click save.

You can also delete a custom template by checking the box and clicking “delete” above the table. There is more important information attached to the template on this page. You can see when the template was last edited below the title. To the right you can see how many times the email template was sent in general, how often it was opened, how often it was clicked on, and how often the recipient unsubscribed from that email or the email bounced.

Conversations

The conversation section in Communications > Mobile Messages shows you two way communications between you and a user. This can be for either in-app messaging conversation or SMS communication which will be indicated beneath the message. You can also send communications to a member by either clicking on a conversation and choosing either in-app or SMS above the text box, or by drafting a new message by clicking the paper and pencil icon above the conversation list.

Message All Customers

If you want to send an in-app or SMS message to every single person in your system regardless of registration, status, or even if they haven’t signed up or purchased anything, you will send a message from Communications > Mobile Messages > Message All Customers. In this section you will choose whether the main communication is an in-app message or SMS and choose to also send an email. While you can schedule an email to be sent at a later date and time, you can only schedule an in-app or SMS message to send later from this section.

Previously Sent Messages

In the previously sent messages section, you will see a list of in-app and SMS history. This is stored in accordance with your MyStudio plan. The listing will show the contents of the message, how many in-app messages were sent, how many SMS messages were sent, and the date and time of the message.

All Sending Locations

Mobile messages can be sent from many points in your system:

Payments > Payment history > click on any existing mobile phone icon: will send only to this recipient, but you can enter more
Payments > Past due > click on any existing mobile phone icon: will send only to this recipient, but you can enter more
Payments > Upcoming > click on any existing mobile phone icon: will send only to this recipient, but you can enter more
All Customers > Search: will send to only those you check
All Customers > All Participants: Use this if you need to send a message to everyone except leads and app users (those who have accessed the app but have not made any registrations or purchases).
All Customers > All Participants > click into a participant profile > email icon below their name: use this if you need to send a message only to the contact of this individual
All Customers > Trial Participants: Use this if you need to send a message to only trial participants. You can also send a mobile message from the internal registration of one participant
All Customers > Pending Trials: Use this if you need to send a message to only trial participants that you are waiting to complete their trial registration.
All Customers > Program Participants: Use this if you need to send a message only to program participants. You can also send a mobile message from the internal registration of one participant
All Customers > Pending memberships: Use this section if you need to send a message to only migrated members who have not updated their payment details yet. You can also send a mobile message from the internal registration of one participant
All Customers > Event Participants: Use this if you need to send a message only to event participants. You can also send a mobile message from the internal registration of one participant
All Customers > Leads: Use this if you need to send a message only to your leads. You can also send a mobile message from the internal registration of one participant.
All Customers > Primary Customers: Use this if you want to send a message to all main contacts of participants who are not leads or app users (those who have accessed your app but have not made any purchases or registrations).
All Customers > Primary Customers > click on the buyer name: use this if you need to send a message only to this particular contact.
All Customers > Additional Users: Use this section if you want to send a message to all secondary contacts of a participant.
All Customers > App Users: Use this section if you want to send a message to only app users (those who have accessed your app but have not made any purchases or registrations)

All Automations have a mobile message option

Communications > Mobile Message > Conversations

Communications > Mobile Message > Message all customers: use this section if you want to send a message to every person in your system regardless of registration or status.

Operations > Class Appointment Calendar > Click to see a roster: Use this section if you want to send a mobile message to participants of a particular class time

NOTE: All points of sending a mobile message also have the option to send an email along with the mobile message.