MailChimp - Send automated bulk SMS from Campaign Manager

Updated 6 months ago

You can schedule bulk text messages from Campaign Manager in MailChimp when you add the ClickSend SMS integration. Campaign Manager helps marketers plan communications by providing a full view of their campaigns in Mailchimp.

What you need

ClickSend API credentials. Get them by creating a ClickSend account here.
A standard MailChimp subscription to access Campaign Manager. See MailChimp pricing here.

Setup

It’s easy to set up the integration. Just use the low code step-by-step guide below.

Go to 'Campaign Manager' and create a campaign.
In the Calendar, select the date when you'd like the SMS to be sent. Click on 'Webhooks'
Setup your Webhook by naming it, providing the SMS endpoint URL into the URL destination field. This is the SMS endpoint URL: https://rest.clicksend.com/v3/sms/send on which you can find on this documentation.
Select Basic under Authentication and supply the fields with your ClickSend AP credentials. You can copy your API credentials from the Subaccount page.

Scroll down to reach the payload section. Copy-paste the example code below into the payload. You can customise the body of the message using merge tags (see tip below).

{
  "messages": [
    {
      "to": "*|PHONE|*",
      "source": "mailchimp",
      "body": "Hi *|FNAME|*, Exciting News! Get 20% off your next purchase at our store this weekend only! Use code SAVE20 at checkout. Don't miss out on amazing deals. Visit us today!"
    }
  ]
}

It’s important to keep "source": "mailchimp" parameter on the payload. Just so you can check your SMS history.

You can manage your merge tags by going to > Audience > All contacts > Settings > Merge tags in the MailChimp dashboard.

The schedule by default, populates the date you selected for webhook. You are free to edit the date and time according to your requirement.
You can also filter which contact or contacts you'll SMS by using segmenting or tag.
When you've finished composing your message and filling in any other fields, hit the ‘Schedule SMS’ button to save the webhook. Expect the webhook to run on the date you added it.

That’s it. An automated bulk SMS will be sent to your campaign Audience.

Troubleshoot

If you’re having problems, please check the following:

Check your Authentication. It should be using your ClickSend's username and API key not your ClickSend password.
Make sure you have credit in your balance. Check and top up here.
Fill in all required parameters in the payload. Required fields are to and body.
If you are using Business name as Sender id and it's not functioning as expected, please review the following:
1. Exceeded characters. Only 11 characters without space is allowed for Business name
2. Global sending disabled on the country you are sending to. Please reach out to support for assistance. More info
3. Country you are sending to does not support business name

FAQS

Can I send messages from a business name?

- Yes, however some countries do not support business names. Find out which countries support sending via a business name here.

- Note that your business name needs to be 11 characters or less, without spaces.
How do I add a business name as the sender of my messages?
-You need to add the parameter "from": "MyCompany" in the payload.
Where can I get replies on my messages?
-Find your outbound and inbound SMS history here.
Can I setup a bulk SMS without creating a campaign?
-Yes you can. Go to Campaigns and straight to creating a Touchpoint. You can follow same steps above to create a webhook.