Before you get started
To send an SMS message through Audience Republic, make sure you’ve created a list and added contacts with valid mobile numbers. Each mobile number must include a country code, or the message will fail to send.
Important:
Audience Republic does not support two-way SMS. This means fans cannot reply to your messages.
Individual phone numbers are not assigned to each Promoter.
The unsubscribe message is hard-coded and cannot be changed. This wording was chosen to use as few characters as possible.
Long URLs are automatically shortened by the platform.
How to send an SMS message
Go to the Messaging menu.
Click the Messages tab.
Click New Message and select SMS from the dropdown.
Enter a message name. This is for internal use and will appear in your Messaging tab.
From the To dropdown, select the list you want to message. (See the section below for filtering options.)
Type your message in the text box. You can include dynamic tags if you'd like to personalize your message.
Note: A single SMS is limited to 160 characters.
Review the estimated cost and check I agree to charge my credit card.
Click Send Message, then confirm when prompted.
Or, schedule your message to be sent later by choosing a future send time.
Filter your recipient list
For more targeted communication, you can apply filters to narrow down your audience.
Quick filters
Click Show quick filters to apply one of the following:
Contacts with or without a specific tag
Contacts who did or didn’t open a specific message
Contacts who did or didn’t click a specific message
Contacts who did or didn’t purchase a ticket to a particular event
Contacts who did or didn’t register for a campaign
Advanced filters
Click the Filter button next to the recipient list (the “To” field) to access advanced options:
Use previously saved segments
Combine multiple conditions with AND/OR logic for more detailed targeting
Best practice SMS copy
SMS is a powerful but sensitive marketing channel. Over 90% of texts are read within 3 minutes—so it’s highly effective when used correctly, but can quickly annoy your audience if overused or poorly written.
Follow these best practices to keep your messages relevant and impactful:
Keep your message short
Stick to the 160-character limit. SMS is not email—it should be quick, direct, and easy to read. Use powerful words like SALE or FREE to grab attention.
Start with your brand name
Make it clear who the message is from right away by beginning with your brand name.
Use personalization
Make the message feel personal by using dynamic tags to insert the recipient’s name or a unique code or link.
Use a call-to-action
Include a strong CTA that clearly tells your audience what to do next. Example CTAs:
Buy now
Register now
Last chance
Create urgency
Add a time limit to your offer, such as “24 hours only,” to encourage immediate action.
How SMS Opt-Out Keywords Work (with Twilio)
When it comes to SMS communications and opt-outs, different rules apply depending on what kind of SMS setup you have (standard, MMS, alphanumeric, etc.). Below is how it works with our platform + Twilio.
What Twilio Provides
According to Twilio’s “Support for Opt-Out Keywords / SMS STOP Filtering” article: Twilio Help Center
Twilio supports certain opt-out keywords such as STOP, STOP ALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, etc. These are automatically filtered — meaning that when a recipient sends one of these keywords from their device, Twilio handles the opt-out at the carrier level so you don’t have to manually unsubscribe them at that moment. Twilio Help Center
The filtering applies only for messages coming from phone numbers (long codes or toll-free) that support two-way messaging. Twilio Help Center
If you are using an alphanumeric sender ID (i.e. messages that appear to come from brands or names instead of phone numbers), Twilio does not support opt-out keyword filtering for those. In that case, the recipient must use a link in the message (or another mechanism) to opt out. Twilio Help Center
How This Relates to Our Platform
Putting the pieces together with our platform, here’s the up-to-date picture:
Feature | Supported / Behaviour |
Keyword “STOP” via SMS or MMS with two-way phone number | Yes — recipient texts STOP, Twilio filters, message marked failed if you try to text again, and contact gets unsubscribed globally. |
Alphanumeric sender ID | No — STOP does not work here (twilio does not filter these). Recipient must click an opt-out link included in the message. |
Profile Activity Log | We do not log the actual “STOP” reply event — even if Twilio processes it. That keyword / reply is not visible in fan’s profile activity. |
Failed message status | If you text someone who’s unsubscribed (STOP’d), Twilio indicates “failed” on your send. At that point, we unsubscribe them from all lists globally. |
Why You Might See Unexpected Behaviour
If you are testing and you:
Reply STOP on a message from an alphanumeric sender, it won’t unsubscribe you.
Don’t see “STOP” anywhere in the fan’s profile activity, that’s expected — we do not display that raw keyword.
Send another message after someone STOP’d and get “failed” status — that lets us know it was blocked (STOP).
What You Should Do
If you’re using SMS with Twilio in your setup:
Ask our support team to check if your sender type is a number (two-way)
If using alphanumeric, make sure your messages include the opt-out link and clear instructions.
Always test with a sample number/contact to verify how your setup handles STOP.