I have premade messages for all of my follow up categories, appointment reminders, new patient sequences, etc. so you can put me to work immediately!
They've all been written specifically to:
Be deliverable (high delivery rate, avoid spam blockers)
Get results (scheduled appointments, remind patients, etc)
But you can take it to the next level by personalizing any of my default message sequences, and even create your own!
However, mobile service providers have spam filters set up and there are a few pitfalls to be aware of, so you can avoid them.
Less is more
Text vs. Email: I know it's tempting to want to only send texts - they're instant and nearly guaranteed to be read.
However, you don't want to make your patients feel like they're being spammed, which can happen when text is overused.
If your message is urgent and short, send it in a text. If it's not, go with an email 😉
Try to limit your message to be comparable to what humans realistically tend to type and send on a phone.
SMS is limited to 146 characters. Longer messages are converted to MMS when you send them, which splits them into multiple texts - depending on how many there are or if you sent links, it can potentially trigger spam blockers.
Mix it up
When building sequences, Avoid sending 2 identical messages in a row.
Space them out rather than sending a text multiple days in a row (keep it less than 2 automated texts/week).
Sending links
Long links with random letters and numbers can trigger spam blockers. There are some situations where you need to send them though, so here are a few suggestions:
Tiny URLs: If you need to send a link, try a URL shortener - unfortunately, even short links are frequently blocked.
If you regularly send links to your patients, upgrade to a paid plan with a custom tiny URL (we use bit.ly for our custom links) - those will be much more successful.
Send a test: Text a message with the link (short or long) that you want to send, to yourself first - if you get it, so will your patient.
If you don't get the test, search for alternative tiny link services, buy a custom link, or use email instead (you can also contact my human assistants for help).
When Messages Aren't Being Delivered
You may see this next to the occasional text or email, in a patient's message history:
This means I attempted to send your message but I wasn't able to deliver it.
Most common reasons for this:
The message was marked as spam
The patient is a minor and their responsible party's contact information is listed under the child's name, not the adult's.
The number is a landline
Less frequent:
The number is incorrect or missing
If you notice that an abnormally large number of texts are being sent but not delivered, a cell service (AT&T, Verizon, etc) may have blacklisted your number.
Any type of text from your number to ANY patient with that service provider will be undeliverable (direct message, appointment reminder, follow up, etc)
What to do:
Keep in mind that you will occasionally come across a message that couldn't be delivered - follow my tips and this will be a very rare exception!
If you're concerned about an undelivered message, send a chat to my human assistants (include the patient's name and other relevant details) who can look into it!