Twilio is a GREAT service, but they have 1 Major Downfall. There is no user-friendly Interface. AEvent removes the headache of integrating with Twilio utilizing our native integration.
Your lead can be sent a msg not only at time of registration, but anywhere throughout your timeline you can target the right audience, sending them the right msg.
With both Twilio's SMS and MMS (Picture Message) Capabilities, along with AEvent Co-Pilot, your Messaging needs are finally unlocked!
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Timeline Actions:
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Adding your Twilio Account to AEvent
Adding your Twilio Account to AEvent
In order to add your Twilio Integration you will need to first navigate to Integrations within AEvent, click Add Integration and then search / select Twilio.
Then name your integration as you see fit, and click 'Add'
Once here, open a secondary tab, and navigate to your Twilio Account.
Upon login to Twilio, you will automatically see both your Account SID and your Auth Token. Both of these values need to be copied into AEvent.
Upon entering your Account SID and Auth Token successfully, AEvent will present you with the option to either set up a new messaging service (AEvent Copilot), or attaching to a pre-existing messaging service already created within your Twilio account.
Once your Twilio account has been successfully added, you will be see it's Connected state, and you are able to click on 'Test'.
A successful connection will yield a positive test result. Congratulations, your Twilio account is now successfully connected to AEvent!
Activating your Twilio Integration within a Timeline and setting up an on-registration SMS
Activating your Twilio Integration within a Timeline and setting up an on-registration SMS
In order to use your Twilio Integration within AEvent, once adding it, you need to activate it within the timeline you are working with. To do this, open the timeline you are working on.
Then select Integrations, and set your Twilio Integration as Active.
If you want to set an on-registration SMS or MMS click on the Cog wheel. Then select 'Send on Registration', the type of message you would like to send (SMS or MMS), and define your message. You can use both the personalization menu, and emoji menu to customize it. And select the Messaging Service, or Phone Number you wish to use.
Then Click on the X to close the pop-over and click on Save.
(Tip: If you recently purchased a new phone number, or setup a new messaging service outside of AEvent, you will need to click on 'Refresh' to poll and pull in that new information from Twilio)
Creating a Timeline Action to Send a Twilio SMS
Creating a Timeline Action to Send a Twilio SMS
Within the timeline builder start by creating an action, selecting the date and time that you wish the action to occur. Select the audience you are targeting, then select your Twilio integration, and Send SMS. You can utilize the Personalization Menu as well as Emoji Menu to customize the message, while keeping everything dynamic.
Once you've written the SMS message you want to send, just click on Create.
Your Twilio Send SMS Action has now been created, and you can view it on your timeline. Per the example above, 15 minutes prior to the event starting, an action will occur that will send an SMS to all registrants registered for the scheduled event.
Creating a Timeline Action to Send a Twilio MMS
Creating a Timeline Action to Send a Twilio MMS
Within the timeline builder start by creating an action, selecting the date and time that you wish the action to occur. Select the audience you are targeting, then select your Twilio integration, and Send MMS. Next select the image you wish to send (Upload any images to the Media area)
Once you select the image you wish to use, customize the SMS portion of the message. You can utilize the Personalization Menu as well as Emoji Menu to customize this, while keeping everything dynamic.
Once complete, just click on Create.
Your Twilio Send MMS Action has now been created, and you can view it on your timeline. Per the example above, 15 minutes prior to the event starting, an action will occur that will send an MMS to all registrants registered for the scheduled event. They would receive my image.jpg as well as the SMS message entered.
Adjusting Twilio's default SMS Geographic Restrictions
Adjusting Twilio's default SMS Geographic Restrictions
By default your Twilio account will have a tight limit with allowed geographic delivery for your SMS/MMS.
If you are in the US, and open a US based account, by default ONLY North America is activated. If you are in AUS, and open a Twilio AUS account, by default N.A. is NOT enabled, etc.
Best Practice: We recommend enabling nearly ALL of the countries that you can send SMS/MMS to. Yes some cost more for delivery than others. And no we do NOT recommend enabling Satellite phones (Global). However if you do not tweak these settings to your target market / geographic location, you might end up semi-impairing the results from your events.
(If you would like to read more about Geographic Restrictions, why they exist, and what they mean, you can check out Twilio's In-Depth Article HERE).
In order to adjust what is currently allowed / disallowed within your Twilio Geographic Restrictions, login to your Twilio account, and search for 'SMS Geographic Restrictions' in the top search header.
Click on SMS Geographic Permissions, and you are presented with a list of all the continents, and the countries within. You'll notice by default, depending on where you and your account were opened, most countries are NOT selected.
In the screenshot below, we've activated majority of all the countries to deliver to.
(Including "High Risk").
If you are only generating Top 5 countries, then only activate those. If you are registering people from all-over the world, we do recommend enabling majority!
What you enabled or disable is entirely up to you, and your business.
Once you've made the changes you want to make, make sure and Save geo permissions.
And that's it! Nothing needs to be changed within AEvent for these new permissions to effect!
How to reconnect your Twilio Integration
How to reconnect your Twilio Integration
If you are encountering issues with your Twilio integration it is possible that the API key issued from Twilio has been reset, or changed, OR your account is in a negative state If you click 'Test' and it is NOT successful, first step we recommend is reconnecting your integration.
By clicking Re-Connect you will be prompted to re-enter your Account SID and Auth Token.
(You can obtain these values by logging into your Twilio account.)
Once you re-enter and save your new credentials, your integration will shows as Connected, and you are able to click on 'Test'.
A successful connection will yield a positive test result. Congratulations, your Twilio account is now successfully Re-connected to AEvent!
If your test still fails, we recommend checking your Twilio account balance, to ensure it is in the positive, and has a current credit card attached.
How to remove your Twilio Integration from AEvent
How to remove your Twilio Integration from AEvent
If you want to remove your Twilio integration from AEvent, you need to navigate to Integrations, locate your Twilio integration and click on the trashcan icon.
You then will be prompted to confirm deletion.
(NOTE: Removing this integration will immediately effect it's use with any timelines that it is active in.)
IF you are experiencing issues with this integration, but do not desire to REMOVE it, we recommend on reconnecting it instead. This will allow it's configuration to
continue as set within your timelines.
Once you confirm removal, the integration within AEvent no longer exists.
FOMO Tutorial: Creating an Animated Gif, and send it using Twilio MMS
Integration Mashup: NiftyImages + Twilio MMS + AEvent
⚠️ Avoid Service Interruptions With Twilio ⚠️
In order to avoid service interruptions with Twilio, they have made it compulsory to complete your A2P 10DLC Registration.
Our Step by Step Tutorial to completing your A2P 10DLC Registration
Twilio Explanation of A2P 10DLC and its requirements