Skip to main content

CRM Essentials: Set Up an SMS Marketing Number

Set up an SMS marketing number specifically used for marketing communications from your shop and manage customer opt-ins

Ashley Bennett avatar
Written by Ashley Bennett
Updated over 3 weeks ago

When you set up an SMS marketing number for your shop, you will have a dedicated phone number to send marketing communications to your customers.

Please Note: This is not the same phone number as your shop SMS number. A separate marketing phone number allows your customers to opt out of marketing messages without interfering with your shop’s ability to share order updates and other transactional communications using your regular SMS number.


Set Up a Marketing Number

Select the Marketing icon on the left-side navigation bar. Select Campaigns.

Marketing Suite Campaigns page

Select Set Up Marketing Number.

Set up marketing number button on campaigns page

Type in your shop's area code to populate a list of available options.

Please Note: If your desired area code does not populate any options, we recommend trying other area codes nearby. If you are having trouble finding any options, please reach out to our Support Team through the chat icon.

Choose a messaging number from the list of available numbers. This will be the number that your customers see when they receive marketing SMS messages from your shop. Select Next.

available marketing numbers menu

Check that you have read and agreed to the linked Shopmonkey Usage Agreement. Select Save.

compliance info menu

The SMS marketing number will take a few days to be activated.


Collect Customer Consent to Receive Marketing Messages

Once your SMS marketing number is active, customers can agree to receive marketing messages from your shop.

Customers can opt-in to SMS marketing through the online order authorization, appointment scheduler, and work request form, or by texting “START” to your SMS marketing number.

Please Note: SMS Marketing is much stricter than transactional SMS (your regular shop SMS number). Regulations require that customers provide informed and explicit consent to receive marketing SMS from your shop. We have made it as easy as possible for your shop to gather that consent through the methods listed below.

From the Customer Authorization Form

When you send over an estimate or order to request customer authorization, customers will see a checkbox allowing them to agree to receive marketing-related text messages from your shop.

sign and authorize customer opt-in for marketing messages

From the Appointment Scheduler

When a customer uses your shop’s appointment scheduler to request an appointment, customers will see a checkbox allowing them to agree to receive marketing-related text messages from your shop.

sign and authorize customer opt-in for marketing messages

From the Work Request Form

When a customer completes a work request form, customers will see a checkbox allowing them to agree to receive marketing-related text messages from your shop.

sign and authorize customer opt-in for marketing messages

Bulk Upload Opted-In Customers

Easily upload a list of customers who have already provided consent to receive SMS marketing from your shop.

Select Upload SMS Opt-Ins from the CRM Campaigns page.

Select Download Customer Phone Number List to download your customer phone number list. Any customers who have previously opted out of marketing messaging from your shop will be excluded from this list.

Upload SMS Opt-Ins menu

Please Note: This upload will update customer phone numbers. Only make updates for customers who have already opted in for SMS marketing. Non-compliance may lead to penalties. It is up to you to ensure your shop is meeting all compliance requirements. Review compliance requirements.

In the downloaded file, update the Marketing Opt-In Date column to add the date that each customer opted in to marketing messages from your shop. Adding this date will add that customer to the “opt-ins” count in your shop (the number of customers who have opted in to marketing messaging in your shop) and will allow those customers to receive SMS marketing messages moving forward.

Please Note: The Shopmonkey Opt-In ID column is necessary for a successful import process. Do not remove the IDs from this column before uploading your SMS Opt-Ins.

After you’ve completed adding the opt-in dates for each applicable customer, go back to the Upload SMS Opt-Ins menu in Shopmonkey. Upload your edited file.

Review the number of opt-ins that will be added and check the box to confirm your compliance with SMS marketing regulations. Select Confirm & Opt-In.


Manage Customer Opt-Ins to Marketing Messages

From the Campaigns page, view the number of customer Opt-Ins to your marketing number.

snapshot of opt-ins and subscriptions

From a customer’s profile page, they will have the green marketing SMS icon if they have opted-in to SMS marketing.

marketing icon on customer profile

Pro-Tip: Increase the number of customer opt-ins by using your website or social media pages to advertise that your customers can text “START” to your SMS marketing number.


Related Articles


Still have questions? Feel free to reach out to us through the chat icon. Thanks for reading!

Did this answer your question?