Overview
This document outlines the second release of Direct Messaging capabilities. Direct Messaging is available and automatically activated for all current Apricot Core and 360 customers.
Direct Messages:
Direct Messages, a subset of Connect functionality, allows Apricot administrators to send communications to participants, without or without a link to complete a form.
This release includes ability to:
Send SMS messages (U.S. Only)
Include form link in SMS Direct Messages (DM)
Understand if SMS DM was delivered. And if not delivered, understand why
See running total against monthly texting caps
Save, edit, and delete draft DMs
Attach documents (up to 5MB) to email DMs
Easily send reminder DM to recipients that have not opened and/or completed linked form
Select up to 3 “From” addresses
Choose any “Reply To” address
An updated DM dashboard
Sending SMS Messages
Text Direct Messages are now supported. You can send an email, text or both to participants. You will have access to 5,000 SMS messages per month; these do not roll over from month to month.
Note: If your Direct Message is long, it will split into multiple text messages. Contact your Account Manager to purchase additional SMS messages per month.
In order to send a text:
There must be a phone number field on the Tier 1 associated with the Participant Type.
MAP Phone must be selected on Message Setup.
NOTE: Direct Messages will only be received if MAP Phone is an in-service mobile, U.S. number.
Select Text
When creating a Direct Message, you will choose if each recipient will receive a text, email or both by selecting the appropriate check box.
To select Text for all recipients, click the check box in the table header.
Note: If the phone number field is not complete on the Tier 1 record, a checkbox will not be present for that participant. Also, the phrase “Not Listed” will appear in the Phone Number column.
Opted Out Recipients
Recipients can opt out of future text Direct Messages. After chosen content for a text message, “Reply STOP to opt out” will be included. This phrase is not customizable.
NOTE: Other phrases a recipient can reply that also trigger the opt out include: ARRET, CANCEL, END, OPT-OUT, OPTOUT, QUIT, REMOVE, TD and UNSUBSCRIBE.
When crafting a DM, you are prevented from sending a text DM to a recipient that has opted out.
If a participant has previously opted out, the no icon will appear to the right of the phone number. The check box for Text will also not appear.
NOTE: Should a participant want to opt out of DMs completely, they need to do so via text and email. Opting out of text does not opt one out of email. Once a participant has opted out via text, their number cannot be re-enrolled to receive direct messages.
Recipients with Prior Failure
Users are prevented from sending DMs to phone numbers that have previously failed. Failure reasons include: non-mobile numbers, numbers not in service or unsupported regions.
If a previous text DM failed to be delivered, a red exclamation point will appear to the right of the phone number. The check box for Text will also not appear.
Draft Direct Messages
To create a draft of a Direct Message:
Click the Save & Exit button at any point in the New Message Wizard. The only field required to save a draft is Message Title. The draft DM can be accessed via either Recent Messages on the Dashboard or All Messages.
To exit without saving a draft, click Exit.
Edit & Delete Drafts from Recent Messages
To edit a recently created draft, you may do so via the Dashboard.
Find your draft in the Recent Messages section.
NOTE: The 5 most recently created, not modified, will appear here.
Navigate to the draft and click the Kebab menu then select Edit. You will be routed to the Wizard page that you were last working on. Select Delete to permanently the draft.
Attach Documents
You may now attach document(s) to an email Direct Message. We support most commonly used document types (.doc, .xls, .mdb, .pdf, .jpeg, etc.)
NOTE: You cannot attach documents to a SMS Direct Message
To attach a document:
On Compose Message, click the Select File(s) button.
Select which file(s) you would like to attach from your file repository. For this release, you need to select all desired the files from your repository.
NOTE: The maximum size of attachments is 5MB.
To delete a document
1. Click the trash can icon for each attached file you wish to remove.
Send Reminders
To simplify your workflow, we’ve added Send Reminder. This capability allows you to send a reminder to participants that have not yet completed their assigned form.
Start a Reminder Direct Message
From Direct Message Details, navigate to the Kebab menu and select Send Reminder
Customize a Reminder Direct Message
After selecting Send Reminder you are routed to Compose Message of a new DM. Please note the Participant Type and Recipients are prepopulated.
To differentiate the Reminder DM from the original DM, we’ve added Reminder before the original DM’s title.
In case you need to reference or include the original DM’s email or text body, --ORIGINAL MESSAGE: Sent Day/Month/Year at Time-- will appear in the new message body. This text can be deleted.
The Form Link Expiration will be the same as the original DM, however the date can be moved up or extended.
Select “From” Address
You may now select which email address a Direct Message and invitations to set up Connect accounts comes from. This will increase likelihood that recipients will open communications from your organization.
“From” Addresses in Settings
Email addresses are configured in the Settings tab of Connect.
The name that appears next to the email address on an email in the recipient’s inbox appears in the first column.
Selected email addresses must be verified before use. The verification status appears in the fourth column.
You may select 1 email to be the default address. This means all Direct Messages will come from the default address unless changed on Compose Message. Additionally, all Connect invitations will come from the default address.
NOTE: If you have not selected a default address, DMs will come from no-reply@socialsolutions.com.
To delete (or archive if used prior) a previously added email address click
Note you are limited to adding 3 addresses. However, you are not limited to the amount of Reply To addresses. A common use case could be sending DMs from casemanagement@client.org and having the reply to be the individual’s case worker.
To add and verify a new address, select Add Email Address.
Add & Verify “From” Addresses
After selecting Add Email Address a modal will launch. To add a “From” address:
Chose name that will appear in recipients’ inboxes
Enter the email address
Click Add or Cancel to move forward
NOTE: Once you select “Add”, an email will be sent to the address from Amazon Web Services inclusive of a verification link. As soon as the link is clicked, that address can be used.
Select “From” Addresses on a Direct Message
When crafting a Direct Message, you can select which email the DM will come from on Compose Message.
The From email field will be populated with the Default address. If you would like to make a change, use the dropdown menu. All verified emails along with no-reply@socialsolutions.com will appear. Select the preferred email.
Updated Dashboard
In this release, we’ve added metrics to the Direct Message Dashboard so that you can quickly understand the current state across Direct Messages.
Drafts will show the total number of saved drafts
Open will show the total number of sent DMs with a form linked and an expiration date that is more than 7 days away
Expiring Soon will show the total number of sent DMs with a form linked and an expiration date that is less than 7 days away