SMS marketing is a highly effective tool for building customer engagement, with open rates as high as 98% and click-through rates up to 43%. With Kajabi’s new SMS integration, you can now connect your Twilio account to send targeted, outbound messages to your audience. Whether you’re aiming to send promotions, reminders, or personalized updates, this guide will show you how to seamlessly integrate SMS marketing into your existing Kajabi stack.
In this article:
- Why Use SMS Marketing?
- Connect Your Twilio Account
- Creating SMS Campaigns
- Managing Campaigns and Contacts
- FAQs
Why Use SMS Marketing?
Adding SMS as a channel offers multiple advantages. While email remains vital, integrating SMS as an additional channel offers substantial benefits:
Higher Engagement
According to industry benchmarks - SMS has a staggering 98% open rate and 43% click-thru rate. SMS is a high-engagement channel when it's integrated into your marketing strategies. (source: https://blog.beehiiv.com/p/multi-channel-marketing-statistics)
Deeper Personal and Contextual Connection
SMS feels more personal and intimate, helping creators foster deeper relationships with their audiences.
When paired with Kajabi’s automation tools, creators can send personalized messages at key moments—like reminders about an expiring offer or a new course module release—directly into the hands of their most engaged users.
Multi-Channel Engagement for Maximum Reach
Your audience interacts on various channels, from Email to SMS and even social media messaging. Kajabi’s SMS integration opens up seamless, multi-channel engagement, crucial for creators managing diverse audiences.
Step 1: Connect Your Twilio Account to Kajabi
1. Navigate to SMS Campaigns Setup: From your Kajabi dashboard, click the “SMS Campaigns” option in the left-hand menu, nested under Marketing.
2. SMS Setup Home: If you haven’t connected your Twilio account yet, you’ll be directed to the SMS Setup Home page. Click the Connect Account button.
3. Twilio Integration Modal: In this window, follow the instructions to connect your Twilio account. You will need your Twilio login credentials. Once connected, you'll be able to select a dedicated phone number from your Twilio account to use for SMS marketing.
4. Kajabi - Twilio Integration: Enter your Twilio Account SID, Twilio Auth token, and your Twilio phone number in your Kajabi account:
Step 2: Creating SMS Campaigns
Once your Twilio account is connected, you can start sending SMS messages to your contacts who have opted in to receive SMS marketing from your business.
To start a new SMS Campaign:
1. Access the SMS Dashboard: After your Twilio account is set up, you’ll be taken to the SMS dashboard, where you can create and manage campaigns.
2. Create a New Campaign:
- Click the Create Campaign button on the SMS dashboard.
- Select the audience segment you want to target—such as contacts who have opted in for SMS messaging.
- Customize your message in the campaign creation flow. The dashboard will also show a character count to ensure your message fits within SMS limits.
- Add a link to a specific Kajabi product, landing page, or custom URL.
- Choose to either send the message immediately or schedule it for a later time.
Please note: SMS messages have a 160-character limit by standard, but this is reduced to 70 characters when using Unicode characters like emojis or foreign language letters. To optimize message length, use simple characters, limit emojis, and stick to basic punctuation.
It’s essential to understand how character limits work and how special characters impact message length. Click here to learn how to optimize your SMS campaigns.
3. Review Campaign Performance: The dashboard provides analytics for each campaign, including sends, clicks, and delivery status, helping you track the effectiveness of your SMS marketing.
Step 3: Managing Campaigns and Contacts
Kajabi’s SMS integration also makes it easy to manage your SMS campaigns and contact lists:
Campaign Editing: You can edit or duplicate existing campaigns by clicking the “...” icon next to any campaign in your dashboard.
List Segmentation: Use Kajabi’s segmentation tools to ensure your SMS campaigns reach the right audience.
Opt-in/Opt-out Management: Customize opt-in and opt-out messages to stay compliant with SMS regulations.
SMS Pricing
Kajabi’s SMS integration leverages Twilio for message delivery, meaning Kajabi does not charge creators directly for SMS campaigns. Instead, all SMS-related costs are managed through Twilio, which handles billing in partnership with cellular carriers.
Please Note:
- Heroes must sign up for and manage a paid Twilio account separately to use SMS with Kajabi.
- SMS costs are billed directly by Twilio, not by Kajabi. Please contact Twilio directly with any billing questions.
- Message length, special characters, and destination regions can all impact SMS costs.
- International SMS rates may vary significantly, so creators should review Twilio’s international pricing for a clear understanding.
Note: Learn more about SMS pricing here.
FAQs
1. Can I receive replies via SMS?
No, this initial phase of Kajabi’s SMS integration supports outbound messages only. Two-way SMS will be considered in future updates.
2. What happens if I disconnect my Twilio account?
If you disconnect your Twilio account, all active SMS campaigns will stop, and you will not be able to edit or create new campaigns until your account is reconnected.
3. How can I measure the success of my SMS campaigns?
The SMS dashboard provides metrics such as open rates, click-through rates (coming soon), and delivery status, allowing you to measure the impact of each campaign.
4. How can I ensure my SMS campaigns comply with regulations?
To comply with SMS regulations, ensure that all recipients have opted in to receive messages and that you include an option to opt-out (e.g., “Reply STOP to unsubscribe”).
5. Can I schedule SMS campaigns in advance?
Yes, Kajabi’s SMS integration allows you to schedule messages in advance, making it easy to plan campaigns for specific times or events.
6. Can I use my existing Kajabi segments for SMS campaigns?
Yes, you can use your pre-defined Kajabi segments to target specific audiences, ensuring that SMS messages reach the most relevant contacts.
7. Will SMS messages be sent to international numbers?
Yes, Twilio supports international messaging. However, costs and delivery times may vary by region, and you may need to configure your Twilio account accordingly.
SMS marketing on Kajabi opens up a new, direct way to engage your audience with personalized, timely messages. By connecting your Twilio account and following best practices for creating and managing SMS campaigns, you can enhance your multi-channel marketing strategy and build deeper connections with your customers. Whether you're sharing promotions, course updates, or reminders, SMS adds a powerful tool to keep your audience engaged right from their mobile devices.
With this guide, you're set to explore the possibilities of SMS marketing on Kajabi. Start by integrating your Twilio account, design your first campaign, and watch how SMS helps you reach your audience in new and meaningful ways!