Did you know you can send automated text messages to your team and subcontractors, right from JobNimbus? Thanks to our integration with Zapier, your activities, status changes, or other actions in JobNimbus can trigger a custom text message.
Zapier creates Zaps, or triggers at certain points in your JobNimbus workflow that ignite actions in other programs. That means an activity, status change, or other action in JobNimbus can trigger an action in a completely separate program–like sending a text message at just the right moment.
What Text Message Automations Could Look Like in Your Company
This has many applications for sales, customer service, and task follow-through. For example, when a job moves to the next step in your workflow, notify the right team members to move forward… without any hassle. This all happens automatically.
These kinds of automations in JobNimbus can save the day again and again, by making sure your team follows through every time.
- In this tutorial, we’ll show you what the free option can help you accomplish: text messaging to internal contacts such as your team members or subcontractors. Note: Because it requires authentication, in most cases this option is inadequate for use with customers.
- After you check out the free version, you may also be interested in our tutorial for a paid option that allows you to text message external contacts such as customers.
Steps to Set up Automated Text Messages to Internal Contacts From JobNimbus
As you may already know if you’ve set up other Zaps, you’ll need to establish a trigger and its conditions as well as the action. You’ll need to decide on settings for this trigger and action:
- Should it begin when you create or modify a contact, or both?
- How should it filter your workflow?
- Which particular status in that workflow is involved?
So, let’s jump in!
Set the Trigger
- If you haven’t already, first review the feature tutorial for setting up the initial Zapier integration.
- Sign into your Administrator JobNimbus account as well as the Zapier account you created. If you don’t have a team member or “test contact” set up, it’s a good idea to do that now. Be sure to add a valid number of someone nearby (one different than the one you intend to send automated texts from). That way, you’ll be able to test the Zap later on.
- In Zapier, select Zaps – Make a New Zap.
- As with other Zaps you may have already created, you should see a guide in the left column to show you where you are in the Zap setup process. In the Choose a Trigger App column on the right, search for JobNimbus 1.0 app.
- Choose whether you want a contact, job, or activity to trigger the text message. Click Continue. Go ahead and click Test to make sure Zapier can connect with your JobNimbus account. If it can, it will say, “Success!” in green. Next click Save + Continue
- Set conditions known as filters, to tell Zapier what JobNimbus action should trigger the text message. For example, it’s common to choose Created or Modified. Test the trigger filters by clicking Fetch and Continue.
- Go to Choose an Action App, scroll down and find the filter icon. Click on it and click Save and Continue.
- Record type is Workflow Name. An example is the workflow name “Customer”. It is important that you look at your workflows and get the exact name of your workflow in JobNimbus. Type the name in exactly in the last box. Then click +and, to add the status name. Type the exact status that you would like to trigger the text message. An example of a status name is “Estimate”. Note: If you were to select “Status” it would not work because that field has a number in the dropdown. At the time Zapier loads your test contact it is in a particular workflow and status, and the test will not work if it is not in that current status, so the Zap could still work even if the test does not.
That’s it for the first part of this Zap. Next, we’ll run through how to set up your actual text message, or intended action. Click on Add One Now!
Set the Action
- In the search box, type “SMS”. You’ll find many services but you may want to begin with the simple SMS by Zapier option. Select Send SMS, then Save + Continue.
- Select the SMS option if you’d like to use an automatic text (rather than a phone call).
- Click Connect an Account.
- The first box on the pop-up screen is where to send the text message to. To confirm, select SMS in the next box, the mobile phone number will get a pin number.
- Type in the pin number. Zapier will then send you a confirmation message. Proceed with Save + Continue.
- Next, you’ll need to enter details about the phone number you’d like to send text messages from, and you may use one of Zapier’s list of random numbers.
- After that, create the message you would like sent by this Zap. Note: Format your message further using the two icons to the right. Also, make sure the drop-down has all the information fields you are looking for. You can use the information fields to create a custom “mail merge” effect.
- After typing in your message, click Create and Continue, then Finish. Turn on your Zap.Test your Zap by changing a contact’s status in JobNimbus. Once you have set up your text message how you want, you can test it out by going to your test contact in JobNimbus and altering the status or other data information your text message Zap is triggered by. You may have to edit your text message by adding spaces. Remember, what you type is static and the drop-down fields are dynamic. Here is a sample text message:
Once you get a successful confirmation, your Zap is set and working. Let the automated text messages begin!
If you run into any concerns or issues along the way, our Support team is here to help! Please reach out, and also check back here at our blog for additional Zap ideas.
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