What makes an effective opening message?
Keep it short and conversational. Start with a clear identification of who you are, state your purpose briefly, and include a simple call-to-action or yes/no question. Example:"Hi {{firstName}}, this is Jamie with the Smith Campaign. Can we count on your support on Election Day? Reply YES or NO."
Avoid long paragraphs or multiple questions in the first message.
When is the best time to send messages?
Messages can only be sent during your project’s sending window: 8 AM to 10 PM in the time zone of most of your recipients, or 8 AM Eastern to 10 PM Pacific when no time zone holds a majority. Best engagement times are typically 10 AM to 12 PM and 5 PM to 8 PM on weekdays. Avoid sending during major events, holidays, or late evenings. Test different times with your audience to find what works best for your specific campaigns.How do I handle opt-outs and maintain compliance?
The platform automatically processes STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, and similar keywords to immediately opt out contacts. Once opted out, contacts cannot receive future messages from your organization. Maintain separate opt-out lists per brand and a global opt-out list. Always honor opt-outs within seconds of receiving them, this is both legally required and enforced by our system.How can I improve response rates?
Personalize messages with merge fields, keep messages conversational and brief, ask simple questions, respond quickly to replies, send messages at optimal times, segment your audience for targeted messaging, use MMS for higher engagement, and always provide value in your communications. P2P texting typically achieves 90%+ open rates and 40 to 50% response rates when done well.What should I avoid in my messages?
Never use deceptive language or misrepresent your identity. Avoid ALL CAPS (looks like spam), excessive punctuation (!!!), too many links, or promotional language without proper consent. Don’t share phone numbers between organizations without permission. Always include opt-out instructions. Never message purchased lists without opt-in, this violates TCPA and will damage deliverability.
Why does my video show as a file instead of a preview on iPhones?
Starting with iOS 27 (released September 2026), Messages shows video and GIF attachments from a number the recipient has not saved or replied to as a file icon with a filename, instead of an inline preview. Still images are not affected. The video is delivered intact and plays when tapped, and the moment the recipient replies in the thread or saves your number, every video already in the thread switches to a normal preview. This is a display rule on the phone. We tested it directly: the same video file rendered from a saved contact and showed as a file from an unknown one, and changing the codec, container, file size, or caption made no difference. Nothing in how the message is encoded or sent changes the outcome. The name on the file icon is ours to set, and we set it. Every video and GIF you send by text is delivered asTap-To-Watch.mp4 or Tap-To-Watch.gif, so the icon reads as a call to action instead of a generated name like m8512.mp4. This applies to files already in your media library as well as new uploads; nothing to change on your side. To use your own name instead (a candidate or committee name, for example), open the video or GIF in your media library and set Attachment name from its preview; every new upload starts as Tap-To-Watch. Names are 1 to 16 letters, numbers, hyphens or underscores; the extension is added for you, and a change applies to the next send.
What works:
- Open cold conversations with text or a still image, and ask a question that invites a reply. Once a contact has replied, video previews render for them.
- Send video to people who have already replied. A Recent Repliers dynamic list keeps that audience current without any manual work.
- Lead with the thumbnail. If the video matters on a first contact, send its key frame as an image with the video, or attach the image and link to the video.