Mastering message templates in your CRM: A step-by-step guide
Message templates can be a game-changer for growing businesses. Here is how you can create message templates in your CRM and start using them right away.
If you're using a customer relationship management (CRM) system, chances are you are sending a lot of messages to clients and prospects. While personalised communication is key to building solid relationships, it can also be time-consuming to write the same types of messages over and over again. That's where message templates come in.
Message templates are pre-written messages that you can use as a starting point for your communication. They can be customised to fit the specific needs of each client or prospect, saving you time and energy while still maintaining a personal touch. They also help you maintain consistency in your communication with clients and prospects.
In this blog post, we will provide you with
- Tips to get started with message templates
- Guide to creating WhatsApp message templates
- Guide to creating templates for Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram channels
By the end of this blog, you will be an expert at message templates in your CRM.
Tips to get started with message templates
Here are a few tips to create effective message templates in your CRM.
- Identify the types of messages you send most frequently. These could be messages to confirm appointments, follow-up messages after meetings, or messages to introduce yourself to a new contact. By identifying your most common messages, you can prioritise which templates to create first.
- Gather all of the necessary information you typically include in these messages. This could include your contact information, any relevant details about your business or services, and any specific language or branding you use.
- Start drafting your message template. Begin with a basic outline of your message and fill in the details with the necessary information. Be sure to include all the relevant details. The details that keep changing can be populated as variables.
- Test your message templates. Send them to a few different people to see if they are clear and easy to understand. Make any necessary adjustments based on feedback.
- Get approvals for the message templates wherever required. To send message templates through the WhatsApp channel in the CRM, the message templates need to be pre-approved. However, to send messages through Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram, approval for message templates is not required.
Read our blog on message templates to know more about the best practices for creating message templates, types of message templates, and how to use them for your business.
Guide to creating WhatsApp message templates
WhatsApp is an effective tool in modern sales. It has a wide reach and is cost-effective. For businesses, there are different versions of WhatsApp: WhatsApp business app and WhatsApp API. While the WhatsApp Business app is appropriate for small businesses, WhatsApp API is crafted for growing businesses.
WhatsApp Cloud API: Steps to create message templates
For WhatsApp Cloud API, note that the message templates can be approved by WhatsApp directly, without any involvement of the WhatsApp partners.
1. Login to Facebook business manager.
2. Click “Message templates” on the left panel.
3. Click “Create Template”.
4. Choose Category, add the name and language, and click “Continue”.
5. Edit the template. Add Header, Choose media type for the header, content for the body, footer, buttons, and other necessary details.
Note:
- You can create templates in multiple languages.
- The templates will take time to get approved.
6. Click “Add sample” to add a sample media file.
7. Click “Submit”.
8. In the popup, click “Confirm”. The template will be submitted for review.
If you navigate to the template list, you can see the status of your submitted template. It can take up to 1 day to get approved from Facebook.
WhatsApp Web, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram: Steps to create message templates
The templates for WhatsApp Web, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Telegram channels can be created in Pepper Cloud CRM straight away and they don’t need any approvals from the respective social media platforms (unlike WhatsApp templates).
Here is the step-by-step process to create message templates.
1. Login to your CRM account.
2. Click the settings icon on the top-right corner of the screen, and navigate to “Customisation” and choose “Channel Template”.
3. Click “Create New” to create a new message template.
4. Choose the Channel. You can also select multiple channels with which you would like to associate the template.
Note: Only WhatsApp Web, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Telegram channels will be listed in the Channel dropdown.
5. Add the name and content of the template and click “Save” to create the message template.
You can view all your templates on the listing screen.
Sending message templates
The method of sending message templates to your leads or contacts through WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram is the same. However, there are a few points that need to be considered.
Points to consider:
- In the WhatsApp channel, you can initiate a conversation by sending message templates. But, you can't initiate the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram channels. However, in these channels, you can use message templates to send quick replies and avoid repetitive tasks such as writing the same messages over and again.
Steps to send message templates
1. Navigate to the “Messages” module in your CRM.
Note: Your team member can access the message module only if the admin has provided the permissions.
2. Click the message template icon in the message window.
3. In the popup, choose the template from the dropdown and add data for variables in your template. Click “send”.
Conclusion
Using message templates in your CRM can be a game-changer for your communication strategy. By saving time on repetitive messaging, you can focus on building strong relationships with your clients and prospects, ultimately leading to increased success for your business. Pepper Cloud CRM can be your partner and a friend in your sales growth journey. Talk to our friendly customer support team.
Further reading
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