Welcome to Voyage! 👋 Whether you're brand new to SMS marketing or better acquainted, our team is here to support you every step of the way. We've designed this trusty guide to help get things started. Let's get your brand launched on the Voyage platform 🚀 and generating revenue ASAP.
Our team has over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and scaling brands online. Our SMS marketing platform serves leading brands and this guide includes anonymized data collected from top performing brands.
Getting Started: Overview
Install Voyage Tracking 🧭
Step 1 - Install the Voyage Global Tag in your <head> code
Install our global tag on your website before the closing </head> tag. This enables Voyage to track clicks and other events, as well as serve list-building popup windows (also known as
"modals") on your website. 🎯 You can find your global tag in the Voyage App under Settings > Tracking.
1-3 minutes
Step 2 - Install the Voyage Purchase Event
After installing the global tag, we will install a purchase event. This enables us to track when
someone purchases after clicking on an SMS campaign. 📌 🛒 This code is found under Settings > Tracking.
1-3 minutes
Quick Note: If you do not have a traditional purchase event, you can also install the "purchase" event on any conversion event that is appropriate for your business — i.e. lead, schedule call, etc.
Step 3 - Set up Additional Integrations
Take full advantage of the power of our list building, segmentation, and automation tools with an ever-growing list of integrations including Shopify, Klaviyo, Gorgias, ReCharge, JustUno, and Privy. You can find integrations and instructions under Integrations.
5-30 minutes
Launch List Building 📈
Convert leads to subscribers on the first visit — because campaigns are better when there’s someone listening. 👂
All list-building campaigns can be managed on the Voyage App under List Building.
Brand Keyword
We have already set up a brand keyword for you. You can now start promoting "Text [brand] to 71-023 for SMS-only offers" across social media, your website and email.
Mobile Modal
We recommend launching an SMS modal on your 1st or 2nd page view for mobile visitors. Most brands launch with mobile to start, but we can also offer desktop methods for building your SMS list. (If interested, just ask 😎 ) To request a modal design, fill out this form.
Secret Sale Email
The most effective method for brands just getting started with SMS is to send an email to your list of email subscribers, encouraging them to sign up for SMS to receive exclusive offers, early access to products, etc. 🛍 See our “Secret Sale” Email Gallery.
Tip from the team: Use "Mystery Offer" or "Secret Sale" rather than explicit offers for improved opt-in rates with a lower discount level.
Build Automated Drips 💧
Use drip campaigns to send well-timed, personally tailored campaigns to convert leads, retain customers, reactivate lost customers, and more. Drips contain trigger events and messages with delays.
Your most important drip series is the welcome flow, also known as a "pre-purchase" flow. This is a series of messages your brand sends to a new subscriber before they make a purchase (transforming into a customer 🦋 ).
Drips can be managed in the Voyage App under Drips.
Example "Welcome Series"
Send Your 1st Campaign 💌
All one-time campaigns can be managed on the Voyage App under Campaigns. Learn More
Step 1 - Create Your Campaign Calendar
💦 Message Frequency
Each brand is different, but as a general guideline, we recommend no more than 2 one-time campaigns per week.
♻ Utilize Existing Marketing Calendar as Guide
Many brands already have an email campaign or marketing calendar that can be leveraged to plan one-time SMS campaigns. Send SMS campaigns for your most important messages (everyone will see every message!)
🕓 Scheduling Time
We recommend sending your campaigns between 9a-4p PST. Regulations prohibit messages before 7am and after 8pm in the user’s local time.
Step 2- Crafting Your Campaign
Leverage your email campaign assets (subject, headers, CTAs and images) to craft your SMS campaign.
Segment Your Audience 🎯
Unlike its email predecessor, SMS marketing involves a remarkably high open rate. You can be sure that almost 100% of your subscribers will see every message you send. Because you'll want to ensure your messages are delivered only to the most relevant subscribers, segmentation is 🔑.
Importance of Segmentation
- Ensure Relevance: Nearly every subscriber will read every SMS message, so make sure your content is tailored to the right audience.
- Managing Cost: SMS is billed per message sent, as phone carriers charge SMS providers such as Voyage SMS per message sent. Segmentation helps control costs by targeting messages to audiences most likely to convert.
- Optimize Customer Journey: Segmentation can be used to create lifecycle groups of customers and leads with automated message content designed to drive conversions and retention.
All segments can be managed on the Voyage App under Segments.
Recap 🔵
And…You’re Live! You’re ready to start growing your subscriber lists, creating campaigns, experiencing huge ROAS, and taking your digital marketing to a whole new level.
Could use some guidance? Interested in more best practices? Here are some resources:
Visit our Knowledge Center: https://help.voyagesms.com
Talk to a human: Shoot us an email at service@voyagesms.com anytime. We’re always happy to help.
Quick Start Checklist
If you have any additional questions please contact us at service@voyagesms.com.