How to create and manage SMS campaigns in Aloware for marketing outreach

If you’re tasked with running SMS campaigns and you don’t want to waste time (or money) on things that don’t work, you’re in the right place. This guide walks you through setting up and managing SMS campaigns in Aloware for marketing outreach. No fluff, no jargon—just what you need to know to get actual results.

Whether you’re a marketer, a sales manager, or just the person who drew the short straw for “texting our leads,” this is for you.

Why SMS? And Why Aloware?

Let’s be blunt: SMS isn’t magic, but it does get people’s attention—if you do it right. Email gets ignored. Cold calls get blocked. But people tend to read texts (even if they don’t always respond).

Aloware is a cloud-based contact center tool, popular with teams that want to combine calls, texts, and automation in one place. Its SMS features are solid. The campaign tools aren’t perfect, but they’re better than a lot of the clunky alternatives.

Step 1: Prep Before You Touch Aloware

Before you start clicking buttons, sort out the basics:

  • Define your goal. Are you looking for replies, clicks, signups, or just brand awareness? Be specific.
  • Build a clean list. Don’t spam old or unqualified contacts. Start with a list of people who might actually care.
  • Get permission. SMS laws are strict. Make sure you have explicit consent to text people, or you’ll end up in hot water (and possibly with big fines).
  • Write your message(s). Keep it short, clear, and conversational. Avoid ALL CAPS and don’t sound like a robot.

Pro tip: Draft a couple of variations. SMS is personal—A/B testing can really pay off.

Step 2: Upload or Sync Your Contacts

Now, get your contacts into Aloware:

  1. CSV Upload:
  2. Clean up your CSV. Only include the fields you need (name, phone, maybe a tag or two).
  3. Go to “Contacts” in Aloware.
  4. Click “Import,” upload your file, and map the columns.

  5. Double-check for formatting errors—especially phone numbers. U.S. numbers should be +1XXXXXXXXXX.

  6. CRM Sync:

  7. Aloware integrates with tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive.
  8. Go to “Integrations,” connect your CRM, and follow the prompts.
  9. Pick which lists or segments you want to sync (don’t dump your entire CRM unless you want a mess).

What to ignore: Don’t bother adding people who haven’t opted in. Aloware won’t magically clean your list or save you from compliance trouble.

Step 3: Create a New SMS Campaign

Here’s where you build the actual campaign:

  1. Navigate to Campaigns:
  2. In the sidebar, click “Campaigns.”

  3. Hit “New Campaign,” then select “SMS Campaign.”

  4. Name and Tag Your Campaign:

  5. Give it a clear name (e.g., “2024 Spring Promo”).

  6. Add tags if you want to track different campaigns later.

  7. Set Up the Audience:

  8. Choose your contact list or filter by tag, source, or custom field.
  9. You can segment further (e.g., only people in California, or leads added last month).

Pro tip: Smaller, targeted audiences almost always perform better than giant, random lists.

Step 4: Write and Configure Your SMS Message

Now, the fun part—what are you actually saying?

  1. Compose Your Message:
  2. Keep it under 160 characters if you want to avoid message splitting.
  3. Personalize with merge fields (like “Hi {FirstName},”) but don’t get too cute.

  4. Include a clear call to action (“Reply YES for more info,” or “Click here to RSVP: [link]”).

  5. Compliance Stuff:

  6. Always identify your business (“This is Mike from Acme Co.”).
  7. Include opt-out instructions (“Reply STOP to unsubscribe.”)

  8. Don’t use link shorteners that look spammy (use reputable ones, or your own domain).

  9. Timing and Throttling:

  10. Schedule your campaign for business hours (don’t text people at 2am).
  11. Aloware lets you throttle sends—use this if you’re worried about overwhelming your team with replies.

What doesn’t work: Don’t try to cram everything into one message. SMS is for starting conversations, not explaining everything.

Step 5: Test Before You Blast

Don’t just cross your fingers and hit “Send.” Test.

  • Send a test SMS to yourself and a teammate. Check for typos, broken links, and weird formatting.
  • Reply to the test message to make sure responses come back to the right Aloware inbox or agent.
  • Check compliance tags—some carriers flag messages with too many links or certain keywords.

Pro tip: If the message looks sketchy to you, it’ll look worse to your recipients.

Step 6: Launch the Campaign

When you’re happy with the test, it’s go time:

  • Hit “Launch.” Aloware will start sending messages based on your settings.
  • Monitor delivery rates. If a chunk of messages fail, your list or formatting is probably off.
  • Watch replies in real time. Aloware funnels SMS replies into your inbox or routes them to agents, depending on your setup.

What to ignore: Don’t bother obsessing over send time “hacks.” As long as you’re texting during reasonable hours, timing isn’t a magic bullet.

Step 7: Manage Replies and Follow Up

This is where most campaigns fall apart—don’t let replies pile up.

  • Assign conversations. Make sure someone’s actually on the other end to respond quickly.
  • Set up automations for common replies (like “STOP” or “INTERESTED”).
  • Tag and note responses so you can track what’s working (and what isn’t).

Pro tip: Fast, human-ish follow-up beats any fancy automation. Don’t let leads go cold.

Step 8: Track Results and Iterate

If you skip this step, you’re just guessing.

  • Look at delivery and reply rates. Low delivery? Bad numbers or carrier filtering. Low replies? Time to tweak your message.
  • Export reports from Aloware for deeper analysis—or just stick with the built-in dashboards for a quick read.
  • A/B test different messages or segments. Change one thing at a time so you know what actually made the difference.

What to ignore: Vanity metrics (like “messages sent”) don’t matter. Focus on replies, conversions, or whatever your real goal is.

Real-World Tips and Gotchas

Let’s level with each other:

  • Don’t over-text. Even if someone opted in, daily texts get old fast.
  • Watch for carrier filtering. If your messages aren’t going through, it might be your wording (or too many links).
  • Automations help, but don’t overdo it. People can tell when they’re talking to a bot.
  • Document opt-outs. Aloware handles most of this, but keep an eye out for oddball replies (“Unsubscribe me!”).
  • Integrate with your CRM if you can. Otherwise, you’ll end up copying data by hand, which is a drag.

Keep It Simple and Iterate

Launching SMS campaigns in Aloware isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overcomplicate things. Start with a small, targeted list and a clear message. Test. Track what actually works. Adjust. Repeat.

Don’t chase every new feature or marketing “hack.” Focus on getting replies and having real conversations. That’s what actually drives results.