Marketing

Welcome to the marketing documentation. Here we will generally cover what you can do.

Creating Videos for Bulk SMS

Video Tutorial

Step by Step

Preparation

• Source: It is highly recommended to record the video directly on your phone.
• Duration: Keep the recording to a maximum of 30 seconds.
• Transfer: Transfer the video file from your phone to your computer for uploading.

Uploading to Valstorm

1. Navigate to the File Object section in the system.
2. Click Create New.
3. Select and choose the desired video file from your computer.
4. Important: When the "Video Compression Settings" appear, leave the default setting on Small Size. Do not change this.
5. Click Upload.
6. Allow the system a moment to compress the video so it is small enough for SMS transmission.

Bulk Sends

About

This section covers how to set up mass campaigns for emails, texts, or calls, attach media, and schedule them for delivery.

Video Tutorial

Step by Step

1. Launching the Campaign

• Locate List: Open the sidebar (if needed) and navigate to either the Campaigns or Contacts list.

• Start Wizard: Click the Launch Campaign button (indicated by a microphone icon).

• Name Campaign: Create a campaign name.

• Best Practice: Use a convention like [Date] - [Purpose] (e.g., 1-26-2026 Testing Campaign 4 Video).

• Select Recipients: Choose your target audience by selecting a pre-built filter (e.g., decision-makers, customers).

• Note: It is recommended to build filters in advance to reuse them.

• Verify the recipients in the preview list, then click Continue.

2. Campaign Configuration

• Select Action: Choose the type of outreach: SMS, Email, or Call.

• For SMS:

• Target Field: Select which phone field on the contact to send to (e.g., main phone or second phone).

• Sender Number: Choose which system number will send the message.

• Attach File (Optional): Add a file (like an MP4 video).

• Important: If attaching a file, the system will only send the file. Text must be sent as a separate action (see step 4).

• Message Content: If not sending a file, type your message or select a predefined template. You can use dynamic fields like contact.first_name.

• For Email:

• Target Field: Select the specific email field to target.

• Sender Info: Specify the "From" email address.

• Provider: Select your email provider (e.g., SendGrid).

• Content: Type your email content or choose a template.

• For Calls:

• Call campaigns generally utilize automations for processing (e.g., call flows requiring user input). See automation documentation for details.

3. Scheduling

• Timing: Choose when the campaign should run:

• Now: Sends immediately.

• Later: Schedules for a specific future date/time.

• Dynamic: Allows relative scheduling (e.g., "Tomorrow").

• Finalize: Save/Schedule the campaign.

4. Sending Additional Messages (Multi-step)

• If you sent a file (video) and need to follow up with text:

1. Launch a new campaign.
2. Select the same campaign name used previously.
3. Skip adding new contacts (since they are already associated).
4. Configure the new action (e.g., the text message body) to follow the file.

5. Confirmation

• You will receive automated emails confirming:
• When the campaign is scheduled.
• When it is about to start.
• When it finishes (including results).

How to Create Text Template

SMS templates save you time and ensure consistency by allowing you to create and reuse common messages. You can even personalize them with dynamic information like a contact's name.

Video Tutorial

Step 1: Find the Template Object

First, you need to navigate to the area where templates are stored.

1. In the main Valstorm app, locate the Object Search bar on the left-hand navigation panel.
2. Type Template into the search bar.
3. Select Template from the results to view the list of all existing templates.

{/* */}

Step 2: Create a New Template

From the Template list view, you can create a new template.

1. Click the New button, located near the top of the template list.
2. This will open a form where you can define your new template.

{/* */}

Step 3: Configure Your Template

Fill out the form with the details of your message.

1. Name: Give your template a descriptive name that you'll easily recognize later (e.g., "New Lead Welcome," "Sale Announcement").
2. Body: Write the content of your text message. This is what your contacts will see.
3. Type: From the dropdown menu, select SMS. This is crucial for ensuring the template appears in your SMS conversation window.
4. Click Save.

Step 4: Personalize with Merge Fields (Optional but Recommended)

Merge fields are placeholders that automatically pull in information from the contact record, making your messages feel personal.

• Syntax: Merge fields use a "curly brace" format: {object.field_name}
• Object: For SMS, the object will almost always be contact.
• Field Name: The field name must be in "snake_case" (all lowercase, with underscores instead of spaces). For example, the "First Name" field becomes first_name.

Example:

To create a message that says "Hey Jared, we have a sale going on!", you would write the following in the Body field:

Hey {{contact.first_name}}, we have a sale going on!

When you use the template, {{contact.first_name}} will be automatically replaced with the first name of the contact you're messaging.

{/* */}

A Note for Salesforce Users

The merge fields available by default are based on the standard contact fields synced with Valstorm. If you need to use custom fields from your Salesforce instance in your templates, please consult with the Valstorm team to get them configured.

Step 5: Using Your Template in a Conversation

Once saved, your template is ready to use.

1. Open the Phone component and navigate to an SMS conversation.
2. Click the Templates icon (often a document or page icon) within the message composition area.
3. Select your newly created template from the list.
4. The template's body will populate the message box, and any merge fields will be filled with the contact's specific information. You can now send the message.

{/* */}