Broadcasting is a powerful tool that allows you to send messages to a large group of users, but it's more than just a mass delivery. Here's what you need to know:
What is Broadcasting?
Broadcasting is a feature that allows you to send unified messages to some or all of your users. This helps you target and segment your audience, personalizing their experience even better. This can be used for announcements, reminders, updates, or other marketing efforts.
Benefits of Broadcasting
- Targeted Communication: Reach specific user segments based on demographics, interests, or behavior. Promote special offers, share announcements, or send friendly reminders.
- Increased Engagement: Re-engage users with your chatbot by sending relevant and timely messages.
- Improved Efficiency: Save time by sending a single message to many users instead of individual interactions.
Supported Channels
Here's a breakdown of which channels support broadcasting and their key features:
| Channels | Targeting Options | Cost | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook Messenger | Target users based on their profile information and past interactions within the platform. Offers rich personalization options (e.g., {{first_name}}, {{last_interaction}}). | Included in a paid plan | Limited to users that were active (interacted with your bot) within the last 24 hours |
| Webchat | Target users based on their profile information and past interactions within the platform. Offers rich personalization options (e.g., {{first_name}}, {{last_interaction}}). | Included in a paid plan | Limited to users that were active (interacted with your bot) within the last 24 hours |
| Requires manual creation of lists containing phone numbers (and optionally, user names). | Additional charges apply based on location and number of recipients. | Depending on WhatsApp Business API usage. | |
| SMS | Requires manual creation of lists containing phone numbers (and optionally, user names). | Additional charges apply based on location and number of recipients. | No limits |
Important Note: Facebook Messenger and Webchat have limitations on how far back you can target users for broadcasts. These channels can only target users who have interacted with your bot within the last 24 hours for non-promotional messages. If you want to send promotional messages outside this window, consider using SMS or WhatsApp.
Types of Broadcasts
WideBot supports various broadcast message formats, including:
- Text Messages
- Images
- Gallery (Carousel): Send multiple images in a single message that users can swipe through.
- Multimedia (Audio, Video)
- Buttons (e.g., call to action buttons)
- Quick Replies (pre-defined answer options for users)
- Attachments (e.g., PDFs, documents)
- Set Attributes (let you manage changing information across your chatbot flows from one central place)
Creating a Broadcast
This section provides a general framework for creating a broadcast. Specific steps might differ depending on the channel you choose (Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Webchat, SMS). We'll delve deeper into channel-specific instructions in separate guides.
- Initiate the Broadcast: Find the Broadcast feature in your chatbot platform and click "Create New Broadcast."
- Name Your Broadcast: Choose a clear and descriptive name for easy management.
- Choose Your Channel: Select the channel you want to use (e.g., Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Webchat).
- Craft Your Message: Choose the message type (text, image, button) and design the flow of your broadcast.
- Target Your Audience: Decide whether to send the message to all users or specific segments. Use filters to narrow down the recipient list for better targeting.
- Schedule or Send Now: Schedule the broadcast for a specific time or send it immediately.
- Publish or Save: Publish the broadcast to send the messages or save it as a draft for further editing.
Note: The broadcast name must be unique and cannot be duplicated, as duplicate names will prevent proceeding to the next step.
Managing Your Broadcasts
- Scheduled Broadcasts: View, edit, and pause scheduled broadcasts.
- Drafts: Access messages that are in progress or paused.
- Broadcast History: View the history and summary of previous broadcast messages. Edit and resend messages from history.
Is Broadcast a Free Feature?
Broadcasting requires a paid plan for all channels. There are some variations for specific channels:
- Facebook Messenger & Webchat: Sending a non-promotional message over the Facebook Messenger & Webchat channels costs you nothing (for example, a message tagged as “Account Update”).
- WhatsApp & SMS: These channels incur additional charges based on two factors:
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- Phone Number Location: Costs often vary depending on the country code of the phone number you're sending to.
- Number of Recipients: The total cost increases with the number of users you're sending the message to.
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Additional Tips
- Consider your target audience and the purpose of your message.
- Personalize your messages using system attributes like first names.
- Reward engaged users with valuable content or incentives.
- Provide clear unsubscribe instructions to avoid users blocking your messages.
- Explore SMS, WhatsApp for promotional messages outside the 24-hour window.