Text-to-Join

Text-to-join campaigns are the foundation of opt-in texting. Contacts text a keyword to your number and automatically receive a response, get added to a group, and begin receiving messages. This is the simplest way to grow your contact list and let your audience self-segment by interest.

Key Features

Keyword-Triggered Opt-In

When a customer texts a keyword — like JOIN, EVENTS, or SPECIALS — to your number, the text-to-join campaign fires automatically. No manual work is required. The customer is opted in, added to the right group, and receives your welcome message instantly.

Automatic Group Assignment

Each text-to-join campaign is linked to a customer group. When someone texts the keyword, they are automatically added to that group. This means your audience segments itself — customers who text EVENTS join the events group, and customers who text SPECIALS join the specials group.

Welcome Message & Follow-Ups

Define the response message that customers receive immediately after texting the keyword. You can also add follow-up messages that send after a delay — for example, a welcome message on day one and a reminder about upcoming events on day three.

Multi-Keyword Support

A single text-to-join campaign can have multiple keywords attached to it. All keywords trigger the same response and add the customer to the same group. This is useful when you want to give customers different ways to reach the same result — for example, both JOIN and SIGNUP can trigger the same campaign.

How to Set Up a Text-to-Join Campaign

Step 1: Create or Choose a Keyword

Navigate to Keywords and create a new keyword, or choose an existing one. Pick something short, memorable, and relevant to the action. Keywords are not case-sensitive — JOIN, join, and Join all work the same way.

Step 2: Create the Campaign

Go to Campaigns and click Create Campaign. Select Text-to-Join as the campaign type.

Step 3: Link the Keyword

Attach your keyword (or multiple keywords) to this campaign. Each keyword you link will trigger this campaign when texted.

Step 4: Choose the Target Group

Select which contact group the keyword should add contacts to. If the group does not exist yet, create it first under Contacts → Groups.

Step 5: Write the Welcome Message

Compose the message customers will receive immediately after texting the keyword. Use personalization tags like {first_name} if available. Keep it concise and include a clear next step or useful information.

Example welcome message:

Thanks for joining our text list! You'll receive updates about upcoming events and special offers. Reply STOP at any time to opt out.

Step 6: Add Follow-Up Messages (Optional)

Add additional messages that send after the welcome message on a delay. Follow-ups are useful for onboarding sequences, reminders, or drip campaigns.

Step 7: Activate the Campaign

Review your settings — keyword, group, welcome message, and follow-ups — then activate the campaign. Test it by texting the keyword from your own phone to verify everything works.

Real-World Examples

Event Sign-Up Keyword

Promote a keyword at your next event to capture attendee customer information:

Text EVENT to (555) 123-4567 to get event updates and exclusive content!

When attendees text EVENT, they receive a welcome message and are added to your event attendees group for future communications.

Interest-Based Segmentation

Offer multiple keywords so customers can self-select their interests:

Stay up to date with what matters to you! Reply with: EVENTS — upcoming events and programs HOURS — hours of operation updates SPECIALS — exclusive deals and promotions

QR Code + Keyword Pairing

Print a QR code on signage, business cards, or marketing materials that opens the customer's messaging app with the keyword pre-filled. They tap send and are instantly opted in. See QR Codes for setup details.

businesses or Association Opt-In

Promote text opt-in at networking events, conferences, and in membership packets:

Stay connected with your businesses! Text businesses to (555) 123-4567 for event updates and business resources.

Text customer to (555) 123-4567 to receive conference updates, CE reminders, and advocacy alerts from your association.

Storefront or Front Desk Opt-In

Place signage at your front desk, checkout counter, or entrance:

Join our text list for updates! Text JOIN to (555) 123-4567

Onboarding Sequences

Text-to-join campaigns are ideal for building automated onboarding flows that welcome new customers and guide them through their first month. By linking a keyword to a Custom Join Message campaign, you can deliver a timed sequence of messages that introduces benefits, drives engagement, and builds loyalty.

Sample 30-Day Onboarding Arc

How to Set It Up

1. Create a New customers group in Contact Groups
2. Create a text-to-join campaign with a keyword like WELCOME or JOIN linked to that group
3. Create a Custom Join Message campaign on the same group with the timed message sequence above
4. When a customer texts the keyword, they join the group and the onboarding sequence fires automatically

This also works for contacts added via import or API — adding them to the group triggers the same sequence.

Keyword Promotion Strategy

Place your onboarding keyword where new customers will see it at the moment they join:

• Confirmation page — after registration, display: "Text JOIN to [number] to get started"
• Welcome email — include the keyword as an alternative opt-in channel
• Welcome packet — if you mail a physical kit, print the keyword and number
• Sign-in at events — display a QR code at orientation events
• Conference registration — new customers joining at a conference can text on-site to start receiving updates immediately

Tips & Best Practices

• Keep keywords short and easy to spell. One word is ideal. Avoid words that are commonly misspelled.
• Test every keyword yourself before promoting it publicly. Verify the welcome message, group assignment, and follow-ups all work as expected.
• Use different keywords for different channels to track where opt-ins originate. Use WEB for your website, EVENT for in-person signage, and CARD for business cards.
• Include opt-out language in your welcome message. Mentioning "Reply STOP to opt out" builds trust and is a best practice for SMS compliance.
• Pair keywords with QR codes to make opt-in even easier — customers scan and send without typing.
• Review your keyword list periodically to deactivate keywords that are no longer in use.

Common Questions

Can a customer text the keyword more than once?

Yes. If a customer is already in the group and texts the keyword again, they will still receive the welcome message. This is useful for repeatable information keywords like HOURS that return updated content each time.

What happens if a customer texts a keyword that does not exist?

The platform will not send a response. Only active keywords linked to a campaign will trigger a message.

Can I change the welcome message after the campaign is active?

Yes. Update the campaign's message content at any time. Changes apply to future opt-ins — customers who already received the previous welcome message will not receive the updated version.