Texting Guide for Advertising Companies

Advertising moves fast. Creative, media, and production teams need short messages that keep reviews, placements, and shoots on schedule. TextUs helps agencies, in-house ad teams, and production partners coordinate at scale while keeping every conversation structured and auditable.

How TextUs Fits Advertising Workflows

TextUs Campaigns reach targeted lists from your CRM or project tracker with concise prompts that move work forward. You can attach PDFs or images like creative comps, trafficking sheets, call sheets, or spec one-pagers so people can review without digging through email.

Keywords such as APPROVE, REVISE, TAGS, or ETA route replies into Sequences that acknowledge intent and send the next step automatically.

Replies land in the Shared Inbox where account, creative, media, and production can assign owners and respond with Templates. Integrations sync contact records and message activity to your system of record so approvals and notes are traceable.

You can view deliveries, replies, and clicks in TextUs and export CSVs for reporting against milestones and SLAs.

What to Set Up First

Connect your CRM or project management platform so lists, contacts, and conversations sync automatically. Register 10DLC numbers and keep opt-out handling active so STOP and UNSUBSCRIBE are processed correctly.

Create Templates for high-volume moments: creative approvals, trafficking confirmations, asset requests, shoot logistics, and invoice questions. Define Shared Inbox coverage by role and hours so someone always owns replies.

Segment audiences by workflow stage and stakeholder. Examples include Clients Pending Approval, Media Vendors This Week, Talent and Crew, and Finance Follow-Ups. Smaller, purpose-built segments keep the first touch relevant.

How to Create an SMS Campaign With TextUs

1. Choose your audience: Open Campaigns in TextUs and select a segment from your CRM or PM tool, such as “Clients Pending Approval.” This makes sure your messages reach the right stakeholders.
2. Write your message: Keep it short and specific. Example: “Hi {{first_name}}, latest creative for [Campaign] is ready. Reply APPROVE to launch or REVISE for edits.”
3. Attach media: Add a PDF or image if helpful, such as a one-pager, mockup, or trafficking checklist. Attachments reduce back-and-forth and speed signoff.
4. Set up an A/B test: Create a second version that changes one element, like tone or the call to action. Compare reply and approval rates.
5. Schedule your campaign: Send during review windows, often mid-morning or early afternoon. Use recurrence for weekly performance summaries or flight checks.
6. Create a keyword: Add a keyword such as APPROVE, REVISE, or TAGS and reference it in your message. When someone replies with that word, TextUs will recognize it automatically.
7. Link to a sequence: Connect the keyword to a two-step sequence. For example, “Step 1: Confirm approval or collect revision notes. Step 2: Follow up 24 hours later if there is no response.”
8. Send and monitor: Launch your campaign, track replies, and route exceptions quickly through the Shared Inbox.

Example sequence messages:

• Step 1 (auto-reply): “Thanks for approving [Campaign]. We are moving to trafficking and will text a go-live note.”
• Step 2 (reminder): “Checking in on [Campaign] revisions. Reply REVISE with a short note or APPROVE to proceed.”

Segmentation and Personalization Strategy

Segment by campaign stage, channel, and stakeholder role. Useful rules include draft ready, flight start, asset due date, vendor type, and finance status. Exclude completed items, opt-outs, and stale contacts to keep lists clean.

Personalize lightly with the first name and one context field, such as campaign or channel. Set fallbacks for any field that could be missing. Keep each message tied to one clear action so recipients know exactly how to respond.

Refresh segments daily for active work and weekly for reporting or renewals. Hourly refresh can help during pre-launch week when assets and tags are changing.

Template Library for Advertising Scenarios

• “Hi {{first_name}}, draft creative for [Campaign] is ready. Reply APPROVE to launch or REVISE for edits.”
• “Trafficking check for [Placement] today. Reply TAGS if you need the spec sheet or READY when uploaded.”
• “Call sheet for [Shoot Name] on [Date] attached. Reply ETA with your arrival time.”
• “Optimization report for [Channel] attached. Reply CALL to schedule a 15-minute debrief.”
• “Invoice question for [PO/IO]. Reply HELP to connect with finance or OK if the amount is approved.”

Review the template performance monthly with compliance. Retire low performers, note which tones drive faster replies, and store approved language for regulated verticals.

Reporting and Attribution Workflow

Export deliveries, replies, and clicks from TextUs weekly. Join that data with PM or CRM fields like approval time, launch date, and issue count to see how SMS shortens cycles.

Preserve campaign name, audience, keyword, and variant fields so you can compare cohorts over time. Track reply-to-approval rate, approval-to-launch time, and percent of Sequences that completed without manual follow-up.

Publish a one-page summary each week with delivery rate, reply rate, approval time, and launch slips prevented. Add short notes about copy or timing changes so the team can repeat what worked.

Production, Trafficking, and Vendor Coordination

Use TextUs to remove friction across pre-pro and live campaigns. For productions, send call sheets, parking maps, and wardrobe notes to talent and crew with an ETA keyword so arrivals are predictable.

For media, send trafficking specs and due dates to vendors with a TAGS keyword that returns the spec sheet instantly.

Create a lightweight exception flow. A reply with HELP can route to a coordinator who adds a note and assigns ownership. Short messages reduce phone tag and preserve a clean audit trail in your system of record.

Managing Replies in the Shared Inbox

All replies appear in the Shared Inbox for full visibility across account, creative, media, and production. The first responder assigns the thread to themselves so the stakeholder has one owner. Templates keep answers consistent while one personal line maintains relationship tone.

Use tags such as Approval, Trafficking, Shoot, Vendor, and Finance to organize threads. Add notes before forwarding to another team so context is never lost. If someone goes quiet, move them into a re-engagement Sequence with one clear option.

Tracking Results and Improving Performance

Check delivery and replies a few hours after each send. Delivery below 95% suggests list or registration issues that you should fix before the next batch. Compare A and B versions and keep the stronger performer for the next cycle.

If your text included a link or attachment, review clicks as a readiness signal. Export CSVs and reconcile with approvals, launch dates, and QA issues to prove impact. For example, shorter CTAs often lift reply rates by 15% compared to long formal requests.

Tune cadence by phase. Pre-launch benefits from daily prompts, while live flights work with twice-weekly optimization notes. Keep tests small and continuous so insights compound.

Compliance and Deliverability for Advertising Companies

Use registered 10DLC numbers for all business messaging. Keep opt-out handling on, so STOP and UNSUBSCRIBE are processed automatically. Include a short line in the first message, such as “Reply STOP to opt out.”

Avoid spam triggers by limiting links, punctuation, and all caps. Do not include confidential contract or credential details in SMS. Use secure links for statements of work, budgets, and portals.

Keep attachments lightweight and relevant so comps, call sheets, or trafficking PDFs open quickly on mobile. Send within local business hours and match cadence to the workflow.

FAQs About Texting Guide for Advertising Companies

Can I attach comps, call sheets, or spec PDFs to my texts?

Yes. TextUs allows PDFs, images, or GIFs in both campaigns and one-to-one conversations. Advertising teams commonly attach comps, call sheets, trafficking specs, and optimization summaries to reduce delays.

Can I automate approvals or trafficking reminders?

Yes. You can schedule campaigns and connect Keywords and Sequences to automate these flows. A reply with APPROVE or TAGS can trigger confirmations or send the correct spec one-pager.

How do Keywords and Sequences reduce manual follow-ups?

You choose a keyword like APPROVE, REVISE, or ETA and reference it in your message. When someone replies with that word, TextUs can automatically enroll them in a Sequence that confirms the action and follows up later if needed. This keeps routine coordination consistent.

How does the Shared Inbox help cross-functional teams?

All replies land in one shared view where account, creative, media, and production teams can collaborate. You can assign owners, use Templates for consistent answers, and add notes for clean handoffs. This prevents duplicate outreach and preserves context.

What metrics should I track to prove value?

Start with delivery, reply, and approval rates. Export TextUs data and connect it to PM or CRM milestones like launch date, issue count, and cycle time. Weekly reviews help refine timing, tone, and audience segments.