Introduction

Tags in SMS templates are placeholders that allow you to insert personalized information into your messages, such as the recipient's name, phone number, or other contact details. 

When you create an SMS template, you can use the Merge Tags feature to dynamically populate a message with specific details based on the recipient's profile or other data sources.

Merge Tags use a specific syntax, such as {#var#}, and can be customized to match specific data fields available in your CRM. Using Merge Tags can help you create personalized, targeted messages that resonate with your audience and improve engagement.

For example, let's say you want to send an SMS message to a customer reminding them of an upcoming appointment. You can use Merge Tags to automatically insert the customer's name, appointment date, and other details into the message. When you send the message, the tags will be replaced with the information from the merged fields from the related record.

Let us look at a case study to understand how merge tags are used in an SMS template.

Case Study - Personalized Appointment Reminders Using Merge Tags in an SMS Template

Objective

ABC Dental Clinic wants to improve its appointment reminder process by sending personalized SMS reminders to its patients. They aim to reduce no-show rates and enhance customer satisfaction by providing relevant and customized appointment information.

Solution

To achieve their objective, ABC Dental Clinic decided to leverage merge tags in an SMS template within their communication system, which is integrated with a reliable SMS provider. They follow the steps below:

1. Step 1 - Integration and Data Sync: ABC Dental Clinic integrates its patient management system with the SMS provider and ensures that patient contact details, appointment information, and relevant merge tag data are synced between the systems.
2. Step 2 - Template Creation: They create an SMS template for appointment reminders using merge tags. The merge tags allow them to populate the template with personalized information for each patient dynamically.
3. Step 3 - Merge Tag Implementation: ABC Dental Clinic incorporates merge tags within the SMS template to dynamically insert patient-specific details. The merge tags are replaced with actual patient information during message generation and delivery.

Using Merge Tags to SMS Templates

You can add merge tags to an SMS while creating an SMS template. These tags are available as a list based on the module selected in the Related Module field when creating an SMS template.

Enter {#var#} in the content box and select the required merge field from the section below. When you send the message, the merge tags will be replaced with the information from the merged field specific to the recipient from the related record.

​Follow these steps to create an SMS template on Vtiger CRM:

1. Log in to your CRM account.

2. Click the Main Menu.

3. Click Marketing.
4. Click SMS Templates. A List View of SMS templates appears.

5. Click +Add Template. Create SMS template window appears.
6. Enter or select information for the following:

1. Content: Enter the content of the SMS template.
   1. To add a merge tag (Repeat to add more merge tags).
      1. Enter {#var#} in the content.
      2. Click anywhere outside the content field. Merge tag fields appear.
      3. Click an empty field.
      4. Select the required merge tag from the available list. 
2. Template Name: Enter a name for the SMS template.
3. Template ID: Enter a unique a: Before creating the SMS template.
4. Assigned To: Select a user from the drop-down.
5. Status: Select the status of the SMS template from the drop-down.
6. Template Type: Select the SMS template type from the drop-down.
7. Module: Select the related module of the CRM from the drop-down.

8. Click Save. 

You can see the created SMS template in the SMS Templates List View.
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