How to Send Ad-Hoc Broadcasts From a File
About Ad-hoc Broadcast Messaging
The ad-hoc broadcast feature in Dialog Health allows you to send a mass text message to all of your subscribers or to a designated subset of subscribers. Ad-hoc broadcasts are handy when you need to get out emergent information fast. Unlike campaign broadcast messages, ad-hoc messaging is not automated. To learn more about sending an Ad-Hoc Broadcast to members already added to your Dialog Health console, click HERE.
In this article, we will cover how you can direct an ad-hoc broadcast to a new census after you have formatted that census to meet our 17-column CSV file requirements. Click HERE to learn more about how to format your census properly before you import it to Dialog Health.
When Could My Team Send an Ad-Hoc From a File?
If you have formatted your census to match the 17-column CSV file requirements, you can easily send your desired outreach to that file only. This can be helpful if you are trying to avoid sending a text message to other subscribers whom you may have added to Dialog Health in the past.
Send Mass Updates to Staff:
- Reminder for open enrollment
- Reminder for annual education requirements
- And much more!
Send Mass Updates to Patients:
- Recall messages such as 5-year colonoscopy reminder
- Reminders about health plan benefits
- And much more!
Don't currently have access to ad-hoc broadcast messaging? Reach out to info@dialoghealth.com to talk with our team about the addition of ad-hoc messaging.
How to Send an Ad-Hoc From a File
The following tutorial will walk your team through sending an ad-hoc broadcast from a specific census imported to the platform using the 17-column CSV file format. When you complete your message configuration, everyone on your file will be attempted to be opted-in if they are not already opted-in for messaging before your ad-hoc message is sent.
1. Navigate to the Broadcasts Tab. If your team has Ad-hoc broadcast messaging enabled, the first tab will display Ad-hoc. If you do not have Ad-hoc messaging enabled, it will appear greyed out.
2. To create a new ad-hoc, select + Add Ad-Hoc Broadcast.
3. Create New Ad Hoc Broadcast Message
- Broadcast Name: Pick a name for your ad-hoc broadcast. This will be for internal use only. Our team recommends adding the date you send your ad-hoc into the title as best practice.
- Audience:
- From the drop-down, select From File. This will prompt a new button to populate, +Add File.
- Select +Add File, and select the 17-Column CSV file you created from your computer.
- If you selected the incorrect file, you can select -Remove File and navigate your computer to select the appropriate file.
- If you used the incorrect file format, the system will notify you when you attempt to import the file and disable you from sending the message. The file size must be less than 1MB.
- Opt-In Group(s): Select the appropriate opt-in group(s) that you'd like to opt the file into. For example, if I only want to message staff members, I would select my staff opt-in group. If I want to send a message to my patients, I would select my patient opt-in group. If you use multiple groups, take caution when selecting "all groups". To learn more about opt-in groups, click HERE.
- Audience Filters: If you would like the text message to go to everyone on your file, you do not need to set audience filters. If you added information to the Person Misc fields on your file, you can select the drop-down located in the Audience Filters section to choose how you'd like to direct your Ad-Hoc Broadcast. Depending on who you are trying to reach on your file, it may be appropriate to use more than 1 audience filter.
- Send Time: You have two options available to queue your ad-hoc broadcast to send. The first option is selecting a scheduled date and time to send your ad-hoc broadcast. As a best practice, our team always recommends scheduling your ad-hoc broadcast, even if it's set to go out 10 minutes from the time you are creating the message. By scheduling your ad-hoc for a future date/time, you have the capability to delete your ad-hoc to prevent it from sending.
- Send ASAP: The second option available to queue your ad-hoc broadcast to send is Send ASAP. Once you have created your ad-hoc and you're ready to send, you will not be able to go back and makes changes to your ad-hoc broadcast. Your message will be sent and cannot be undone. New members on your file will also immediately receive an opt-in alert.
- Template: If your team has a message which is used frequently, your admin on the account can add templates to choose from which will populate the message box with your prebuilt verbiage. To learn more about creating templates, click HERE.
- Message: If you do not have text templates created, you can free type in the message section. As a best practice, remember to add your organization's name to your outreach so the subscriber knows who the message is coming from. Your preferences in Dialog Health allow you to create a sponsor code so your team does not have to add your organization's name each time you create an ad-hoc broadcast or direct text message. To learn more about how to set up your sponsor code, click HERE.
- Add: Once customization is complete, proceed by selecting Add in the bottom, right-hand corner of the window. You will receive a Broadcast Configuration Alert to confirm that you are ready to opt-in, and send or schedule your ad-hoc. Select Ok to continue or Cancel to go back to make changes to your ad-hoc broadcast. Once you proceed by pressing Ok, you will not be able to make changes to your ad-hoc, and new members will be sent an opt-in text message.
How Do I Know When My Ad-Hoc Has Finished Sending?
It may take up to 5 minutes for your ad-hoc to send after your selected send-time. The Status Bar will alert your team when the message has been sent.
1/5 Importing: Dialog Health is working on preparing your file to opt-in new subscribers.
2/5 Opting In: Dialog Health is attempting to opt in people on your list who have never been opted-in to Dialog Health.
3/5 Opted In: Dialog Health has completed opting in new subscribers.
4/5 Scheduled: Dialog Health is working on sending your text message, or your message is scheduled to send for a future date/time.
5/5 Sent: Your ad-hoc broadcast has been sent from Dialog Health.
If you are sending an ad-hoc from a file, and schedule the message to send at a future time/date you can cancel the message and it will prevent the opt-ins/messages from sending.
Our support line is monitored Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 6:00 pm CST
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