[November 09, 2017]

Autopilot Turns Twilio's API into a Drag & Drop Builder, Empowering Marketers to Visually Automate SMS Without Having to Ask a Developer

Autopilot, the simple and visual marketing automation software, today announced the easiest way to automate SMS communications using a visual drag and drop builder. The expanded functionality powered by Twilio (News - Alert) allows anyone to automate SMS to capture information and send personalized replies based on responses without having to ask a developer or writing a line of code.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171109005904/en/

Conversational SMS marketing automation by Autopilot (Graphic: Business Wire)

"To make sure that every message matters, businesses must communicate on the channels their customers prefer," said Patrick Malatack, Vice President of Product Management at Twilio. "With their integration with Twilio SMS, Autopilot is lowering the barrier to entry for marketers who want to create engaging mobile experiences for their customers via text."

Up until now, marketers have relied on their developers to help them automate more complex aspects of SMS marketing. This includes sending personalized responses based on a reply and trying to capture information from SMS replies into their database like names and emails. As a result, SMS has been a largely untapped channel in marketing automation where demand for functionality beyond mass texting has grown. Autopilot's new features enable SMS automation for lead generation, capturing reply data and sending personalized messages based on responses-all on a simple, intuitive canvas seamlessly connected to existing marketing data, channels, and tools.

In just a few minutes, a marketer can drag and drop shapes on a screen to create a sequence of SMS communications. Triggered by sending a keyword such as "hello" to a shortcode or mobile number (similar to a bot) it can instantly reply and ask for more information. Different paths can be asily created based on how a contact replies to a message using reply outcomes like "yes" or "no". At the same time, the marketer can control the next steps of the customer experience by adding the contact to a list, updating a lead score, sending a follow up email, notifying the team on Slack, and more.

Seedsheet, as seen on ABC's Shark Tank, is using Autopilot's SMS automation to drive their business. They are on a mission to make it ridiculously easy to grow your own food. "Autopilot's new SMS functionality has helped us create a personalized experience for our customers on the channel they use the most," said Cam MacKugler, CEO & Founder at Seedsheet. "First-time gardeners can sign up to receive real-time tips, tutorials, and recipes that follows their garden's growth from seed to supper. So far, these text messages have helped our customers grow thousands of gardens." The new functionality has radically changed how Seedsheet plans to market their product. Available at stores like Home Depot, QVC, Ace Hardware, and Amazon, they've added SMS opt-in instructions on their product packaging. It's as simple as texting "herbs" to a phone number.

Autopilot's new SMS automation capabilities for marketers include:

• Text to opt in: Drive lead acquisition by allowing people to SMS a keyword (e.g. "hello") to a phone number or shortcode.
• Automate text sequences: Instantly trigger follow up communications with contacts who request more information.
• Collect information: Ask questions like "What company do you work for?" or "Would you describe your level of experience as beginner, intermediate, or advanced?" Then capture SMS replies and save data to the contact profile for future correspondence.
• Personalize customer journeys: Automate actions based on a contact's reply. For example, you might ask if the customer prefers a follow up call or email. If they choose "call", assign a task to your sales team in Salesforce CRM to make a phone call. If they choose "email", send a follow up email.
• Build bot-like experiences: Use SMS to design automated conversations that answer common questions. Think of it like adding an assistant that helps you generate and qualify leads, gather feedback from customers, and deliver support.

Autopilot's expanded SMS automation functionality furthers the company's mission to make multi-channel marketing automation affordable and accessible.

"By removing the need for a developer to access the incredible capabilities of Twilio and Autopilot, we're able to unleash marketers' creativity," said Michael Sharkey, CEO of Autopilot. "Customer interest has been off the charts. We've heard of customers planning to use the functionality to capture interest off billboards, collect audience feedback at events or even use it as a virtual business card. This is the stuff marketers used to dream about doing with SMS and today it's a reality."

The new SMS capabilities are available to all Autopilot customers today. See how it works by texting "Hello" to (415) 877-9922. To learn more and sign up, visit: https://blog.autopilothq.com/sms-marketing-automation-twilio-integration

About Autopilot

Autopilot is simple and visual marketing automation software trusted and loved by over 3,000 teams around the world. It helps marketers capture and convert new leads, connect with customers and create loyal repeat buyers. The best teams at Lyft, Atlassian, Microsoft (News - Alert), Instapage, LiveChat, Greenpeace, Patreon and Crunchbase all use Autopilot to automate their marketing.

Founded in 2012, Autopilot has offices in San Francisco and Sydney, and has raised over $30M in venture funding from backers including Blackbird, Rembrandt, and Salesforce Ventures.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171109005904/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]