How to create and launch your SMS campaigns on WAX

You have defined your SMS marketing strategy and the offer you want to share with your customers? Now it’s time to send the messages. Running a marketing campaign on mobile is very simple, provided you use the right digital platform.

This tutorial shows you how WAX works to set up and send your SMS campaigns, grow your business and drive purchases. Also read our complete guide to SMS campaigns (legal rules, pricing, high-ROI examples).

What you need before running an SMS campaign

Set up your SMS Sender name on WAX

With the WAX platform, you can display your brand name rather than an anonymous number on your customer’s phone. To do so, set up your Sender name before scheduling your campaigns. This feature helps you stand out and reassures your customers when the message arrives.

Import your contacts

Before launching your campaigns, build your audience on the WAX platform. There are two ways to do it: manually importing a CSV file, or syncing automatically through our integrations.

Method 1: CSV import

Before importing, format your file correctly. It must have at least two columns, named without capitals or spaces:

• phone_number: the contact’s phone number
• first_name: the contact’s first name

If you want to add another column, name it in the same format. Replace spaces with underscores and avoid capitals. For example, use “date_of_birth” rather than “Date Of Birth”.

Then run your import in WAX:

• Go to Audience > List and Segment.
• Click “Create”, then “List from CSV”.
• Upload your CSV file and give your list a name.
• Select the value separator used (comma, semicolon), or leave the “Autodetect” option on so that WAX detects it automatically.
• Map each column to a WAX attribute. Recognised columns show the Auto badge. For the others, pick an existing attribute from the drop-down list, or type a new one to create it.

Any newly imported contact is given the “opt-in unknown” status if they have never been identified as opted in on WAX. So remember to tick “Add consent for SMS” to record their consent and be able to send them SMS campaigns.

Method 2: our integrations

The integration takes one click! Sync your data automatically by connecting to:

• Shopify: your contacts are imported into WAX, ready to be segmented.
• Klaviyo: your existing lists and segments are available straight away. You can keep managing your segments in Klaviyo and select the one you want when you schedule your message on the WAX platform.

Manage your lists and create segments

For a high-impact SMS campaign, send a personalised offer to the right contacts rather than a generic message.

Segment your customers directly from the platform:

• Go to Audience > Lists & Segments, then click “Create a segment”.
• Give your group of contacts a clear, explicit name (e.g. VIP Black Friday, Newsletter Prospects).
• Set the filters contacts must meet to be part of the segment:
  – Tags: target by assigned labels (e.g. SMS opt-in, went through a specific flow).
  – Contact properties: filter by their personal details (e.g. phone number, email provided).
  – Actions: identify people by their past behaviour (e.g. last purchase made in the last 30 days).
• Check that your criteria are relevant, then confirm by clicking “Save”.

Your segment is ready to use straight away. You can use it directly in WAX, as well as in your other CRM tools (such as Klaviyo).

What are the steps to roll out an SMS campaign with WAX?

Step 1: Open the Campaign module

To start, click the Campaigns tab in the platform’s main menu. This area brings together the management of your marketing campaigns, organised by status:

• Draft: campaigns being created
• Scheduled: scheduled campaigns
• In Progress: campaigns being sent
• Completed: finished campaigns
• Failed: campaigns that ran into an error

To design a new campaign, simply click the “Create” button.

Step 2: Choose how to build it (from scratch or from a template)

When you design your campaign, WAX offers two approaches:

• Start from scratch: create a fully personalised campaign from a blank page.
• Ready-to-use templates: a selection of pre-built scenarios, organised around your business goals (e.g. product launch, flash sales, customer loyalty).

To select and adapt a template:

• From the Campaigns tab, scroll down and choose the “SMS” section.
• Browse the available scenarios. Their descriptions help you choose the right template.
• Select a template and name it, then click “Duplicate” to copy it into your own workspace.
• All that’s left is to adapt the content to your offer and your brand identity.

Step 3: Write the message

In SMS marketing, brevity is key. Your message is limited to 160 characters, minus the mandatory STOP notice and special characters, which sometimes count double. Get straight to the point to catch each customer’s attention, with a punchy hook and a clear call to action (CTA).

Use the data collected from your customers to send a tailored offer or insert dynamic variables. Bear in mind, though, that they affect the final length of your SMS: a long first name could, for example, push you over the 160-character limit. So keep the number of variables per message low.

If you go over that limit, your send is counted and billed as several SMS. The WAX platform, however, lets you display your text as a single, readable message on your customers’ phones.

Step 4: Test your SMS campaign

Sending a test is an essential step to make sure your marketing campaign goes out perfectly. It lets you see exactly how your messages look on a smartphone and check that your links work.

Anyone with access to your WAX workspace can run these checks. Here’s how:

• At the bottom left of the screen, click the “Test” button.
• Enter your phone number and confirm to receive the preview.

Step 5: Schedule or launch your campaign

Once the message is approved, all that’s left is to schedule your campaign for your audience:

• Click the “Next” button in your campaign editor.
• Choose the list or segment of recipients, then click “Next” again.
• Set your sending schedule. You have two options:
  – Send now: to send your messages immediately.
  – Schedule for later: to schedule the send. Enter the date and exact time, and make sure you select the right time zone.
• After clicking “Next”, a summary panel appears (target audience, estimated campaign cost, etc.).
• Give your message a final check, then click “Submit campaign” to lock in the schedule or send it straight away.

Step 6: Track your SMS campaign’s performance

You can then follow your SMS campaign’s status as it changes (Scheduled, In progress, Completed).

As soon as the status changes to “Completed”, you can view your performance indicators to measure how effective your marketing campaign was:

• Audience: contacts initially targeted (some profiles may be excluded if the number is invalid or they have unsubscribed)
• Delivered: contacts who received the message
• Converted: contacts who made at least one conversion (this requires connecting your Shopify store to WAX so the data comes through)

These results help you adjust your strategy, refine your segments and increase the impact of your next SMS campaigns.