Webservice reference VS. Service reference
- When using .NET to call webservices, make sure you are using the webservice reference not the service reference.
Country Code
- At any time in an API call when using a phone number you must include the country code, for US & Canada it is '1'.
List Scrubbing
- There are two ways to be able to scrub your phone data. The number one and preferred method is to use the carrier lookup call in the webservices is located HERE. Ideally you would loop your phone list through that method. The second method would be to upload a subscriber list through the platform via csv file.
Send Template Message
- Send template message can be used in two different ways. One method would be to use the createTemplate webservice call to create the template, webservice is located HERE. Once you have created the template you can then use the sendTemplateMessage call and only enter the template id and your recipients, here is an example of what the call would look like if you had created a template and the template id = 1234:
Authorization object
---------------------
username = ws_username
password = ws_password
api_key = ws_api_key
code = 12345
keyword = group_keyword
RecipientList
---------------------
sendTo = 18885554433
type = 1
template object
---------------------
template id = 1234
- As you can see the only field you need in the template object is the template id of the created template.
- The other method would be to just fill out the template object within the sendTemplateMessage call as shown HERE .
- Another trick to using sendTemplateMessage is to create a template on the division level and then you will be able to use the template id on any of the groups below that division.
Organization Tree
The steps to structure an organization would be to first create the company which will require white label credentials. That webservice call to create a company is located HERE.
The second step would be to create a division, that webservice call can be located HERE. The last step to create a basic tree would be to create the group AKA subscription node. That is located HERE.
So based on the structure explained, would look like the following:
It is possible to have multiple divisions under a company, and multiple groups under a division. It is also possible to have a division under a division. The following is an example of multiple divisions and multiple groups.
- Company
- Division I
- Division II
- Division III
ShortCode vs. LongCode
- SMS message may be delivered through a short code or a long code. Below is a brief description of each one:
Short Codes
- A short code is simply a shortened phone number, usually 5-6 digits long. Short codes are primarily used for mobile marketing and mass SMS. They are convenient for marketing purposes because they are easier to remember than a full 10 digit number. They are also made for mass SMS delivery purposes. The downside is that short codes are more expensive, can only be used in the US or Canada, and they take a minimum of 90 days to provision.
Long Codes
- A long code is a 10 digit phone number that has been text enabled. The advantage of long codes is that they are usually available in every area code in the US and Canada, they can deliver messages internationally, and they only take 1-2 weeks to provision. Long codes can also be voice enabled so that 1 phone number can except both text messages and phone calls. The downside is that long codes are not as easy to remember as a short code.