Automations are only available for Admin users of RiTA. If you do not have Admin access please speak to your RiTA Supervisor in the office.
When it comes to creating a Conversation Sequence there are two main parts to their implementation, the creation of the actual Conversation Sequence itself and changes to the Templates. If you'd like to know how to change the Templates used in your Conversation Sequences click Here.
If you'd like to know how to create the actual Conversation Sequence itself, keep reading.
RiTA's Conversation Sequences let you have a series of hyper-personalised conversations with your contacts over time, helping you nurture your relationships, build trust and maintain consistency in prospecting.
How to configure a Conversation Sequence Automation:
Before you begin, ensure you have Admin access in RiTA. You will also need to have created your templates before setting up your automation. Please see Templates for instructions on how to do this.
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To begin simply click on the icon on the left hand side that says ‘Automations’ as seen below:
This will open the Automations Dashboard. At the top, you will see automations that are currently active, then configured automations that are not active, and then RiTA’s Automation Templates.
1. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and find a List Automation Template that you'd like to use and then click Customise
2. Before you begin to fill out the template, you will notice a Master Switch at the top of the screen. Ensure this is turned off for now and only turn on when you are ready for RiTA to start the conversations.
Master Switch
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This is the on/off switch - keep this off whilst configuring your automation.
Automation Title
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Give your automation a descriptive title.
This functions exactly the same as when configuring a List, including adding pre-defined Segments.
Last engagement date
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It's a good idea to always have this filter on so contacts aren't engaged via sms too often, we usually suggest having it at 30-90 days since last engagement
Conversation Frequency
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Choose how often the Contacts (selected by your filters) in this Automation, will receive messaging from RiTA. You can choose between days, weeks, or months and input a number for the chosen time period. So, if I wanted to talk to contacts quarterly, I could input 3 and select Months. I could also achieve this by using 90 Days.
In Conversation Sequences, you can only select either Single Email OR SMS Conversation
SMS Conversation
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Select this to include a single SMS or an SMS conversation as part of the automation. You may need to review the conversation content if using a template, and you will have to create it from scratch if not using a template.
Single Email
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Select this to send a single Email as part of the automation. You may need to review the Email content if using a template, and you will have to create it from scratch if not using a template.
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Choose the RiTA Number that you want to send via.
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Begin configuring the Conversation Sequence.
RiTA's Conversation Sequences will be sent using the Conversation Frequency set earlier. Which SMS Conversation is sent is defined by adding SMS Conversations to the Conversation Sequence in the order that you want them to be sent out.
If a Conversation requires a specific Topic which isn't available for a Contact, RiTA will skip to the next SMS Conversation in the Sequence.
For example, if my Conversation Sequence had a Just Sold Conversation, but there weren't any recently sold properties near the contact, RiTA would skip to the next Conversation, e.g. an Appraisal Drive Conversation
If you're wanting to know how to set up your own Templates, which covers the flow of your Conversation Sequence and it's associated messages check out the Templates help article.
Since I am creating an owner nurturing Sequence in this example, I want to use our owner nurturing Templates, so I have searched for owner nurturing.
To add an SMS Conversation, select it from the search bar and then click Add SMS Conversation once it appears, as above.
That SMS Conversation is now part of this Conversation Sequence.
Since Consent & Qualify is a Conversation that we only want to have once with a Contact, the Template has been configured to Do not send to contacts who have had this conversation before.
This is why the SMS Conversation is Orange (whereas others will be Blue) to indicate that it will only be sent once.
If the same SMS Conversation is used in multiple different Conversation Sequence Automations, the Do not send to contacts who have had this conversation before will apply across all Automations.
For example, if I use the same Proposed: Owner Nurturing - Consent & Qualify Conversation in a different Automation which targets the same contact to send them a Market Report each quarter, and RiTA had the Consent & Qualify Conversation with the Contact in that Automation, she would not send the Conversation in this Automation.
Now we can add further SMS Conversations to the Conversation Sequence. Otherwise, it wouldn't be much of a Conversation Sequence, would it?
Follow the same steps as above to add further SMS Conversations. Search, Select from the Dropdown, and Add.
If at any time you want to check the content of the SMS Conversation, you can click View on the right side of the SMS Conversation which will open the content in a new tab.
If the SMS Conversation is a RiTA Template, the content will be view only and can not be edited. Any Templates created by you, or your team, that are accessible by you, can be edited.
If we decide that we don't want one of the SMS Conversations that we've added, we can click the circled x on the right side to remove it. In my case, I decided that I don't want the second Just Sold anymore, so I will remove that one.
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Choose who the email should come from. This can be a Dynamic email (based on the Contact), a Specific Address (not a RiTA User), or a RiTA User.
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Set a Fallback address, this is used to send the email if RiTA is ever unable to find the email address from the first setting (if a dynamic setting is chosen).
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Choose the best CC and BCC settings for your use case. It is advised to keep the From Address as a BCC, so that the sender is aware of what was sent on their behalf.
RiTA's Conversation Sequences will be sent using the Conversation Frequency set earlier. Which Single Email is sent is defined by adding Single Emails to the Conversation Sequence in the order that you want them to be sent out.
If a Conversation requires a specific Topic which isn't available for a Contact, RiTA will skip to the next Single Email in the Sequence.
For example, if my Conversation Sequence had a Just Sold Email, but there weren't any recently sold properties near the contact, RiTA would skip to the next Single Email, e.g. an Appraisal Drive Email
Using the search bar, you can find all of the Single Email Templates that you have configured in RiTA.
Not sure what these are? Check out the Templates help article.
Since I am creating an owner nurturing Sequence in this example, I want to use our owner nurturing Templates, so I have searched for owner nurturing.
It is always a good idea to start a Conversation Sequence with a Consent & Qualify conversation to ensure that the Contacts are happy to receive the information.
To add a Single Email, select it from the search bar and then click Add Email once it appears, as above.
That Single Email is now part of this Conversation Sequence.
Now we can add further Single Emails to the Conversation Sequence. Otherwise, it wouldn't be much of a Conversation Sequence, would it?
Follow the same steps as above to add further Single Emails. Search, Select from the Dropdown, and Add.
If at any time you want to check the content of the Single Email, you can click View on the right side of the Single Email which will open the content in a new tab.
If the Single Email is a RiTA Template, the content will be view only and can not be edited. Any Templates created by you, or your team, that are accessible by you, can be edited.
If we decide that we don't want one of the Single Emails that we've added, we can click the circled x on the right side to remove it. In my case, I decided that I don't want the second Just Sold anymore, so I will remove that one.
List reviewer
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Who will be given the list to review before RiTA sends it.
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This selection is necessary, but the assigned user doesn’t have to review the list before RiTA sends it. Just remember that if the list reviewer does not abort the list for the day (if required) RiTA will send the list at the scheduled time.
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If you have specified ‘One list per Contact Owner/Recommended Agent’, set this to the same so that the person RiTA is sending the list for can review it before it goes out.
Days and Send Start Time
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Specify which days the automation should run on (and create review lists)
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Specify the time that RiTA will automate the Review lists. Agents will be able to review the list up until this time, when RiTA will start the automation.
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The send time is dependant based on the user setting up the automation; if you are based in Brisbane and the client is in Melbourne and wants it to go out at 5pm, you need to set the start time to be 4pm on your end so it reflects correctly on their end.
RiTA’s Scheduled Holidays
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This pauses a list automation from running between the specified dates, even if the automation Master Switch is left ‘on’.
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You can have multiple holidays.
Daily List Size
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RiTA will provide a recommended daily list size so that you can talk to all of the Contacts that meet the provided filters within the Conversation Frequency that you have set.
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The recommended list size will account for the Conversation Frequency, Days that RiTA will send, Holidays scheduled, and the Contacts that meet the provided filters.
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If you'd like less each day, you can reduce the Contact count through changing filters, increasing the Conversation Frequency, or add more scheduled days.
SMS Conversation with any response
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Creates a follow up if there is a reply to the SMS, regardless of how far through the conversation it is. Assign this to either the lead agent who is reviewing the lists, or another person to manage the responses.
SMS Conversation with no response
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Creates a follow up if there is no response to the conversation within 24 hours of it being sent.
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Recommend to leave this off, unless the agent wishes to know who is not responding to their SMS.
Contacts who opened [ x ] or more times / Contacts who clicked [ x ] or more times
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Creates a follow up when the email sent is opened or clicked the specified number of times
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Recommend to leave this off, as this can get overwhelming if there is a lot of engagement (e.g., buyer enquiry responses)
Contacts with no engagement within [ x ] hours
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For email, this is if there is no open/click activity, RiTA will create a follow up.
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Recommend to leave this off, unless the agent wants to get the contact out of their database if they don’t engage
Unsubscribe
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Creates a Data Update follow up if the Contact unsubscribes from the content
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Recommend to turn this on to review any unsubscribes
Send Failure: Incorrect Contact Details
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Creates a follow up if RiTA tried to send the Conversation to the contact's email address or mobile number but it failed
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Recommend to turn this on to identify and clean up bad/missing data
Send Failure: Merge Field and Configuration Errors
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Creates a follow up if RiTA tried to send the Conversation to the contact's email address or mobile number but there was an error in the configuration of the Template or Automation
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Recommend to turn this on to identify any problems with the Conversation Sequence or Templates
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Ideally, should be set to the RiTA Supervisor/Admin
Fallback assignee
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If for some reason RiTA is unable to assign a follow up to a user, she will assign the follow up to this person
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You can set this to be a PA or the main agent.
Add note to contact in CRM
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As the name implies, adds a note to the contact about RiTA sending them the conversation content. RiTA will send the full transcript of the SMS conversation back to the CRM.
Save / Create
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This will save the automation changes. Please note that if a mobile number has not yet been purchased, you cannot save the automation conversation.
Save and Start / Generate List (s)
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This will save the automation and start it on the designated date and time. Please be aware that if the time for the automation has passed, the automation will not create a review list for today.