In short
- Keep members in a spreadsheet with one column of phone numbers.
- Create a campaign, upload the file and type @ to add each member's name or the event.
- Send now or schedule it for a time members read texts.
- Answer replies in Conversations, one thread per member.
What you need
- An Android phone (7.0 or newer) with the association's SIM card.
- Your member list in Excel, Google Sheets or CSV.
Many members never open the newsletter, but they read their texts. DroidSender sends your invitations and reminders by SMS from the association's own phone and brings the replies back to your computer.
1. Prepare the member list
One column holds the phone numbers. Any header works: DroidSender finds the column on its own and shows which one it used. Every other column becomes a variable.
| phone | name | event |
|---|---|---|
| +447911123456 | Sarah | the summer fair |
| 07911 654321 | Tom | the summer fair |
| +12025550143 | Linda | the summer fair |
Local numbers are read in the SIM's country. International numbers work with or without the +.
Only text members who agreed to receive messages from you.
2. Write the invitation
In Campaigns, click New campaign and upload the file. Type @ in the message box to drop in a column.
Hi @{name}, you're invited to @{event} on Saturday 14 Nov at 2pm, Church Hall. Reply YES or NO so we can plan.
3. Send or schedule
Press Send now or schedule it for later. Scheduling is on every plan. The phone sends at a human pace, and the Log shows the delivery report for each message. Temporary failures are retried on their own.
4. Answer the replies
Replies land in Conversations, one thread per member, next to the invitation they answer. Whoever is on duty replies from the computer and the text goes out from the association's number. Mark a conversation as unread to leave it for the next volunteer.
What it costs
There is no per-SMS fee: messages go through your SIM, so a plan with unlimited SMS is the one to have. DroidSender is free for 100 SMS a month on one phone, and Starter is $11.99 a month ($7.99 billed yearly) for 2,000 SMS.
Tips
- Put your own number in the first row and send a test before the real list.
- Ask for YES or NO. A reply that is only CANCEL or END removes that member from your list.
- New to this? Install the app and see bulk SMS from a spreadsheet.
Questions people ask
- Do members see a short code or an unknown number?
- No. The texts come from the association's own number, so members who saved it see the association's name.
- What if a member replies STOP?
- They get one confirmation and never receive another message from your account.
- Can I use Google Sheets?
- Yes. Download the sheet as .xlsx or .csv (File, Download) and upload that.