Take the first steps towards 2 way Marketo text messaging and sending text notifications by learning how to build outbound text messaging into your Marketo campaigns using webhooks to call the Telnyx messaging API.
On a separate note, have you checked out the Marketo API Crash Course yet? If you want hands-on video walkthroughs of how to get set up with the Marketo API and see real-life marketing operations use cases for the API then check out the course using the button below 🙂
If you are looking for an introduction to the Telnyx CPaas platform and why they should be your messaging provider take a look at the Marketo SMS Marketing with Telnyx post where I explain the pricing and features of Telnyx messaging. Also if you want a sneak peek at the cool things you can do once you have set up Marketo text messaging then check out theMarketo SMS Integration: Webinar Reminders post.
The first step to Marketo test messaging is to set up your Telnyx account. This Messaging Quickstart Portal Setup Guide will walk you through the steps below.
N.B. Make sure to sign up using this referral link to get a sweet, sweet $20 in free credit.
Create a free Telnyx portal account
Buy a messaging capable phone number
Create a messaging profile
Associate your number with this messaging profile
Creating the Webhook
Next login to Marketo and navigate to the “Webhooks” section in “Admin”
Select “New Webhook”
Name the webhook
Paste https://api.telnyx.com/v2/messages into the “URL” field
Notice how a lead token is used to pull in the phone number of the person the message will be sent to. You will need to swap in your own lead phone number field in here and replace the “+12345678910” number above with the messaging-enabled phone number you purchased before.
Leave “Request Token Encoding” as “None”
Set “Response Format” to “JSON”
Click “Create”
Authorizing the Webhook
Navigate to the Auth section of your Telnyx account and create a new API Key following the steps below:
Select “Create API Key”
Click “Create”
Copy the “API Key”
Next follow these steps in Marketo to set up the Authorization header:
Click on “Webhook Actions”
Select “Set Custom Header”
Click “Add”
Put “Authorization” in the header column
Put the word “Bearer” followed by a space in the “Value” column
Paste your Telnyx API key in the “Value” column
Click “Add”
Put “Content-Type” in the header column
Put the word “application/json” in the “Value” column
Click “Save”
MarketoText Messaging with Number Pooling
Telnyx offers the ability to distribute outbound text messages over the numbers associated with a messaging profile with a feature called “Number Pooling”. If you want to learn about how number pooling can help you increase throughput and deliverability rates as well as an explanation of the features like “Sticky Sender” check out the Marketo SMS Marketing with Telnyx post.
The setup and custom header of the webhook will be the exact same with the only changes being that the URL must be updated to the number pool endpoint and the payload must be updated to specify the messaging profile id instead of the “From” phone number.
As with email marketing, it is important to adhere to regulations governing text message communications. Take a look at the Marketo 2 Way SMS using Telnyx and Zapier post to see how you can auto-respond to inbound text messages like “HELP” and “STOP” to comply with text message regulations.
Once you have implemented 2 way text messaging you are now ready to start using text messages in your smart campaigns for examples such as webinar reminders.
About The Author — Tyron Pretorius
Greetings fellow MO Pros! As a previous mechanical engineer turned marketing operations lead, I now fancy myself as a full-stack marketer capable of designing websites, writing SEO-optimized content, and doing all the tracking and automation on the backend.
That being said my bread and butter is marketing operations and I love to get down and dirty with the Marketo API, Python, Zapier, and Google Scripts.
Created with the assistance of DALL·E Introduction and Background In 2018, Edward Unthank introduced the four pillars of marketing operations, setting the stage for the management of effective marketing technology (Martech) functions. These pillars have since been the bedrock for many successful careers in marketing operations. My journey to redefine
Introduction When it comes to account-based marketing (ABM), your marketing team might have invested in intent data, built tailored content, and spent time targeting accounts. But is the juice worth the squeeze? You could say marketing operations teams are there in part to squeeze every last marketing dollar in order
Introduction: Blending Human and Technical Perspectives in Martech Caption: Future gardens of martech will blend human and AI perspectives As a co-host of the Humans of Martech podcast, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing some of the brightest minds in marketing technology. This unique experience has provided a blend of