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Direct Message and Social Media Templates

Learn how to customize and create Dental Intelligence message and social media templates

Templates are part of the Engagement Module. If you're interested in learning more, CLICK HERE to request a demo!

Dental Intelligence Templates allow you to create quick load messages and social media posts to send to patients or share online.

Direct Message Templates

You can add or make the following changes to direct message templates:

  • Customize body text

  • Add placeholders

Important notes:

  • You cannot add images to direct message templates. If you would like to include images in your message, create an email template. Learn more here.

  • Do not use URL shorteners (ie, bit.ly, tinyurl.com) in your message templates. Bad actors often use URL shorteners to disguise spam campaigns, and there's a high likelihood that your messages could be rejected as spam (error codes 470 or 770).

Preview and Edit Direct Message Templates

  1. Access Settings by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right hand corner

  2. Go to the Templates tab, then click on Direct messages

  3. Click on the dropdown arrows to expand existing template categories, then click on the eye icon to preview the message

  4. In the preview window that opens, click Copy to custom if you would like to make any edits to the template

  5. In the Custom section of the library, click on the three-dot menu and click Edit to make changes

  6. Make changes to the template category, internal name (not shown to the patient), written content, and placeholders

  7. Add placeholders by clicking on the Insert placeholders dropdown menu, then click on the placeholder to add it to the template body

  8. Click Save when your edits are complete

Create a New Direct Message Template

To create a direct message template from scratch follow these steps:

  1. Above the Custom list in the Templates tab, select Create New

  2. Select Category to determine which category the message will be stored in.

  3. Here you can add placeholders by selecting the Insert placeholders dropdown menu

  4. Click Create

  5. Once you have created this template, it will appear in your Custom column. You can Edit or Archive these by clicking on the three-dot menu

How to Send Direct Message Templates to Patients in Dental Intelligence

Templates in Dental Intelligence provide you with customizable quick load messages to deliver to patients as emails or direct messages. These will autofill with patient information and allow you to relay important information without the hassle of copying and pasting.

Bulk Messaging Limits

To protect your ability to reach patients, Dental Intelligence limits how many messages can be sent in bulk:

  • Direct Messages (text and email): 500 per hour, up to 2,500 recipients per DM campaign

  • Email Campaigns: 15,000 recipients per campaign

  • All other bulk actions (Online Review Requests, App Invites, Prepare Forms/Consents, Voicemail Drops, Next Visit Reminders, Check-In Requests, and Invites to Schedule): 250 per hour. Selections over 250 patients cannot be sent.

Why are Direct Messages limited to 500 per hour?

Bulk Direct Messages are meant for important office updates to affected patients, not promotions. Sending large volumes of text messages can cause carriers to flag your number as marketing or spam, which could block you from texting patients altogether.

What happens if my list is larger than 500?

Any patients beyond the first 500 are sent automatically in batches of 500 every hour until the list is complete. Each DM campaign is capped at 2,500 recipients. Queued batches will not send during your default quiet hours.

Best practice: Send marketing messages by email. Learn how to send an Email Campaign.

Send Templates in Bulk from the Patient Finder List

  1. Click on the Patients dropdown in the left side menu, then choose Patient Finder

  2. Filter your patient list, then select all or some patients

  3. Click the Bulk Actions button

  4. Select either Send Direct Message or Send an Email Campaign

  5. If you choose to send a direct message, type your message, add placeholders, or click the Load a Quick Message button and choose your pre-written template

  6. Select the delivery channel (email or text)

  7. Choose to send your bulk message now or schedule it for a future date/time

  8. Before you send your bulk message, you'll need to acknowledge that you understand the messaging limits by selecting the checkbox next to this acknowledgement:

    "The Bulk Direct Message feature is limited to 500 messages per hour and 2500 recipients at a time and is intended to contact patients who are expecting communication in relation to their treatment. For marketing communication, please use Email Campaigns. By selecting the checkbox, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to this limitation."

    If your direct message campaign exceeds the 2,500 recipient limit, you will be unable to send your message. When you attempt to send your bulk message, the following notice will show:

    "The limit for a single SMS campaign is 2,500 text messages. Please reduce the patient count and try again."

    To resolve this, filter your patient list to reduce the number of recipients included in your bulk message.

  9. Click Send

Send Templates Individually from the Patient Card

  1. Wherever you are in the Dental Intelligence dashboard, click on the patient's name to open their patient card

  2. Click on the Chat section

  3. Type your message in the chat window, or click Load a Quick Message to choose a pre-written template

  4. If the patient has both a phone number and email on file, choose which delivery channel you'd like to send the message to (if only one channel is available, it will be selected by default)

    Tip: Hover over the eye icon next to each channel to see the phone number or email on file for the patient
    ​

  5. Click Send

Send Templates Individually from Patient Chat

  1. Click on the Patients dropdown in the left side menu, then choose Patient Chat

  2. Click on the patient message to open the chat window

  3. Click on the + Quick Message button and then select a template

  4. Add any desired placeholders, images, or emojis

  5. Choose to send the message via text or email, then click Send

Send Templates Individually from the Personal Assistant

  1. Click on Personal Assistant in the left side menu

  2. Next to a patient's name, click on the 3-dot menu, then click Communication and choose Send a direct message to start your new message

Learn how to track manually sent messages in the Communication Log.

Social Media Post Templates

Social media is a great way to stay in touch with current patients and establish connections with new patients. When used properly, social media templates in Dental Intelligence can give patients great insight about the practice and your staff.

How to Access Social Media Templates

  1. Access Settings by clicking the gear icon in the upper right hand corner

  2. Go to the Templates tab, then click Social Media Posts

  3. Search for templates by name or tag

  4. Once you have chosen a template, click on the picture to edit the caption

  5. Click Copy Content to copy the caption for convenient pasting

  6. Click Download Image to save the photo to your computer

  7. Once saved, social media templates can be posted on any social media platform

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