How to Add Two-Way SMS to Your Marketing Cloud Campaigns with Process Builder

📝 Update: Since the original writing of this solution, you now need to build this solution with Salesforce Flow instead of Process Builder. The concept, however, remains the same.

Marketing Cloud has a native product for SMS messages called MobileConnect, which is a great built-in way to combine SMS messages with other types of marketing messaging. Combined with Ad Studio, you can even create a Journey that sends your subscribers an email, an SMS message, and a Facebook ad either in tandem or based off of their current and past behaviors.

The MobileConnect Limitation

There is a limitation, though. MobileConnect only allows you to broadcast an SMS and craft auto-responses if the subscriber replies. So, a lot of marketers look to other solutions for two-way SMS. By two-way SMS, I am referencing the ability to have a back-and-forth conversation with the subscriber.

Real-World Use Case

For example, let’s imagine that you are a company that provides dog walking services. You would like to create a journey that blasts out an SMS message with a coupon code for unengaged subscribers as a way to get them to use your service. However, you don’t want to just blast out a coupon code. You also want to schedule a dog walker for them over SMS, rather than directing them to your app or website.

So, now we have a use case for both Marketing Cloud Journeys and two-way SMS. You want to blast out an SMS nurturing campaign and also allow for a back-and-forth conversation to continue on.

Traditional vs. Simplified Approach

Traditional Solution (30+ Hours)

There are several third-party SMS companies out there. The conventional solution to including a third-party service in a Journey is to spend at least 30 hours of development time creating a Custom Journey Builder Activity, which requires creating a web app that takes the Journey data as an input and sends the SMS request out as an API call to the third-party SMS app.

Simplified Solution (No Code Required)

However, if your Marketing Cloud is connected to Salesforce Core, you can leverage Process Builder to achieve this integration in a fraction of the time with zero coding resources.

Choosing Your SMS Provider

First, you want to choose a third-party SMS service that has an app in the Salesforce AppExchange and leverages Process Builder to trigger messages. Both TextUs and Twilio have apps on the AppExchange, and both have a method of using Process Builder to send SMS messages.

TextUs Options

• TextUs for Salesforce: Available in the AppExchange with step-by-step Process Builder guide
• TextUs Next: Available directly from the company (not on AppExchange, less documented)

Both TextUs variants come with an Apex class that is installed with the managed package. When you build out a process, you will be calling that Apex class and sending it values that it needs in order to send a message to the correct person.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Create Custom Object in Salesforce

You can trigger the process by creating a record or changing a record. These are both actions that can be triggered from Marketing Cloud’s Journey Builder. For this example, we are going to create a record on a custom object called “Marketing Cloud Message”.

Create a custom object in Salesforce with the following fields:

• Message Text (Text, 255)
• Phone Number (Phone)
• User Phone (Phone)
• User Email (Email)

Field Purposes:

• Message Text: What you want the SMS message to say
• Phone Number: The recipient’s phone number
• User Phone and Email: Who the text is coming from (TextUs allows texts from specific users vs. generic short codes)

Step 2: Configure Process Builder

Now you are going to go to Process Builder and create a process that is triggered when a new Marketing Cloud Message record is created.

Process Configuration:

1. Trigger: When a record is created
2. Object: Marketing Cloud Message
3. Action Type: Apex
4. Apex Class:
   • TextUs Next: Next Send Texts to Mapped Recipient
   • TextUs for Salesforce: tubl__SendMessageInvocableAction
   • Twilio: Twilio Send SMS Message

You will then populate the relevant fields as required by the SMS service with mapped fields from the record that you created.

Step 3: Journey Builder Integration

The next step is incorporating the creation of these outgoing messages into Marketing Cloud Journey Builder.

Journey Setup:

1. Create a Multi-Step Journey
2. Use the Object Activity at the bottom of the canvas
3. This activity allows you to select any object in your Salesforce Core universe

Activity Configuration:

1. Drop the Object Activity onto your canvas
2. Search for “Marketing Cloud Message” object
3. Select “Create New” from the next screen
4. Map all the fields you created in the Salesforce object

Step 4: Field Mapping

You will map these fields to the information that will make up the message:

• Message Text field: Write out the content of the SMS
• Phone Number field: Select the contact’s phone number from either:
  • Journey Entry source
  • Contact’s Marketing Cloud record (if appropriately mapped)
• Additional Apex Variables: Map as required by your SMS service:
  • TextUs Next: Requires User Phone and User Email variables
  • Twilio: Only requires Message and Phone Number

Complete Workflow

The Process Flow:

1. Journey triggers → Contact enters journey
2. Object Activity → Creates Marketing Cloud Message record
3. Process Builder → Detects new record creation
4. Apex Class → Sends SMS via third-party service
5. Two-way conversation → Handled in third-party platform

Key Benefits

✅ No Custom Development: Zero coding required
✅ Fast Implementation: Hours instead of weeks
✅ Native Integration: Uses existing Salesforce infrastructure
✅ Two-Way Conversations: Full conversational SMS capability
✅ Journey Integration: Seamless Marketing Cloud workflow
✅ User Attribution: Messages can come from specific sales reps

Technical Considerations

Requirements:

• Marketing Cloud connected to Salesforce Core
• Third-party SMS app installed from AppExchange
• Custom object creation permissions
• Process Builder access

Response Handling:

After the SMS goes out, any responses will be handled in the third-party platform, whether that is within Salesforce or on the service’s own platform.

Journey Flexibility:

This can be the only activity in the journey, or you can build more activities around it. You might include:

• Follow-up emails based on SMS engagement
• Lead scoring updates
• Task creation for sales reps
• Data extension updates

Comparison: SMS Service Options

Use Cases

This integration is perfect for:

• Service Scheduling: Book appointments via SMS
• Lead Qualification: Conversational lead scoring
• Customer Support: Two-way support conversations
• Event Coordination: RSVP and logistics via SMS
• Sales Follow-up: Personal outreach from specific reps
• Booking Confirmations: Interactive confirmation flows

Conclusion

By leveraging Process Builder and Salesforce Core connectivity, you can add sophisticated two-way SMS capabilities to your Marketing Cloud campaigns without any custom development. This approach:

• Saves development time and costs
• Provides enterprise-grade reliability
• Integrates seamlessly with existing workflows
• Enables true conversational marketing

The combination of Marketing Cloud’s automation power with third-party SMS capabilities creates opportunities for more engaging, interactive customer experiences that go far beyond traditional broadcast messaging.

Next Steps: Consider how two-way SMS conversations can be integrated with your existing lead scoring, customer service, and sales processes to create a truly connected customer experience.