Conversation Designer Tutorial
Follow our video tutorial here or read on below for full instructions.
How should I structure the first message in a conversation?
In the conversation designer, for every message in a conversation that you construct you have three formatting options:
‘Menu’: Selecting this means you will give the students options for how to reply. You should use this as the format for the first message in every conversation. It creates a clear and concise call to action and will help increase your response rates, as it’s quick and easy to answer. Try not to send an open ended message ‘How are you feeling?' as this will produce queries that you will have to answer individually. Instead, provide options, as below:
How are you feeling?
1 Very good
2 Ok
3 Not very well
‘Free form’: Selecting this means that the student can reply with anything, but the conversation will continue with a predesigned response from you. An example of when you might use this:
‘We will be sending out interview invitations soon, please can you tell me your current email address?'
This will then allow the student to reply with their email address. You can then design a response to automatically send to any reply:
‘Thanks for confirming! Keep an eye on your inbox in the near future for your invitation.’
‘End chat’: Selecting this means that the message you are writing is the final message in the conversation that the student will receive from you. Usually, this should only be used once you have created several branches of a conversation and all your FAQs have been incorporated into the conversation structure. You can also use this when the goal of your campaign is met and no more information or action is required from the student.
'Button': Selecting this allows users to click a button instead of typing, simplifying interactions and improving flow. Though previously removed due to poor performance, it's still available in Salesforce for internal use. It's recommended for offering clear choices that speed up decision-making. Before a wider rollout, it should be tested to gather feedback and make adjustments, enhancing user experience by making communication more efficient and interactive.
Another feature you have available to you is ‘Merge Fields’.
When designing your conversation, you can use these five merge fields.
You will need to use these anytime each student’s data will differ and you need this to reflect in a message. See the example below -
How do I design a conversation?
To construct a response to each menu option, you will need to select ‘Follow on’. This is your primary navigation tool, allowing you to continue with the conversation design and build different conversational pathways.
If you would like to add more options for the student to choose, select ‘New menu option’.
You can add up to four different options and can delete these at any time using the three small dots next to the follow on button.
We advise using common FAQ’s to pre-empt any student questions. This will reduce the number of individual Queries that you will later be required to answer. By anticipating student's questions, the chatbot will answer automatically and save you valuable time.
If you use open-ended questions, such as ‘What’s on your mind’ - it will lead to an abundance of questions that will need individual answers. Please see below for an example.
How can I review the conversation I've made?
The ‘Check’ button will let you know if any responses are missing throughout the conversation.
If you have created menu options, but are yet to select ‘Follow On’ and input the response, there will be a red notification on the ‘Check’ button. Every time you create a pathway under ‘Menu’ or ‘Free Form’, you must use the 'Follow On' to design a response. If you select the ‘End chat’ formatting option, you will not be required to create a follow on response.
When you select ‘Check’ it will review your current conversation branch and show you any missing responses, as seen below.
On the right hand side of the conversation designer, you will see how the conversation will be seen by the student. Underneath ‘Purlos Mobile’, it will dynamically simulate the conversation you are building and is a representation of the live messaging experience. You can also navigate through your conversation by clicking on the message that you want to review.
What should I name my conversation branches?
You have complete freedom to name each branch, whatever you like!
For each new message branch you create, you will need to name it as seen below. By naming a branch, you can reuse it later.
We recommend naming the branches something relevant to the context of the message. For example, if the message is answering a student’s question about uniform, it can be titled ClothingFAQ as seen below.
Submitting your Template to WhatsApp for Approval
Once you're happy with your opening template design, navigate back to it using the Purlos mobile (click on the message you want to go back to) or the 'Home' icon.
2. Click on the 'Template Editor' button (n.b. you can submit a template for approval before finalising your full conversation design)
3. Once this pop-up appears, press 'Request'. Our system has done the work for you and put the template into a format ready for submission to WhatsApp.
4. Next, click 'Confirm'.
5. Click 'Done'
6. Click 'Close'.
7. Your template status will now say 'Submitted to WhatsApp'. This can take up to 24 hours for WhatsApp to approve.
8. Once the template status has changed to 'Approved', it's time to finalise your conversation.
9. Once you're happy with the full conversation flow you've built and you have no errors left in the 'Check' section, click the 'Template Editor' button again.
10. Click 'Finalise Conversation'.
11. Confirm you understand the warning!
12. Click 'Done'
13. Click 'Close'.
14. Your template status should now say 'Conversation Designed'. This will allow express sending to take place, if you have this enabled.
If you need help, pop us a message in the chat on the bottom right hand corner of your screen. We will do our best to help!
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