Creating a new blast conversation

Creating a new blast conversation includes selecting a bot and channels, settings required tags, creating a message, adding action buttons and replies, and creating a fallback message for the blast.

To create a new blast conversation

1. In the left navigation pane, click Blasts.
   
   
   
   The Blasts page appears with the list of blasts created in the application.
   
   
2. Click the Create New Blast button.
   A new blast panel is added in the left pane.
   
   
   
   
3. In the right pane, enter the appropriate information for the blast.
   1. In the Title field, enter the blast title.
   2. In the Choose Bot field, select the bot that you want to use for the blast.
      
      Based on the Bot that you select, the channels are enabled.
      
      
   3. In the Choose Channels field, select the channel that you want to use for sending the blast.
      In case if you want to enable the fallback message for the users who do not have the RCS enabled devices, you can select the RCS channel.
      
      
   4. In the Choose Tags field, click the tags that you want to use.
      
      
   5. Create a message for the blast.
   6. Add quick replies.
   7. Create a fallback message.
      You can create a fallback message only if you select the RCS channel.
   8. Click the Send Blast button.
      You can also schedule the blast to send it at a later time. For more information, see Scheduling the blast.

Creating a message for the blast

When you are creating a blast, the message is the important aspect that you want to convey to the users.

NativeMsg provides an option to create interactive messages and a carousel. These messages include text, images, audio, videos. You can even add buttons for URLs, post back text, or a phone call for users to take action.

To create a message

1. In the Media panel, click the Media file button.
2. Select how you want to upload the file.
   You can either upload the file from your system or specify the link to the file.
   
   • Click the Link button to specify the link of the file.
     
     
   • Click the Upload button to select the file from your local system and upload it.
     You can select an image, audio, or video file.
3. In the Blast Message field, enter the text message for the blast.
   

Creating a Carousel for the blast

To create a carousel

1. In the Create Message for Blast section, click the Carousel tab.
   
2. In the Title field, enter the title of the carousel.
3. In the Subtitle, enter the subtitle of the carousel.
4. Click the Media file button to add the media file. 
5. In the Default Action field, specify the URL of the action.
   The default action is the action that is executed when human clicking on the Carousel/List item, only for Facebook and Web channels.
6. Click the Advance Default Action button to add advanced default action.
   For more information, see Adding default action to the carousel.
7. Click the +Add button to add the action button to the carousel.
   For more information, see Adding a button to the message or carousel.

Adding default action to the carousel

Advanced default action provides the functionality of quick reply as a default action. 

Note: The Advance Default Action option is only available for Web channel.

To add the default action to the carousel

1. In the Carousel panel click the Advanced Default Action button.
   
   
   The Advanced default action dialog box opens.
   
   
2. In the text field, enter the reply title.
3. Enter appropriate values in the following tabs:
   • Postback: The postback title for the quick reply.
     
     1. Select the Postback text as title check box to set the default title.
     2. Clear the check box to add custom postback text.
        
     3. Click the Execute drop-down list and select the postback action or interaction that you want to execute.
   • Location: The location for the quick reply. 
     
   • Call: The call number for the quick reply.
     
     • In the text field enter the contact number to call back as a quick reply.

       Note: While entering the number, you must enter "+" prefix followed by the country code, area code and local number. 

   • URL:
     
     • In the text field enter the URL of web, mail, SMS, or telephone number as a quick reply.
4. Click the Save button.

Adding a button to the message or carousel

nativeMsg provides an option to add an action button to the message or carousel. 

To add a button to the message or carousel

1. In the message panel, click Add button.
   
   
   The button panel opens.
   
   
2. Enter the name of the button.
3. Click the option for the type of button that you want to add.
   You can add a button for a URL, post back text, or a phone call.
   • URL: The button to access the specified URL.
     
     1. Click the URL tab to add a button for the URL.
     2. In the text field, enter the URL.
   • Postback: The button to enable the messenger to send the event to the postback webhook, which is useful when you want to invoke an action in your bot.
     
     1. Click the Postback tab to add a button for the postback text message.
     2. In the text field, enter the message.
     3. Click the drop-down list and select the action that you want to perform when the user clicks the button.
   • Phone call: The button to call the configured number.
     1. Click the Phone call tab to add a button for the phone number.
     2. In the text field, enter a valid phone number.
   • Location: The button to view the address location.
     • Click the Phone call tab to add a button for the phone number.
     • In the text field, enter a valid phone number.
   • View location: The button to view the address location in text format or into latitude and longitude coordinates.
     
     • Click the View location tab to add the address of the location.
       You can add the address in text format or add the latitude and longitude coordinates of the location. 
     • In the Address field, enter the location address.
     • Click the Coordinates tab to add the coordinates.
       In the fields, enter latitude and longitude coordinates along with the optional label.
   • Calendar: The button to display the event along with the calendar for the start and end date and time of the event.
     
     • Click the Calendar tab to add the start date and time and end date and time for an event.
     • Click in the Start time field and select the start date and time.
     • Click in the End time field to select the end date and time.
     • (Optional) Enter the title of the event and description.
4. Click the cross icon to close the button panel.
   The button is added to the message or carousal panel with configured action.

   Note: On each tab, you must specify the button name before closing the button panel.

Adding quick replies

Quick replies provide a way to request users to share their information, like location, email address, phone number. 

Quick replies can help you connect the users to know more about them, which can further help in taking business decisions.

Note: In a single blast, you can add up to 20 quick replies.

Important: The Quick reply button is visible only if you have selected at least one channel in the channels list.

When the user taps the quick reply button, the title of the tapped button is posted to the conversation as a message. A messages the event will be sent to the webhook contains the button title and an optional payload.

1. Below the Create Message for Blast panel, click Quick reply.
   
   
   
   The Quick reply panel appears.
   
   
   
   
2. In the Reply title field, ether the title for the quick reply that you are creating.
3. Click the tab for the type of quick reply that you want to add.
   You can add postback, location, view location, and calendar.
   1. Postback:
      
      
      1. Click the Execute drop-down list and select the action for the quick reply.
      2. In the Image urlfield, enter the URL of the image from the website.

         Note: Adding the image path as an image URL is not supported.

   2. Location:
      
      
      1. In the Payload value field, enter the message for the user.
   3. View location: On this tab, you can show the location details to the user. You can either specify the actual address or specify the coordinates of the location.
      
      
      
      
      1. Click Address and enter the address details that you want to convey to the user.
      2. Click Coordinates.
         
         
         
         
      3. Enter the optional label for a quick reply.
      4. In Latitude and Longitude fields, enter the appropriate location values.
   4. Calendar: On this tab, you can create a calendar event.
      
      
      1. In the text fields, enter the event title and event descriptions.
      2. In the Start field, enter the start date and time of the event.
      3. In the End field, enter the end date and time of the event.
4. Click the cross icon to close the panel.
   The quick reply is added to the message or carousal panel with configured action.

   Note: On each tab, you must specify the button name before closing the button panel.

Creating a fallback message for the blast

While sending blasts to users, it is possible that some of the users who do not have a device that is enabled with RCS cannot receive the blasts. In such a case, there must be an option to convey the message to those users.

Knowing this scenario, NativeMsg provides a fallback message option to send the blast using traditional ways like SMS for text and MMS media files.

The fallback message option is similar to the normal blast option. The message can include text, images, audio, and videos.

1. In the Media panel, click the Attach file button.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the file that you want to attach.
   You can select any image, audio, and video file. NativeMsg sends the media file through MMS.
3. In the Fallback Message field, enter the text message for the blast.
   NativeMsg sends the text message through SMS.