Sending invitations to a list of customers

In this article, you'll learn how to send follow-up invitations to a group of customers at one time by uploading a list

Following up with a list of customers at once is easy. Simply download a list of customers from your job management software, CRM or invoicing software, format it to suit, and then upload it to betterbunch for sending. Read on to learn how it's done.  

How to download a list of customers from your database

How to format your list of customers 

How to upload the list of customers to betterbunch

Tips, tricks and other things to remember when sending bulk invitations

How to download a list of customers from your database

First things first, we need a list of your customers that you'd like to send your invitations to. Most jobs management, customer relationship management and invoicing platforms will allow you to export customer data, so we recommend downloading the list from your software provider rather than manually creating a list. 

This list of customers can include your customer's first name, email address and/or mobile number.

The list must be in a comma-separated value format (commonly known as a .csv file) when uploaded into betterbunch; however, csv. files can be a little tricky to work with, so we recommend saving your list as an Excel or Google Sheets document if your software allows it. This means you can easily format the list in Google Sheets or Excel before saving it as a csv. file. 

• Here's how to find a list from Xero
• This is how to extract a list from MYOB
• Or maybe you need to extract a list from simPRO
• If you use a different software system or still have issues, feel free to copy the message below and send it to your software provider so they can help you export the relevant data. 
  
  

  "Hi team,

  I was hoping you could help me out.

  I'm looking to download a list of every client we've serviced within the past 12 months. Can you please help me generate that list? It needs to be a csv. file and contain:

  a) Their first name
  b) Their email address
  c) Their mobile phone number

  For reference, here's an example of what it needs to look like."

How to format the list of customers 

Once you have exported the list of customers you'd like to invite to leave feedback, it may require some simple formatting. The list needs to look like the example below. 

Check out this article for detailed instructions on how to format the list of customers. 

How to upload the list of customers to betterbunch 

1. Login to your betterbunch account

2. Click Create Invitation on the top right of the dashboard and navigate to the Bulk Invite tab

3. Select Browse or drag and drop your csv. file into the box 
4. Hit Send Invitation, and you'll be met with the option to Send now or Send invitation later. 
   The ball is in your court, but sending it later (at the preferred time) is a great way to help increase conversion rates.
5. Send. Done! 

Tips, tricks and other things to remember when sending bulk invitations

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when sending single invitations to your customers. 

• If you're new to betterbunch, we recommend you send a bulk invitation to all customers you've serviced in the past 12 months - we call this a retrospective invite. This is a great way to generate a push of reviews to get you started.
• You can personalise your feedback invitations, and we absolutely recommend you check it out!
  This is a great way to help increase conversion rates, as customers are more likely to interact with invitations that match your brand. 
• Remember that the customer name displayed in your csv.file will be the name displayed in the invitation. With this in mind, we recommend using the name you would refer to them as. Think first name only. Matt, not Mr Matthew Smith. 
• If you include a mobile number only, then your invitation will be sent via SMS. Similarly, if you include an email address only, then your invitation will be sent via email. 
  If you include both an email address and a mobile number, then your invitation will be sent to whichever contact method you have prioritised in your sending rules
• If you haven't already, check out our article for inspo on creating a winning review generation strategy
• As a reminder to send invitations regularly, we recommend bookmarking betterbunch to your web browser and setting some time aside in your calendar each week to send your invitations
• Food for thought: Most industries have a number of customer segment groups they can request reviews from. Get creative!
  If you are a Property Manager, consider sending a bulk invitation to incoming tenants, outgoing tenants, and new landlords every week. 
  Similarly, an electrician could send invitations to their residential customers every week, and then send a one-off bulk invitation to their repeat clients like builders and real estate agents every few months.