Text blasts let you send a single SMS or MMS message to many contacts at once, making them one of the fastest ways to promote a limited-time offer, announce an event, or re-engage your patient list in Aesthetix CRM. Aesthetix CRM sends text messages through native Twilio, so following a few best practices around timing, message content, media formatting, compliance, and deliverability will help your blasts land well and perform their best.
This article covers how to choose between SMS and MMS, how to format media for MMS, how to estimate the cost of a blast, and the best practices that keep your messages compliant and deliverable. To actually send a blast, you'll use a bulk action in Contacts — see the cross-link at the end of this article.
A text blast is a one-time bulk send to contacts you select right now, which is different from an automated SMS that goes out later from a workflow when a contact takes an action, such as submitting a form or booking an appointment. If you want a message to send automatically based on a trigger rather than a manual send, build that in the Workflow builder instead of sending a text blast.
Before sending, confirm your sending number is fully configured and, if applicable, that A2P registration for that number is complete. See Toll-Free Numbers & A2P Registration for details. Aesthetix CRM also automatically excludes contacts who have opted out or are marked do-not-disturb for SMS from your blast, on top of whichever audience you select.
When sending a text blast, you can choose between SMS and MMS messaging. Understanding the difference helps you pick the right format for your campaign.
While SMS (Short Message Service) supports only plain text and emojis, MMS (Multimedia Message Service) allows you to include images or GIFs, making your text blasts more engaging.
SMS (1 segment):
Character limit: 160 characters
Media: Plain text only, no images or GIFs
Deliverability: Reaches any mobile device
MMS:
Character limit: 1600 characters plus a media attachment
Media: Supports one image or GIF per message (up to 700KB)
Deliverability: Requires a smartphone that can receive media content
Regardless of whether you're using SMS or MMS, marketing consent rules are the same. If your contact has consented to receive SMS marketing, that consent also applies to MMS. Be sure to review consent guidelines when setting up campaigns.
Aesthetix CRM supports the following formats for MMS:
JPG, JPEG
PNG
GIF
All files must be under 700KB to ensure delivery without distortion. Larger files may not reach recipients. If necessary, you can use tools like Photoshop or third-party websites (e.g., ezgif.com) to compress media.
PNGs: Retain image quality without becoming blurry and support transparency (though transparency is not recommended for MMS).
JPEGs: Can be resized easily but lose quality with each edit, potentially appearing blurry.
To avoid issues with distortion or cropping, follow these recommended image sizes and aspect ratios:
Square (1:1): 480x480, 600x600 px
Portrait (9:16): 480x640, 1080x1920 px
Landscape (16:9): 500x375, 1920x1080 px
Portrait-sized media typically looks best on mobile devices, but square formats are also reliable.
To ensure your media content is clear and looks professional, follow these guidelines:
Do:
Use high contrast in both colors and gradients to keep the image clear.
Keep messages concise. While MMS offers more characters, simpler messages usually perform better.
Don't:
Avoid transparent backgrounds, as they may not display well.
Steer clear of borders on images, which can appear misaligned on some devices.
Refrain from using opacity transitions in GIFs, as they may result in odd color appearances and larger file sizes.
By adhering to these practices, you'll enhance the quality of your text blasts and ensure better engagement with your audience.
Beyond formatting your media, a few campaign-level habits will improve results and keep you compliant.
Segment your audience. Rather than blasting your entire database, send to a targeted segment — for example, contacts interested in a specific service or those due for a follow-up. Relevant messages get better engagement and fewer opt-outs.
Time your sends thoughtfully. Send during reasonable local business hours and avoid early mornings, late nights, and weekends unless the offer calls for it. Well-timed messages are read more often and generate fewer complaints.
Keep the message clear and concise. Lead with the offer or announcement, include a clear call to action, and keep it short. For SMS, staying under 160 characters keeps the message to a single segment.
Include opt-out language. Give recipients a simple way to opt out, such as "Reply STOP to unsubscribe." This is both a compliance requirement and a trust builder.
Identify your sender. Include your business name so recipients know who is texting them. A recognizable sender improves response rates and reduces the chance your messages are flagged as spam.
Protect deliverability. Only message contacts who have consented, keep your list clean, and avoid sending duplicate blasts in a short window. High opt-out or spam-report rates can harm the deliverability of your number over time.
Beyond crafting your message, you can control how and when it reaches your audience. Aesthetix CRM offers three delivery options for a text blast:
Send Now: the entire eligible audience begins receiving the message immediately. Best for time-sensitive announcements and small or moderate contact lists.
Schedule: the blast begins at a future date and time you choose, useful for planned promotions, event notices, or messages you prepare ahead of time.
Drip Mode: a large send is broken into smaller batches and released over time instead of all at once, so you control how quickly a large audience enters the send. You can set when the drip starts, how many contacts go out in each batch, and how long to wait before the next batch begins.
Send Now works well for smaller, time-sensitive blasts. For larger lists, Schedule or Drip Mode can help you land the blast at the right moment and avoid pushing your entire audience through your sending number all at once.
Because text blasts can reach many contacts at once, it helps to estimate credit usage before you send. The Aesthetix CRM SMS calculator is a helpful tool to estimate potential credit usage of sending bulk SMS — also known as text blasts — through Aesthetix CRM.
Access the SMS Calculator: https://aesthetixcrm.com/sms-calculator/
Remember, every month you receive complimentary messaging credits to your account based on your subscription plan. For example, you receive complimentary messaging credits with your plan, applied toward actions such as text message blasts.
Keep in mind that MMS messages cost more than SMS, and longer SMS messages that exceed 160 characters are split into multiple segments — each segment is billed separately. Estimating with the calculator before a large send helps you avoid surprises.
The actual bulk send is performed from Contacts using a bulk action. Filter or select the contacts you want to reach, then choose Send Bulk SMS to compose and send your blast to the entire selection at once. For full step-by-step instructions on selecting contacts and sending, see the Contacts article on sending a bulk SMS.
If you send similar messages often, save the text as a snippet so you don't have to retype it each time. See Creating Text (SMS) Snippets to set one up, then insert it while composing your blast.
After you send a blast, Aesthetix CRM tracks its progress so you can confirm it reached your audience.
To review a blast:
Go to Contacts.
Open Bulk Actions.
Locate the text blast you want to review.
Open the campaign details to see the delivery results.
Depending on the blast and its processing status, results can include:
Sent
Delivered
Failed
Skipped
A skipped or failed count often means a contact opted out, is marked do-not-disturb, or the message could not reach the carrier. Once a blast has gone out, its messages can't be edited or recalled. Whether you can still pause or cancel a blast depends on its current status; a scheduled or in-progress drip send may still have pause or cancel options, while one sent immediately does not.
What's the difference between SMS and MMS? SMS supports plain text and emojis only, with a 160-character limit per segment, and reaches any mobile device. MMS supports one image or GIF (up to 700KB) plus up to 1600 characters of text, but requires a smartphone that can receive media content.
Do consent rules differ for SMS and MMS? No. Marketing consent rules are the same for both. If a contact has consented to receive SMS marketing, that consent also applies to MMS.
What media formats and file sizes does MMS support? Aesthetix CRM supports JPG/JPEG, PNG, and GIF for MMS. All files must be under 700KB to ensure delivery without distortion.
How can I estimate the cost of a text blast? Use the Aesthetix CRM SMS calculator at https://aesthetixcrm.com/sms-calculator/ to estimate potential credit usage before sending.
Do I get free messaging credits? Yes. Every month you receive complimentary messaging credits based on your subscription plan. For example, your monthly allowance depends on your plan — check your plan details or contact the Aesthetix team.
How do I actually send the blast? The bulk send is done from Contacts using the Send Bulk SMS bulk action. Select your target contacts, then send the blast to the whole selection at once.
What's the difference between a text blast and an automated workflow SMS? A text blast is a one-time bulk send to contacts you select right now. An automated SMS is configured in the Workflow builder and sends later when a contact meets a trigger, such as submitting a form or booking an appointment.
Can I schedule a text blast for later instead of sending it right away? Yes. Choose the Schedule delivery option and pick the date and time you want the blast to begin sending.
What is Drip Mode and when should I use it? Drip Mode breaks a large blast into smaller batches sent over time instead of all at once. Use it for large audiences when you want to control how quickly contacts enter the send rather than reaching everyone simultaneously.
How do I check whether my text blast was delivered? Go to Contacts, open Bulk Actions, locate the blast, and open its details to see how many messages were sent, delivered, failed, or skipped.
Can I pause or cancel a text blast after I send it? It depends on the blast's current status. A scheduled or in-progress drip send may still be paused or canceled, but messages that have already gone out can't be recalled or edited.
Can I use a saved snippet when composing a text blast? Yes. Insert a saved SMS snippet while composing your blast instead of retyping the same message each time. See Creating Text (SMS) Snippets to create one.
