Text messaging can be used with both AppFolio Property Manager as well as SimpleVoIP, however it's important to understand the differences.
AppFolio Text Messaging
SimpleVoIP can text-enable any of your SimpleVoIP-issued or ported phone numbers. Once activated, you can send and receive messages directly within the CRM Connect web application or the SimpleVoIP Mobile App. Shared SMS inboxes are also supported on both platforms.
SMS conversations are automatically logged to AppFolio Property Manager (APM) when a matching tenant, owner, lead, or vendor record is found. Both inbound and outbound messages are logged, and related messages may be grouped into a single note using smart conversation logging for improved readability and record keeping.
Note: CRM Connect currently supports one-to-one SMS conversations. Group texting and MMS/file attachments is in our roadmap.
SimpleVoIP Text Messaging
SimpleVoIP can text-enable any of your SimpleVoIP issued or ported phone numbers. Once activated, you can send and receive messages directly in a tab in the CRM Connect web application or the SimpleVoIP Mobile app on your smartphone. We support shared SMS inboxes as well on either of those devices.
Coming Soon: Text messages will be automatically logged to APM when sent and received.
How to combine these 2 services?
Scenario 1: AppFolio SMS
Let's say you have text messaging already with AppFolio and your phone system is with someone else. You're planning on moving your phone system to SimpleVoIP and want to keep your SMS as-is so you can communicate with your customers, but you'd like to give your customers the ability to call you on both your published main number (soon to be with SimpleVoIP) or by clicking the phone number of the SMS they just received.
No problem - here's how it works.
- Set up call forwarding on your APM number to your main number (on SimpleVoIP)
- Change your caller ID on your SimpleVoIP CRM Connect app to match the AppFolio SMS number
Now, when you dial out on the phone it will show your callback number as your AppFolio SMS number, which means they can call you back OR send a text. When they text, it goes right to AppFolio. When they call, it gets redirected to your main (or personal) phone number on SimpleVoIP. In this scenario, you are giving out the AppFolio SMS number as your main number. Customers can still call you directly on your main number, but they won't be able to text it directly.
Scenario 2: SimpleVoIP SMS
If you want SimpleVoIP to handle voice calls and SMS, ask your onboarding specialist to activate text messaging on your main number or your DIDs. Then you can send and receive SMS messages directly from your SimpleVoIP phone numbers without needing any call forwarding.
Messages can be managed through CRM Connect or the SimpleVoIP Mobile App and can be automatically logged to matching AppFolio records when available.
Scenario 3: Hybrid SMS
Combine both 1 and 2 above. Keep your SMS on AppFolio and set up the call forwarding in APM to send calls back to SimpleVoIP. BUT - don't mask your caller ID in SimpleVoIP CRM Connect. Instead, set up SMS on your SimpleVoIP numbers as well, so you can text freely from either AppFolio or SimpleVoIP on any of your numbers.
SimpleVoIP SMS interactions can be logged to matching AppFolio records, allowing teams to maintain a complete communication history while continuing to use AppFolio SMS and SimpleVoIP SMS together.
How to set up AppFolio Call Forwarding
- Log into your APM database
- Click your name
- Choose General Settings
- Click Texting Settings
- Choose either your company phone number or portfolio phone number
How to set up caller ID masking in CRM Connect
Click the icon on the left bar and update your caller ID.