Email to SMS lead activation

Honest note: rules automation (email, delay, condition, SMS), not AI. The 60% open and 25% click figures are vendor-reported from a case-study summary and have no baseline. Open rates are unreliable because Apple Mail Privacy Protection counts some opens that never happened and Brevo excludes those contacts from the Email opened trigger, so base your "didn't engage" test on link clicks where you can.

Prerequisites

• A Brevo account (Free is enough to start).
• A contact list for your contest entrants, with consent to receive emails and, for SMS, a mobile number and opt-in.
• SMS credits and, for accounts created after March 13, 2026, a registered Sender ID per destination country. Follow local SMS marketing rules and include an unsubscribe option.
• A link that does something useful (claim a prize, book a session).

Step-by-step setup

Step 1. Create the list and the sign-up path. Collect entrants into a Brevo list (for example "Contest winners") and store their mobile number in the contact's phone attribute. Make sure your form records consent for SMS.

Step 2. Start a workflow. Go to Automations → Workflows → Create an automation and choose the new editor. Rename it (for example "Lead activation"). Drag the trigger Contact added to list onto the canvas, pick "Contest winners" and Save.

Step 3. Send the email first. Drag Actions → Send an email under the trigger, pick or design the template (a clear prize/claim button), set subject, sender and Save.

Step 4. Wait and check for a click. Add the rule Time delay (for example 2 days; the minimum is 1 minute) or Wait until an event happens with a time limit, which sends contacts down a No branch if the event doesn't happen in time. Then add a Conditional split based on the contact's behavior with that email (choose the click or open option for your email in the split's condition list; Brevo's help says splits can use events, behaviors or contact details). Contacts who engaged leave the flow or continue to the next email; the No branch continues to the SMS.

Step 5. Send the SMS to non-responders. On the not-engaged branch add Actions → Messaging → Send an SMS. Choose Promotional (or Transactional for service messages), enter a Sender name of 3–11 letters (US/Canada recipients see a numeric shortcode instead), write up to 160 characters, and include an unsubscribe option. Optionally switch on Set up when to send the SMS to avoid nights and weekends. Save.

Step 6. Test. Click the flask (Test) icon, enter a test email that isn't already a contact, and tick Skip 'Wait For' steps to jump the delays. Then click Activate automation. The help warns that real-condition testing needs the automation activated first.

Step 7. Add the post-session feedback workflow. Create another workflow for people who attend a free session (for example trigger Contact added to list "Attended free session"). Send a feedback or thank-you email with a discount, wait, then send an SMS reminder to non-clickers using the same pattern as Steps 4–5. Later, copy the pattern for payment reminders and promotions.

Easier: let your AI do it

Brevo has an official Claude connector (a free Claude account works, paid is recommended). It reads campaign performance and lists and creates drafts of emails, templates and SMS campaigns. It can't send, schedule, or build workflows.

Step 1. In Claude click Customize → Connectors, search Brevo, select it, log in to Brevo and click Authorize.

Step 2. Use the connector prompt below, then review the drafts in Brevo and send them yourself.

Connector prompt

Using my Brevo account, draft (save as DRAFT only) an email for my "Contest winners" list that tells winners how to claim their free session, with a Claim your session button, and a 160-character SMS draft reminding people who haven't claimed. Do not send or schedule anything. Also show click-through rates for my last 5 campaigns.

What success looks like

Winners who never opened the email still hear about the prize by text, and your claim rate goes up. Compare claimed sessions per 100 entrants before and after, rather than trusting open rates.

Common issues & fixes

• Everyone gets the SMS: your split used opens, and Apple Mail privacy blocks counted opens. Use clicks, or a longer delay.
• SMS rejected: missing Sender ID, no credits, or no unsubscribe text.
• Contact moved between lists doesn't enter: Contact added to list isn't triggered by moves.
• Automation stops at 2,000 contacts on Free/Starter: move to Standard.

Optional: Maintenance

• Review the workflow Activity tab monthly: who started, finished and clicked.
• Update contest copy and the prize each campaign.

Copy-paste prompt

I run an outdoor fitness [boot camp / club] and just ran a Facebook contest. Write:
1. An email (under 90 words) telling winners how to claim a free session at [LINK], with a short subject line.
2. A text message under 160 characters sent 2 days later to people who haven't claimed, ending "Reply STOP to unsubscribe."
3. A feedback email (under 80 words) sent after the free session, offering [DISCOUNT] and asking one question about the session.
4. A payment-reminder text under 160 characters for members whose payment is due on [DATE].
Tone: energetic but honest. No invented numbers or deadlines.

Sources

• Case: Bootcamp Team customer story on CaseStudies.com. Credit: Bootcamp Team (vendor-published summary).
• Brevo Help: Available triggers, actions, and rules, Overview of the new automation editor, Send SMS messages through an automation, About Brevo's pricing plans
• Connector: Brevo connector for Claude