How Sparkhub works with Project Broadcast

Sparkhub was created to work best with Project Broadcast (PB), a text marketing application that also enables the creation of Landing Pages (PBLPs). Note that we do not have any formal connection with PB; your PB account is separate from your Sparkhub account.

Join here and get a discount on your first month: https://www.projectbroadcast.com/?via=sparkhub

PB has a free plan and paid plans.

A free plan ("social" plan) doesn't let you send texts to your contacts, but you can create Landing Pages (used for your Sparkhub-powered Party Page and/or Signup Page), and you can also add and contacts to build up an address book that you'll be able to make use of in Sparkhub. You can message other PB users.
A paid plan lets you send texts to non-PB users. Paid plans start at just $6/mo. (This $6/mo plan is a base price and you pay for credits you use. See full details at the link above.)

Warning: if you get a free PB plan it will be tied to your mobile number. From then on, any incoming messages to your number from other PB users (for instance, other direct sellers you are a customer for) will come into your PB account, not your regular texting app. For this reason, it's important to turn on notifications in your PB app so you won't miss any messages.

We recommend that you join PB, even on the free plan, if possible. (If you're outside of the US/Canada, you may not be able to join yet.) The paid plan is well worth it, and the lowest-tiered plan is likely enough at least as you get started, but some Sparkhub users may want to focus on the event elements outside of automated texting to start, and can do so with a free PB plan.

Some people may think that using PB with your events is only applicable for a "text party." However, at Sparkhub we believe every event is made better when texting is incorporated! PB not only lets you do that with ease (with a paid plan); it also enables you to take advantage of PBLPs and our special, Sparkhub-powered code blocks and Dynamic Fields that you can use on them (on any PB plan).

You'll need to decide whether to incorporate PB into your Sparkhub setup, which is done in your Profile Settings. Note that even if you begin without PB, you can add it in any time, so don't hesitate to start simple - but it will be helpful to know what is possible when you use PB, since doing so will unleash the full power of Sparkhub.

How Sparkhub works with a PB plan

As mentioned above, Sparkhub is at its finest when combined with PB. Namely,

Your messages will carry more automation (only with a paid plan). For example, when a guest signs up for an Event, you can send them a warm welcome and other messages through PB automation. You can also handle customer order follow-ups with templated and/or scheduled messages.
Your event pages can be on Project Broadcast Landing Pages (PBLPs) containing special Sparkhub code. This code automates your content, meaning that you don't have to do any editing of the Page in order to customize it to that particular event. See an example here, where the Host Feature and the Key Dates are shown thanks to Sparkhub code. It even welcomes the guest by name (this page is for a guest named Julie).
- Note that we plan to expand the in-page options to make your Party Page even more special with no extra work on your part!
- You can also embed a Canva design into your PBLP, such as a design created in my Direct Sales On Demand program.
Throughout the app, you can click people's names or numbers to automatically open a PB chat with them (using a paid plan).

How Sparkhub works without PB

If you live outside the US/Canada/Puerto Rico (PB's current territory), you might not have access to PB yet. Although PB will hopefully expand internationally, they are not there yet, so you will be using Sparkhub without PB.

If you don't integrate a PB account with Sparkhub, leave the Project Broadcast API field blank in your Profile settings.

You can still make use of Sparkhub's features such as Event organization, the Signup page, and the Host Portal.

You will not have any automated text messaging. However, since Sparkhub will gather guests' contact info for you, you can easily reach out to them manually by clicking their number from your guest list. It will open in your normal texting app.
Your Signup Page will follow a standard layout like this example since you won't be able to turn a PBLP into your Signup Page using Sparkhub.
Your Party Page will be any destination you wish. For example, you can send guests to a Canva Website. However, you will not have the use of the Sparkhub-powered code blocks that are available in PBLPs as described above. As a result, you will have more manual work to ensure your Party Page is updated for each event - for instance, if using for a party, making sure that references to the Host, key dates, and links are updated.
Throughout the app, you can click people's names or numbers to automatically open a text chat with them using your default texting application.

Deciding what's right for you

Here are some factors to consider.

Familiarity: if you already know PB, see how much more powerful it will be once Sparkhub is added to the mix! If you don't, you may want to start with a free plan, get comfortable with PBLPs, and build toward automated texting with a paid plan later. However, there's something to be said for joining with a low-priced paid plan so you can explore all the power available with automated texting.
Geography: PB is only available for US/Canada/PR numbers. So if you live outside that territory, you'll have to wait until PB has international availability before you can use it.
Functionality: using Sparkhub with PB is, hands-down, the most efficient and feature-packed way to use Sparkhub. If you want to take advantage of the full power of Sparkhub from day one, use it with a paid PB plan. Our training points you to specific PB training modules so that you can access only what you need, when you need it. If you have the time to learn a few PB basics alongside Sparkhub, your time investment will pay off as you get up and running with the best-possible approach from day one! On the other hand...
Learning curve: Although a paid PB plan is highly recommended, it will carry a bit of a learning curve. If you would be new to it, you may want to consider learning the basics of Sparkhub with free (social plan) PB, but keeping an eye on what PB offers as you go. Once you are confident on Sparkhub, you can upgrade PB at a later time. This will mean adding in the automated texting functions at that time. So if you want to ensure you get up and running with the easier learning curve, then starting with a free plan might be the way to go.
Cost: you likely only need the lowest-tiered PB plan, at least to start, which is $6/mo plus pay-as-you-go credits at the time of writing this. It is worth every penny, but the fee is a consideration.

You'll want to note that although we touch on PB in our training, we do not go deep on all things PB. This is because PB has its own training for you. However, we do point you to the specific PB trainings you need, as you need them, so that you don't have to comb through more training than you need.