Automating Cash Bid Messages

Click here for a walkthrough of this process

Automated cash bid messages help your team send timely bid updates to growers without creating each message manually. You can schedule cash bid updates by text message or email from the Marketing tab.

Primary Audience: Grain Team, Marketing Leads, Admins

Automated cash bid messages are available for teams using the Grain Driver with a supported cash bid integration.

Create a Contact List

Contact lists determine who receives your automated cash bid messages. We recommend creating contact lists by location and commodity so growers receive bids that are relevant to their area.

Create a contact list

1. Go to the Marketing tab.
2. Click Contact Lists in the top navigation.
3. Click Create Contact List.
4. Choose a list type:
   • Dynamic List: Updates automatically based on filters.
   • Static List: Uses a fixed group of selected contacts.
     
5. Set your filters, then click Apply Filter.
   • Example filters include location, commodities, and customer type.
6. Add a name for the list.
7. Choose a folder to keep the list organized.
8. Click Save.

After the list is saved, you can reuse it for future automated messages.

For more details, see Creating Targeted Contact Lists.

Set Up Automated Text Messages

Automated text messages send cash bid updates to selected contact lists on a schedule.

You can also use the new crop bid selector to choose the bid that best represents grain being taken out of the field during the upcoming harvest. This helps growers receive the most relevant bid during harvest.

Schedule automated text messages

1. Go to the Marketing tab.
2. Click Automated Messages.
3. Select Commodity Price Text Messages.
4. Click Messaging Settings.
5. Configure the message settings:
   • Select the day and time to send.
   • Assign contact lists by location.
   • Choose the commodities and locations to include.
   • Select the new crop bid, if applicable.
     
     
6. Click Send Test to preview the message.
7. Click Save and Schedule to activate the automation.

After the message is scheduled, it will send automatically based on your settings.

Set Up Automated Emails

Automated cash bid emails let you send bid updates with more layout and branding options than text messages.

Email messages can include:

• Text
• Images
• Buttons
• Dividers
• Videos or code blocks

Cash bid data cannot be edited in the email builder, but you can customize the branding and layout.

Create automated emails

1. Go to the Marketing tab.
2. Click Automated Messages.
3. Select the email option for commodity price messages.
4. Build the email by dragging elements into the editor.
5. Customize the branding, colors, and layout.
6. Click Next.
7. Set the schedule, including the day and time.
8. Assign contact lists by location.
9. Click Save and Schedule.

After the email is scheduled, it will send automatically based on your settings.

Customer Comments on Cash Bid Requests

When customers submit an automated cash bid request, the form includes a comment box where they can add additional context or notes.

Customer comments give growers a way to flag special situations or share details that help your team respond more effectively.

For example, a customer may use the comment box to share:

• Delivery timing preferences
• Commodity-specific notes
• Questions about a bid
• Additional context for the request

Review customer comments when following up on cash bid requests so your team has the full context before responding.

Best Practices

• Send a test message before scheduling.
• Create contact lists by location and commodity.
• Use dynamic lists when possible so recipients stay updated automatically.
• Start with a smaller group before sending to a larger audience.
• Review scheduled messages regularly to make sure the bids and contact lists are still accurate.

If you have any questions related to this article or anything else, please reach out to our Partner Enablement Team at [e-mail] or at 512-812-9399.