Stick to these principles and you’ll be fine!
Text or SMS (Short Message Service) marketing is a fantastic way to bring the market to your customers and to get the word out about your business. It has been shown to be among the most useful tools that a business can utilize in their marketing strategy and many businesses are only now realizing its potential reach. However, it’s critical that you understand the legal and social parameters in place when utilizing something so potentially effective.
Text marketing involves various laws, regulations, principles and understood practices that you need to be aware of so we’ve put them all together into one list. Stick to these principles and your marketing is sure to go well!
Obtain Permission
You need the proper permission from potential subscribers to utilize text marketing messages. Without their permission you are breaking the law and could potentially incur legal action or penalties. Plus doing so will also give your business or service a bad name potentially upsetting customers.
How to get this permission? If those who you are sending the texts to (subscribers) have already opted in by texting the keyword to your number then you’re set! By subscribing they’ve given you permission. However, if you are entering contacts individually or manually importing them into the dashboard you need to obtain verbal or written confirmation from that person that you can text messages to them.
Text During Business Hours
Messages should only be sent during traditional business hours. Customers don’t want to be woken up to a text marketing message or to alert them at awkward or late times. The general guidelines of the CTIA and the MMA (Mobile Marketing Association) define these hours as between 8AM and 9PM. Again, the focus should be on satisfying the customers.
One significant benefit of text/ SMS marketing is that you can prompt direct action on the part of the customer, but people don’t want to be prompted to action at strange hours.
Keep it short
Each SMS credit is good for delivering 1 message to 1 mobile number provided the message is under 160 characters. If you send 1 message to a group of 40 people that uses 40 credits.
If you send a message over 160 characters or an MMS (image message) you will use 2 messaging credits.
If you want to include a long link to a website, sign-up form… it is better to use the short link builder (under tools) then copy that short link to send in your message. Long messages will annoy your users so if you have a very long message we suggest that you link to it. Create a google doc with the information, make sure that it is flagged so that anyone with the link can view it, copy the link and add it to your short link builder. These steps help keep your message under 160 characters and will help you maximize the credits you have available.
Provide an Option for Removal
It’s critical that your subscribers have the option to remove themselves from your text marketing lists. String Ping does this automatically, including the potential opt out in your initial auto reply and any outgoing messages.
The “Msg&Data rates may apply” message is joined with “STOP to end” on the auto reply when people subscribe. “STOP to end” is included with all outgoing bulk messages.
Monitor Frequency
Don’t constantly text your subscribers! There are reasonable limits to how many text marketing messages you can send a customer. It’s recommended that you do not exceed 4 texts in a given 30 day period. More messages than that and you are likely to upset customers and also give your business a bad name.
It’s also important to inform your subscribers as to the frequency of the messages you’ll be sending. That way there are no surprises so there is nothing for them to be upset about.
A good practice is to include this wording to your initial auto reply for those who subscribe to your list:
“Up to 4 msgs/month”
It isn’t necessary to put this in every text you send to subscribers, only when they initially sign up.
Use Disclaimers, T&C/Privacy Policy and Business Name
The international trade association (CTIA) maintains the interests of the international wireless communications industry and they strictly require that you include the following message in your initial auto reply to your subscribers:
“Msg&Data rates may apply”
This is an important regulation and thus String Ping automatically adds this to the auto reply that you formulate so you don’t have to worry about getting in trouble. Again, this message must only be included in the first auto reply when the subscriber initially joins your list and it won’t be seen on every message.
It’s also important to include your business/program name and a link to your Terms & Privacy Policy page on the initial auto-reply after the user subscribes. This won’t be needed on every subsequent message that is sent, but only on the initial auto-reply.
Example of an auto-reply that is compliant:
Jim’s Tennis Shop New Product Group: Thanks for joining! Show this text for a free racquet tune-up.
STOP to end. HELP for help. 4 msgs/month. Msg&data rates may apply. T&C/Privacy @ http://businessname.com
Don’t use shorthand
Avoid using text shorthand wherever possible. Use characters in a text message sparingly. Using shorthand too much is simply unprofessional. You want your messages to be accepted with a degree of credibility.
If you think that you need to use shorthand to save space in your texts then make sure that you only use them with words that you know the reader will understand.
Provide Value
Every marketing message should convey something important. If your customers are kind enough to subscribe to your texts, be respectful and provide them with content that is valuable.
Ensure that you don’t continuously send the same messages or messages that are too similar. You want to provide them with something that is valuable and part of that is providing something unique that has distinct benefits. If you are simply sending the same messages or conveying the same content, then people will likely unsubscribe since they aren’t getting anything new.
Stick to these principles and you’ll be fine!
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