Understanding Message Types
There are two main types of messages you might send:
Informational Messages:
These keep your audience updated about important events, appointments, or time-sensitive updates. Think of appointment reminders, schedule changes, or emergency notifications.
Promotional Messages:
These messages promote your products, services, or special offers to interested customers. They have stricter compliance requirements, including express written consent, detailed documentation of consent collection methods, and proper privacy policies and terms—all of which are typically needed for carrier registration.
Key Requirements
1. Carrier Registration
One of the newest and most important SMS best practices is carrier registration. Think of it as getting your business "verified" with mobile networks. While this extra step might seem like a hurdle, we've streamlined the process to make it as smooth as possible.
What You Need to Know About Registration:
- It's required for everyone who wants to send mass text messages
- For promotional messages, you'll need a privacy policy, terms and conditions, and documentation of how you collect and store consent
- Protects consumers by preventing spam
2. Consent Types
Understanding consent is crucial for any successful messaging program. Here are the three types:
Conversational Consent:
- Perfect for: Quick back-and-forth exchanges initiated by the customer
- Requirements: None beyond the initial customer contact
Informational Consent:
- Perfect for: Updates, reminders, and notifications
- Requires express consent, given through a verbal agreement, form, or website
Promotional Consent:
- Perfect for: Marketing messages and special offers
- Needs express written consent, such as signing a form or checking a box online
3. Collecting Consent
Here's how to properly collect and document consent:
Website Opt-In: Ensure your online forms clearly outline what users are consenting to, with all compliance details.
Text-to-Join: Direct users to text a keyword, ensuring your instructions include the required legal wording.
Confirming Opt-In: Send a confirmation message immediately after signup with essential details like the program name and opt-out instructions.
Double Opt-In (Optional): Reconfirm interest with an additional step, ensuring accuracy and intent.
SMS Platform Essentials
Main Components
Opt-Out Process: Honor STOP requests immediately, send confirmation messages, and maintain clear unsubscribe instructions in your messages.
Customer Support: Provide clear HELP instructions, ensure customers can easily contact you, and maintain prompt response times.
Terms & Conditions: Display your program name, message frequency, description, opt-out instructions, and customer care details in an easily accessible location.
Privacy Policy: Protect subscriber information, clearly state how data will be used, and specify that opt-in data won't be shared with third parties.
Website: Maintain an accessible web presence with program details, terms and conditions, and privacy policy information.
Writing Effective Messages
Great messages combine compliance with effectiveness. Here's how to make yours stand out:
Start Strong: Identify yourself clearly in each message, get straight to the point, and make your value obvious to recipients.
Keep It Clear: Use conversational language that's easy to understand, avoid technical jargon and abbreviations, and always put links at the end of your message.
Stay Compliant: Include required opt-out instructions, use only approved URL shorteners, and maintain a professional tone throughout your content.
Avoid Prohibited Content: Unwanted messages and content related to sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, drugs, tobacco, gambling, MLM, schemes, lead generation, and fraud are prohibited.
Getting Started with Text-Em-All
Ready to begin? Here's your path to successful messaging:
Create your account: Sign up for Text-Em-All, complete your organization profile, and access your dashboard.
Explore the service: Review our message samples and templates, discover available features, and learn industry best practices.
Choose your plan: Review our pricing options, select the plan that fits your needs, and understand the included features and limits.
Complete registration: Gather your business information, prepare the required documentation, and submit your carrier registration.
Plan your first broadcast: Define your message goals, select your audience, and create your first message.
We're Here to Help
Building a successful SMS program doesn't have to be complicated. At Text-Em-All, we've guided thousands of organizations through implementing these SMS best practices, and we're here to help you too.
Ready to get started? Contact us today, and we'll help you navigate the requirements and build a messaging program that delivers real results.
