Why Business Texting?
SMS, or text messaging, is an increasingly popular channel for businesses to engage customers, thanks to its high open rate and timely nature. After all, we touch our smartphones more than 3,000 times a day.
80% of consumers check their texts within 5 minutes of receiving them, with 40% checking within 60 seconds.
However, as a business, you must follow certain guidelines when adding and removing customers from your text message lists to ensure you only send messages customers want. You also must comply with SMS regulations set up by the FCC, CTIA, and the Mobile Carriers.
Business Registration
New carrier guidelines require businesses to be verified before being allowed to text enable their phone numbers. This requires businesses to have proper tax registration from the country they are located in. To ensure that your business is verified accurately and quickly please make sure you have the following information available to provide during business registration:
- Legal Business Name
- TaxID
In order to verify the above to be 100% accurate, please obtain a copy of your tax documentation from the country you registered in:
- US - SS4 form from the IRS
- CA - Provincial tax form
- Other Countries - Proper tax documentation varies by country
Mismatch of Legal Business Name and TaxID will result in a rejection from the carriers, and will delay the ability to start text messaging. The business registration process usually takes less than 10 minutes to verify.
Location, Website, Phone Number, and Email
Your business physical address should also match what is on your TaxID documentation as well. A branded website and branded email address should be provided as well. The use of Gmail, Yahoo, and other generic email addresses is prohibited. Your business phone number should be listed as well.
Campaign Verification
Great, now your business is verified and we can move on to the next steps the carriers require before you are allowed to send messages. This step is known as creating a campaign to send messages. These steps are very important to adhere to. The mobile carriers are cracking down on these processes as they continue to battle SPAM and unwanted messages being sent to end users.
Call To Action
How are your customers signing up for messaging? And what sorts of messaging are they signing up for? The main two categories for messaging are:
- Promotional/Marketing
- Conversational/Transactional
Both types of messaging are allowable under the guidelines set below. The carriers have recently mandated that each of the two messaging types be agreed to separately. Meaning if you plan on doing both types of messaging, you must have two separate calls to action and Opt-Ins for each type. This can be accomplished by having separate check boxes for each.
A proper call to action should happen over a website link, or via the customer texting the business first. Good examples are below:
- Website - "We ask our customers to sign up via our website. Here is the link to our website for this: [Provide Web Link]" NOTE: Carriers require branded websites, not generic links
- Text - "We ask our customers to sign up via text messaging for our messaging by phone, in person, or by advertising our number. A customer must first text us asking to be opted in." We then respond with the our Opt-In reply shown in our sample below
Opt-In
A proper Opt-In should have wording like this:
Website Sample
Text Sample
Marketing Requirements
If you are doing any sort of promotional or marketing in your text messaging, the carriers now want a separate opt in, or check box for marketing only. If you plan on using your text messaging for conversational (customer care, account notifications, etc) AND Marketing this is now required. Either a separate opt in sign up for marketing only. Or simply add a check box for each kind of message. Check here for marketing, then another box check here for conversational traffic.
Opt-Out
A sample Opt-Out must be included in your submission to the mobile carriers for approval. A good example is as follows:
"Thank you for opting out from [BUSINESS NAME] notifications, no further messages will be sent."
Help
"Thank you for contacting [BUSINESS NAME], someone will respond shortly. You may also contact [BUSINESS PHONE NUMBER] or [ BUSINESS EMAIL] as well."
Sample Messages
Sample messaging should match the kind of messaging type you choose. And a good sample message should include your business name in each message:
“Here are this week’s specials at Thryv. 15% off all new services by using this link. Reply STOP to Opt-Out. Msg and data rates may apply.”
“Thanks for contacting Thryv. Someone will be with you shortly. Reply STOP to Opt-Out. Msg and data rates may apply.”
“This is Thryv. We have some new account notifications for you, please log in to your account for the updates. Reply STOP to Opt-Out. Msg and data rates may apply.”
Terms & Privacy Policy Pages
The mobile carriers also now require links to your Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy pages on your website. The terms page must reference SMS terms. Please make sure you include the links to these pages on your submission.
Questions? Please contact Jason Ellis with Thryv Compliance at [email protected]
