Text messages have become an integral part of business communication to connect with audiences conveniently. But before sending any message to your users, it’s a requisite to know about the texting rules and regulations to stay compliant. Else, you could end up with heavy penalties.
Table of Contents
TCPA
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) sets legal regulations for telemarketing. It designs rules and regulations to safeguard consumer marketing communication. So being TCPA compliant, you can save yourself from heavy penalties in business and connect with customers without inconvenience.
Get Written Consent from Customers
According to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), before sending any text message, it’s important to have the written consent of the prospects and customers who will be going to receive text messages.
Even for informational text messages, organizations need to have prospect’s consent. There can be many ways in which you can get written consent from customers. It could be asking them to send a keyword on the given number based on an advertisement. Also, you can ask them to enter their contact number into an online web form. Besides, the customers who are signing up by filling up a form and providing their phone numbers could also be considered consent to receive text messages.
Add Clear Call-To-Action
Another thing to keep in mind is that prospects and customers who are signing up must be clear about the purpose of SMS campaigns. They must know what they’re signing up for. Text messages could be used for sending reminders, coupons, tips, etc. Clear the purpose in your CTA so that they don’t get surprised. Also, try to specify the messaging frequency so that they don’t get frustrated when they receive messages frequently. This would prevent your customers from unsubscribing.
Stay away from ‘SHAFT’ Topics
To follow one of the vital rules and practices set by CTIA for the text marketing industry is SHAFT. SHAFT stands for Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco. Strictly avoid including content related to SHAFT in your messages or any call-to-action. This would be a violation of rules and can lead to an immediate ban on text marketing.
As an exception, if you run a bar, you can send text messages about offers, special discounts, and happy hours. Also, before sending any text related to alcohol or tobacco, make sure that you’re compliant.
Provide Easy Opt-Out options
Always provide easy opt-out options to your subscribers even if they have opt-in. Ensure that you have provided an option to opt out of receiving messages whenever they wish to do so. Also, provide as many ways as you can to opt out and make it convenient for subscribers. Once the prospects have opted out, send them a confirmation message that they will not be going to receive any text in the future.
Why is SMS Compliance Important?
SMS is an effective marketing tool that can increase your investment returns. But to prevent any losses in the future, compliance is a must. This way, you can perform your text operations much conveniently and in a legalized manner. Else, heavy penalties can ruin all your investment, time, and efforts that you’ve put in designing and running SMS campaigns.
