The Do’s and Don’ts of business text messaging

Did you know that you pay for every text message you attempt to send, NOT every message that’s received?

If your business is relying on messaging for customer communications, knowing your messages actually get delivered is critical for getting a return on your investment. Complexities, changing rules, and new products can have a huge impact on your messages getting to the inbox.

The fourth video in our “Message Deliverability: It’s not as simple as hitting “send” series looks at a few do’s and don’ts that can help you maximize your deliverability.

Following the rules is always a good rule in general, but when it comes to messaging, it can be the difference between a delivered message and a blocked one.

DO obtain prior written permission

ALWAYS get consent before you start sending messages from your business. Not only is it required by law, it also establishes your identity. An unfamiliar number raises the likelihood of being blocked or flagged as SPAM by consumers.

DON’T forget about sending a confirmation after receiving an opt-in

A quick confirmation is always a great first message. Let customers know what to expect from the messages you’ll be sending them.

DO support HELP and STOP keywords

You have to give recipients an “out” if they want to stop hearing from you. STOP should opt recipients out immediately. HELP gives recipients information about you so they can learn who’s behind the messages.

DO include your brand name in messages

It’s always a great idea to give recipients a heads up as to who you are and why they’re receiving a message from you. This can help eliminate confusion and lower opt-out rates.

DON’T send messages from multiple numbers

If you’re using multiple numbers to get around volume limits, DON’T—you’ll get flagged as spam, and it’s a bad user experience. You wouldn’t expect a friend to have multiple phone numbers, so why should a business?

DO be careful about link shorteners

If sending links is necessary for your use case, make sure you’re using your own dedicated link shortener—not a public or free URL like bit.ly. These types of link shorteners are often associated with phishing scams and can get your message blocked as SPAM.

• Part 1: It’s not as simple as hitting “send”
• Part 2: A2P vs P2P Messaging
• Part 3: The 3 types of A2P messaging
• Part 4: The do’s and don’ts of business text messaging
• Part 5: How to measure your SMS delivery