How SMS Compliance Actually Benefits Small Business Marketing

There are a few complexities surrounding text marketing that your business needs to know about. Why? Sending a message to the wrong person at the wrong time can put your business or organization at serious legal risk.

On the other hand, a welcome text message to the right person is a powerful and effective way to communicate important messages to prospects and customers. The most successful enterprises know that business text messaging is a proven and cost-effective way to send important sales alerts, appointment reminders, and more.

When building a compliant text message marketing program, your goal is to protect people from receiving non-compliant or unwarranted text messages. Because text marketing is a permission-based activity, all recipients must opt-in to your text marketing program. That means that prospects and customers must give their permission for you to send them messages.

It might seem like a hassle now, but getting your contacts to opt-in is the only way to send compliant text messages. Moreover, SMS compliance can actually benefit your small business in the long term.

5 Benefits of SMS Compliance for Small Business Marketing

Here are the top five benefits of SMS compliance for small business marketing. Of course, if you need some help crafting high-value and compliant text messages, our textperts are always available to answer your questions or concerns.

1. Recipients Know who They're Receiving Texts From

When your small business invests in compliant text marketing, recipients will know exactly who they're receiving texts from. In accordance with most text marketing rules and regulations, you must include your business' name in all text promotions.

Additionally, most shared short codes are simple and easy to remember. Eventually, after a few messages, your prospects and customers will begin to recognize your number. You might even consider investing in a dedicated or vanity short code. These options give you the ability to add additional customization to your number.

For example, 7-Eleven gets some great number-name recognition for scoring the short code 7117111. Typically, a dedicated or vanity short code can cost upwards of $1,000 per month to lease, and you'll have to go through a cellular network approval process before using the number in text message marketing campaigns. However, if you can stomach the steep price tag and extra effort, a dedicated or vanity short code might be an ideal solution for you and your small business.

2. Recipients Choose What Kinds of Texts They Want to Receive

A compliant text messaging program means that recipients have opted-in to receive certain types of offers, promotions, and messages. Think about it this way – it doesn't make sense to send sales offers to contacts who opted-in for company updates. Receiving the wrong type of message is intrusive and annoying. Moreover, sending the wrong message can have serious legal implications.

For example, if a customer signed up to receive special sales offers, you'll want to avoid sending them messages about company news.

Many text message providers make it easy to organize text contacts. This ensures that recipients receive the right text message at the right time.

3. Recipients Know When They're Going to Receive Texts

In most cases, text marketing compliance requires businesses to only send text messages during open business hours. Also, as a best practice, confirmation text messages typically provide an estimated text frequency. In this way, recipients know exactly when they're going to receive messages from your small business. Sending a daily or weekly text message is a great way to keep contacts informed and engaged.

4. Small Businesses Can Provide Seamless Customer Support

As an SMS compliance best practice, your business needs to make it easy for recipients to get their questions answered. For example, at the end of every text message, most businesses include a word or phrase recipients can reply to in order to ask for help, take the next step, etc.

Thanks for being a loyal customer. Here's 25% off your next in-store purchase. For questions regarding this special promotion, please contact customer service. Reply "PROMO" to speak with an agent.

5. Small Businesses Can Promote Physical Addresses

Most SMS compliance issues arise when marketers forget to include a website or physical address of the business in their text messages. If your small business has a physical location and you're struggling to get customers through the door, text messaging is a great way to promote your storefront.

Master SMS Compliance With EZ Texting

Your customers have opted-in to receive texts from your business. They're trusting you to use their personal information responsibly. To stay on the right side of the law and keep your contacts happy, your business needs to master SMS compliance. It's one of the first things we cover when on-boarding new clients!

To kickstart your text marketing journey, we recommend downloading our free guide. In this guide, we show you the nine steps all successful text marketers take when they are just getting started. After reading, you'll have everything you need to send your very first compliant text message marketing promotion.

Photo: Getty/Kerkez