You will realize pretty quickly that there is a breadth of texting terms for placing on your radar while you get started with texting for business, like the various SMS features that only come with the texting software being the straightforward option. There are even others with a greater explanation, like the opt-in text message dealing with the best practices while you text your customers.

What’s An Opt-In Text Message and What Does Opt To Mean in a Text Message?

It is important that you get the consent of a customer before texting them.

It is considered an invasion of privacy and is against the law in terms of texting customers without their permission. Businesses should have consent from the recipient prior to sending a text according to the Telephone Consumer Protection or TCPA act. The permission, such as opt-in, comes in here.

All you need is to make a choice here with the word opt. The recipient will be selected in terms of choosing to subscribe to your text communications. They are offering consent in terms of receiving your text messages, in other words.

Perse, an opt-in need not be initiated in a text message from your customer. Permission can be granted in varied ways depending on the kind of business and the type of messages you intend to send.

Difference between Promotional and Transactional SMS 

Whether your business should be sending opt-in text messages to your customers is what the transactional or promotional text might be affected. Here is a quick overview of the difference between transactional and promotional SMS to aid you in determining when you should be using the opt-in text.

• Promotional Text Messages 

The text prompting a customer in terms of purchasing something or going somewhere, or even taking action is what a promotional text involves. These would be including messages about the flash sales, promotions, along with discounts. They will also require written consent from their recipients prior to a business sending a promotional SMS.

Through advertising, a keyword that someone can text to opt for marking texts is a common way for businesses to obtain consent. The keyword should be advertised on the website of the business through the sign-in store or even the digital and print advertisements on email or social media. It can be assumed that the customers are providing their consent if the text is initiated through them.

• Transactional Text Messages 

The text that is used while a business requires to offer the required information to their customers is through transactional SMS. These are the messages that are mainly automated or include an order confirmation along with the tracking numbers and password resets along with the two-factor authentications.

There is no double-opt-in text message that is involved for the transactional SMS due to their appropriate opt-in can be provided by the customer while they are giving their phone number during the process of checkout while the placement of an order online. The businesses should even be clear whether or not the customer is giving their phone number as it can be used only for sending them their relevant transactional text messages.

In terms of driving some massive number of returns when they are used quite prudently, SMS is quite competent. Text message compliance for the opt-in and opt-out example is the first and foremost thing about making use of the Salesforce text messages for business communication.

Organizations can save themselves from the bigger penalty changes and continue with the use of SMS for marketing and other purposes without any inconvenience as they are compliant with the TCPA rules and regulations.

Opt-In Text Message Compliance

The few regulatory bodies have the intent of protecting the privacy of a consumer while texting is GDPR, TCPA, and the CCPA.

Before you send the text messages, it has been made a mandatory thing by TCPA to receive written consent from your prospective recipients. To make sure that your consumers are not feeling deceived, always offer a convenient and transparent opt-in mechanism.

It does not mean that the prospect has opt-in as you simply have to fill up the phone number in any form. Make sure that the customers have clearly offered their consent in terms of receiving the recurring messages. You should also be sending an opt-in confirmation of text message that should also be containing clear opt-out instructions before you send your initial marketing text.

Types of Opt-In

There are basically two kinds of opt-in. One is the web opt-in, while the other is the mobile opt-in.

The consumers can send a keyword to the shortcode number with the opt-in option for the mobile opt-in. Organizations can easily advertise these keywords on different platforms like the ads, emails along with the growth of the list of subscribers to increase the opt-in rate.

People can also select the opt-in through the landing pages along with the web forms and the pages that should be containing all the required details of the opt-in program, including the charges, opt-out instructions, purpose, and many more.

Opt-Out Text Message Compliance

Send a text of confirmation along with the opt-in instructions once a consumer has opted-in to receive the text messages before starting with the Salesforce text messaging. It would be offering the customers the ease of opting out and honor of their opt-out decision. Make sure that the customer can opt-out at any time conveniently, and after this, the customer would not be receiving a single text message. If you are failing to get this done, then it can place your organization at the risk of legal action if you are failing at doing so.

Importance of SMS Compliance for your Business

The king of the market is the customer. Your business can be at the face of a risk when any activity is done involving the consent of the customer. It would be including text messaging too. You can easily steer clear of the higher penalties along with reaping the texting benefits in business with the help of SMS opt-in and opt-out compliance.

You need to eliminate every possibility for legal actions while making use of the texts with the consent of the consumer, as it would be honoring their decision in terms of receiving and not receiving the texts.