Digital Communication offers two versions of text messaging; the primary distinction is around how opt-ins are handled. Opt-ins are an important part of text messaging. With text messaging the regulations that govern text message (e.g., TCPA) and carriers require that a person has opted in to receive text message even for transactional. (This is different from emails where CAN-SPAM allows you to email without the person having to opt-in as long as you have a opt-out option of marketing email. And doesn’t require an unsubscribe for transactional/operational messages)
Operational/Transactional Text Messaging
In our operation/transactional text messaging service, you would handle the opt-ins through a process outside of the text messaging service. Some examples of the how the opt-ins can be gathered are:
- Online Banking interrupt page asking if they want to enroll in operational text messaging
- new Customer/account opening process that has a opt-in for text messages
- new loan documentation has an opt-in for late payment reminders, etc.
For a step by step guide to implementing operational/transactional text messages, please refer to our Implementation Guide.
Marketing Text Messaging
In our marketing text messaging service, you decide the type of information you would like to text and you define a word (keyword) that the individual would use to opt-in or opt-out of messages. Most of our clients only use one keyword and use this for all Marketing text messages. However, some prefer to segment the communications. Examples of keywords include:
- Rates or Offers – used to give information about bank product promotions
- Note: The carriers have forbidden the use of text messaging for loan marketing, so this would be deposit product promotions, new services that are not loan related, etc.
- Events – used to give information about community events, classes/webinars, etc.
- We have a client who is a sponsor for a sporting team in their community, they use a keyword related to that sporting team (e.g., Bears, basketball, etc.) and they notify people of promotions related to the team.
- ClientName – this is an example of a keyword you might use if you want to have a very broad keyword to represent anything for that Client.
When you use a keyword, you would let your customers know about this through signs in the branch, information on your website, email to your customers, etc. This would essentially say: Text “<keyword>” to <888.555.1111> to receive text messages about <x>. Message rates apply.
An individual would text the keyword “Gateway” (or whatever keyword you decide) to your mobile toll-free number that Marquis would assign. They would get a confirmation of being enrolled and then the next time you send a text to the people enrolled in that keyword, they would get the text. Each keyword would be paired with an opt-out keyword allowing the individual to un-enroll from the text notifications for that keyword.
For a step by step guide to implementing marketing text messages, please refer to our Implementation Guide.