Although different definitions exist, spam messages generally indicate anything unwanted, unrecognized, or unpleasant. As a business professional, you may already know how to stop emails from ending up in the junk folder or being reported as spam. With business texting, however, the meaning focuses more on a perceived lack of value for the recipient.
When you adopt landline texting as one of your primary communication methods with your target audience, you run the risk of aggravating people who did not know what they were signing up for or forgot they did to begin with. While reporting texts to the FCC is rare, and the CTIA, the US organization that represents the wireless communications industry, does not handle such matters, you still do not want to risk unpleasant reports or blocks.
If you want to make sure your business texting activities are not viewed as spam, follow these guidelines without fail.
Only Use Business Texting Alongside Opt-In Strategies
Consent to all marketing messages matter when it comes to making a positive impression and avoiding spam complaints and business texting blocks. Of course, you cannot send a text from your company to a consumer or other connection without getting their number first. While you may assume sharing information is the same as opting in, it helps to get unequivocal consent to messages at the same time. This could be as simple as a checkbox on the sign-up form. However, if you want to keep your audience content, make it obvious what they are opting to receive from you. Also indicate assumed consent to message back if they send you a text or contact the company through a chat app.
Provide Valuable Information and Non-Marketing Content
One of the main reasons to send business texting involves marketing. You want people to hire you to perform services and buy products. However, people do not want a constant bombardment of advertisements and offers even if you hand out discounts or freebies all the time. These things only represent the value if the person wants to buy the item already. Intersperse marketing messages with survey links, customer care follow-up, new ideas, and even fun facts that align with recent events or holidays.
Educational content sent through a landline texting platform provides true value to the recipient and put your brand in the best light possible. In order to avoid spam complaints, the tips or lessons you provide need to go beyond the same old things your target audience would find with a Google search and actually help with something they are interested in. It makes sense to have mini courses and tip lines as separate segments of your text message audience.
Mix Up Content Types to Keep Things Fresh
Adjacent to the idea of providing value is a recommendation to increasing interest through diversity. If you sell dog sweaters online, for example, your customers want more than a never- ending flow of text messages that show cute dogs in their new clothing. While engaging to a certain consumer base, this can quickly become nothing more than a cute diversion instead of valuable content that comes from your brand specifically. Mix things up in your business texting strategy to keep things fresh and interesting.
Identify Your Brand Frequently as a Reminder
Engagement with the brand depends on mentioning it so no one forgets where the value comes from. Even with the adorable dog sweater example, mentioning that the sweater comes from your shop may not be enough. When you identify your brand, you must go beyond texting its name or including a logo in your next MMS text.
Sharing identity also includes creating and sharing an effective brand identity that aligns with your target audience, transcends your competitors’ attempts, and communicates your unique selling proposition and focus with every message. Add information about the company mission, events or awards, new product lines, and what you truly stand for in the world or your specific industry. Consumers respond well to meaning instead of marketing.
Focus on Texting Communication Instead of Content
Another effective way to avoid having your business text messages blocked is to use them primarily for requested communication. In other words, engage in the customer service process through texts, answer questions promptly, give recommendations directly to people who ask for them, and follow-up with a personal message after a sale or service completion.
Things like automatic business texting blasts of cute dogs in sweaters or whatever aligns with your brand provide value to subscribers. However, excessive messages of any kind cannot only become disruptive but may increase someone’s bill if they do not have unlimited service. This type of thing will ruin your reputation considerably, and you will get blocked.
No one will block you for telling them that your shipment is on the way or asking if you are 100% satisfied with the new hardwood floor they just installed. No one will block your texts after asking for a recommendation for website development services and receiving a quality answer. Spam is defined as messages that people do not want, did not ask for, and find disruptive. Communication hardly ever falls under these traits.
The number of robo texts, spam, and automatic messages have increased alongside the popularity of using smart phones for all communication and Internet access. People constantly search for ways to stop annoying and potentially costly text messages from bombarding their phone with useless information, phishing scams, and marketing messages. According to a 2021 survey, 46% of participants in the United States reported spam calls or texts every single day.
As a company owner or brand representative, the last thing you want to do is annoy people with contacts. Business texting provides a massive benefit for your overall marketing strategy if done correctly. These guidelines outlined above can help you make sure both your automatic and manually sent text messages avoid spam claims completely.
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