Three decades ago, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George Bush. The law was designed to protect citizens from unsolicited contact from automated telephone dialing equipment. While the first text message wasn’t sent until December 3, 1992, the FCC has treated text messages in the same manner as phone calls, allowing a complainant to sue for $500 (or more) per non-compliant text message. To avoid penalties and build relationships, following the TCPA guidelines is imperative.
Sending application to peer texts (A2P), or text blasts, to phone numbers that haven’t opted in for communication can be costly. Here are five ways you can garner consent to switch from a P2P strategy to a hybrid P2P/A2P strategy.
Change the consent form on your website
You’re likely capturing email opt-ins through pop-ups on your website. Add a phone number field (you can choose to make this required or optional) to capture consent for text communication.
While some studies show that adding a phone number field to your opt-in form can decrease the percentage of landing page conversions, a study by the Columbia Business School shows that 75% of the respondents said they are willing to share their email address and phone number with a brand they trust.
Add opt-ins to your social media marketing activities
Turn fans and followers into active text subscribers through social media. If you’re collecting email data through social media marketing campaigns, consider adding a phone number opt-in. For a free way to build your list, use text-to-join functionality in your social media posts across various platforms.
Use P2P to shift a portion of your list to A2P
Peer-to-peer messaging (P2P) is used to manually send a personalized message directly to a person who may not have opted in to receive messages from your organization. Used respectfully, it can be a powerful tool to share useful information and strengthen the relationship between your organization and the person you are texting with.
While engaging in personalized P2P texting, you may also be able to collect their opt-in for further A2P communication via text. In other words, they might be interested in signing up to receive automated text blasts that notify them of upcoming volunteer events. A shift from P2P to A2P will save money and time for your organization while building trust and a relationship with your new subscribers.
Utilize print media and in-person events
Employ a new digital strategy to traditional marketing when you use text-to-join functionality in print media and in-person events. Face-to-face events are a great way to earn trust and convert opt-ins in real-time.
Send out an email blast
With email open rates lagging far behind text message open rates (20% and 98%, respectively), capturing phone numbers has never been more important. Send out an email blast to current subscribers urging them to update their data to include cell phone numbers or add a text-to-join call-to-action in your email communication.
Employ these five strategies to grow your text database and increase conversions for your cause. When you receive consent to send text messages, you can save time and money, and amplify your message through A2P SMS marketing campaigns.