Hi, my name is Derek Johnson with tatango.com.
Today, I'm gonna be reviewing one of our free text message marketing templates.
If you wanna download this specific template, we'll put a link in the description below.
It's completely free, anyone can use it even if you're not using Tatango.
So this template is for single message programs.
So there's two different kinds of programs, single message programs and recurring message
programs.
A recurring message program is when you opt-in to receive recurring messages.
So this is the consumer, "I want to opt-in for weekly coupons," that would be a recurring
text messaging campaign.
A single message program or campaign would be when I text in, I get one message back
and essentially that's it.
So a great example of this is text to download, so text to download a mobile.
So I'd text, let's say, app to the shortcode 12345, and then I would receive a message
back with information on how to download the app, usually a link and then I can go download
the app.
So there's a bunch of requirements from the TCPA and the CTIA on what needs to be in these
messages and what needs to be in the terms and conditions.
So this is what this template is for, so I'm gonna walk through this template.
But again, you can download this template, the link is right within the description.
So let's first start off here.
The advertising.
So this is when you actually advertise, let's say, on a billboard to consumers.
And again, this is a single message program, so this is not opting in people for future
messages.
This is text in, get something back.
So the first thing you're gonna wanna do is put a program description.
And usually, we say kind of right up front.
So, this is a CTIA requirement.
It essentially tells the customer or consumer what you're doing here.
You know, we never recommend something just like, "Text APP to 12345," and not giving
any additional information because consumers aren't aware of what they're doing when they're
texting "APP to 12345."
So in this example, great example, "Download Our Mobile App."
That's essentially all you need to put, just something that educates the consumer as to
what will happen when they actually text what we call a keyword, which is "APP" to the shortcode
12345.
So that brings us to the next component here.
Usually, right after the program description, you wanna put the actual call to action.
And the call to action in a single message program is usually, text the keyword, so "App"
to the shortcode.
And a shortcode is a five to six-digit phone number.
That's essentially all you have to put, "Text APP to 12345."
That is the call to action.
Okay.
Then we're gonna go down here to, "Message and data rates may apply."
That is a CTIA requirement.
And again, you can stack these however you like, the information just needs to be on
the page.
So you could put this above this or this below this or combine them, it really doesn't matter
as long as the information is on the page.
Okay.
Then down here, you have the terms and conditions/privacy policy.
And I'm gonna go up here because this is referenced up here.
So you have to tell the customers the website link where they can find the terms and conditions
and the privacy policy for your program.
What most brands do is they will put the terms and conditions and privacy policy on one page,
one website so that they don't have to list out terms and conditions and then list out
a website and then...and privacy policy and list out a new website.
Usually, they put it all on one website.
So this is a great example, "Terms & Conditions/Privacy Policy," which means they're both on the same
website and then putting the link.
That's all you have to have for a single message program.
Now a lot of people will ask, "Well, what about the TCPA disclosures, the Telephone
Consumer Protection Act?
What about auto-dialed messages and consent is not a condition of purchase?"
Well, those requirements are for recurring text message campaigns.
If it's a single message program, it is not a recurring text message program.
So a lot of those things don't need to be included, actually, most of them don't need
to be included in the call to action, and you can read more down here in this TCPA disclosure
box.
So now that we talked about how to advertise your campaign, let's jump in and talk about
that website that hosts the terms and conditions and privacy policy.
So first off, on this website, you're gonna wanna put the business name or the organization,
whatever it is, then you're going to want to put the program description.
Usually, I like to advise clients to put a little more information than maybe was in
the advertising here like "Download Our Mobile App."
Let's go here and let's say you know, you're interacting with our program to download our
mobile app, you have much more characters in your terms and conditions than maybe you
do in a advertisement.
Then the third component here is message and data rates may apply, similar to the advertisement.
One thing that is not required in the advertisement but is required in the terms and conditions/privacy
policy is you have to put, "Text 'Help' for help."
Essentially, that is a CTIA requirement so that a consumer can text help for help on
the shortcode.
So they text help to 12345.
And that will send them back information, and we'll go through what happens when someone
texts "help" to a shortcode for a single message program a little later on here.
The last portion which is that privacy policy portion.
Now, either you can link to a privacy policy, so you could be like, "Privacy Policy," you
know, "Click here and we'll take you to our privacy policy."
Or you can just embed your privacy policy into this page.
It can be as simple as, "We take privacy very seriously and agree not to share your information
with others."
That again is a CTIA requirement.
Okay.
Then we're gonna go down to the message.
So this is what happens if someone texts the program keyword to the shortcode in this example,
"12345."
So first off, you're gonna have the program keyword, this is what people text.
So in that example it's "APP to 12345."
Now in a single message program because they're not opting in for anything, what you can respond
with is pretty simple.
There's not a lot of requirements.
A recurring text message campaign, you gotta put things like you know, auto-dialed messages
and consent is not a condition of purchase and stop and help, all these different things.
With a single message program, the requirements are very, very limited.
And essentially, the only requirement that the CTIA has is the business name, so all
you gotta do is just put the business name at the start and then you have the rest of
the text message to do whatever you want with.
So this example would be, "To download our mobile app, click here."
And they would click there.
Again, you can put whatever you want in there.
You can put a phone number.
You can put text.
You can put a link.
It really doesn't matter, but again, after someone texts something like "APP" to 12345,
they're not opting that phone number in to receive future text messages, this is the
end of the conversation for that consumer because it's a single message program.
Okay.
Then let's go to the help message, remember we talked about the help message in the terms
and conditions.
People have to be able to reply "help" to your shortcode and get some information.
So when someone texts "help" based on the CTIA, they require the business name so usually,
I always recommend just put the business name up front, it's a good kind of practice and
consistency is nice for consumers.
And then all you have to have down here is either a toll-free phone number or an email
address to get additional help.
That's it.
Now, you can be nice and you can put additional information in here.
You could put you know, "Hey, this is a program for downloading our mobile app."
You can give additional information, but really, the CTIA only requires these two components
which is name and additional kind of help option, which is a toll-free phone number
or an email address.
Now, this one is a little weird because you're not actually...if somebody replies "stop"
to one of your single message programs, you're not opting them out of the campaign because
a phone number is not in a campaign.
Once they get that first message, that's all.
They'd never actually been opted in.
Now, the CTIA and the wireless carriers still want you to respond back to stop messages,
and essentially, they want you to tell the consumer that they've been opted out.
I think that's just to make the consumer feel really good that, "Hey, I'm making sure that
I don't wanna receive these text messages."
I'm gonna apply "stop" even if it's a single message program, and then they get this message
that confirms they're opting out.
And they're like, "Okay.
Thankfully, I'm out of here.
I've confirmed this.
I'm good to go."
So the CTIA requires a couple thing.
First, you know, "stop," that has to work.
So if somebody replies "stop" to your shortcode or texted in to your shortcode, it has to
work.
Number one, it has to take them out of any campaign.
In this example, they should be in a campaign.
And then number two, it should respond with something.
So that response here is the business name.
Again, I always just recommend put up front, keep it up front, keep it simple, the consistency
is nice.
And then the CTIA only requires that you send an opt-out confirmation, so it could be as
simple as you've opted out and received no further messages.
Pretty simple.
Now again, you can put additional information into this message.
You could put you know, "Reply 'Help' for help."
You know, because then they'll get the message for the help message, which will have a phone
number, an email so if they have issues or concerns, you could even say you know, 'Hey,
you've opted out, but if you still wanna download our app, click here."
You could really do whatever you want in this message, as long as it has those two components
which the CTIA requires, which is the name or brand name, and then the confirmation message
kind of affirmation that they've opted out of the campaign, even though they really weren't
opted into a campaign in the first place.
Again, this is a single message program.
So that's pretty much it.
We go through in this blueprint, which you can download for free, is the stop message,
the help message, the message blueprint, the terms and conditions, and then how to actually
advertise the single message program to your customers.
Again, my name is Derek Johnson with tatango.com.
If you wanna download this free text message marketing template, we'll drop the link in
the decriptions below.
But hopefully, you guys can use this and improve on your single message programs.