Want to add SMS marketing to your marketing mix?
We recently invited Zachary Robertson, Senior Product Manager and Vanessa Jones, Product Marketing Manager with Constant Contact who helped us discover how SMS messaging can provide a more personal touch to your marketing mix.
You can view the webinar directly through Wistia or right here on the Blog!
What is SMS Marketing?
SMS stands for Short Message Service and is more commonly known as texting. It's a way to send text-only messages of up to 160 characters between phones. We are partnering with a third-party provider, Sinch, to provide an SMS messaging service in accounts.
Does Constant Contact offer SMS marketing? How much does it cost?
SMS marketing is an add-on feature for all plans. Like with our email marketing pricing, the pricing tiers are based on the number of messages you send. See how to add SMS marketing to your plan.
How do include the SMS marketing tool in my account?
You will first need to add SMS to your account plan. We recommend reading our article outlining the guidelines for using SMS. Some really important steps need to be taken before beginning the registration process and help you get started faster:
- Create an SMS privacy policy and terms of service. You don't need these readily available when registering, but they are required to be added to your account before sending your first SMS campaign. We provide some templates to use but recommend consulting with your legal counsel to ensure that you're being compliant with any applicable regulations for your state or industry.
- Have your EIN (employer identification number) handy. If you don't have an EIN, you cannot use the SMS tool.
Once you are ready, you can register for SMS within your account.
Will we use our telephone number to send texts? I don’t want people contacting me.
You will receive an assigned phone number to send marketing messages. You are not sending from your phone number so you won’t receive replies.
Are there any regulations I need to follow when sending messages?
It’s important to note that SMS prohibited content is more strict than email. You can see a full listing of prohibited content on our SMS Guidelines article in the Knowledge Base.
A privacy policy and terms and conditions (T&C)/terms of service (TOS) are required to register for SMS marketing as well.
What are quiet hours?
To keep you compliant with the TCPA, we have instituted quiet hours where you are prevented from sending messages between 8:00 p.m.-11:00 a.m. ET.
Is the SMS feature available outside of the US?
Not at this time. This feature is only available for US customers with a website and a valid Employer ID Number (EIN).
Can we personalize the text to include their contact information (first name, last name, etc)?
Yes, you can personalize your text to include your contact’s first name when creating an SMS message. That is the only personalization available at this time.
Can you add images to SMS messages?
Not at this time but it is something we are considering for a future update.
Can you add a link within your texts?
Yes! You're allowed to have a single clickable link in each SMS campaign. When creating the SMS campaign, the link is automatically shortened and tracking is added so you can view the click results in the reporting for your SMS campaign.
Can I import my contact’s phone numbers and send them messages?
You can import a list of SMS contacts’ phone numbers only if you have previously sent texts in the past using a text messaging service and gave consent to receive texts from you.
How can my contacts opt-in to receive messages from me?
Since CASL and anti-spam legislation include SMS marketing, your contacts will need to opt in. We have a template available in the template picker to invite your email subscribers to opt-in to receive messages from you.
You can encourage new contacts to subscribe to receive messages when enabling SMS opt-in for a Lead Generation Landing Page. This will automatically insert a field for new contacts to provide their phone number and confirm they will receive messages from you, while also linking to your SMS privacy policy.
Can my contacts only opt-in using a form? We used text-to-join previously.
There is a text-to-join tool included as part of the SMS marketing add-on. This is great to use if you don’t have a sign-up form on hand or you're at an event.
I want to send my emails through text messages. Is this possible?
Yes. You can use the shareable URL for a campaign and include it in your message.
If a contact opts out of receiving texts, will it also remove them from our email list?
Text and email are separate. When someone unsubscribes from an email, they are only unsubscribing from receiving emails and when they unsubscribe from texts, they only unsubscribe from texts. Contacts can be subscribed in both places but they would have to unsubscribe from each. Just like how emails have an unsubscribe link, your SMS messages include a STOP message which will remove them from the texting list.
Is there reporting available like we have with email?
You'll review the reporting for each SMS campaign by going to Marketing Campaigns > SMS.
