With the recent changes to data processing legislation – fondly known as GDPR – we thought now would be the perfect time to make sure you’re up to speed with unsubscribes and go over everything you need to manage them.
Under PECR law, you must include an opt-out function in your SMS campaigns to give customers the option to stop receiving communication from you if they wish to.
If a customer decides they no longer want to hear from you, it’s OK – it happens. You want to ensure your campaigns are only being sent to those customers who are going to really appreciate and action them meaning you’ll get a much better response than if you were sending them to lots of un-engaged customers.
So, what does it mean when someone ‘unsubscribes’?
- The number will be removed from your account permanently
- You will be unable to send the number any SMS from your account
- You will be unable to upload the number into any group on your account
There are several ways you can enable recipients to opt out of your SMS campaigns, here we’ll explain each one, so you can decide which one works best for you and for your customers.
SMS Reply Number
FireText reply numbers already have STOP set-up as the unsubscribe keyword. Anyone texting STOP to your dedicated reply number will be automatically unsubscribed from your account, meaning you won’t be able to upload their number, or send them any messages.
Opt-out Keyword on 82228
An opt-out keyword will work in the same way as the above STOP option does on your dedicated reply number, however this is for those without a reply number. An opt-out keyword is personalised and relevant to your brand name, for example FireText might have FTSTOP or SMSSTOP. Users will be able to text that specific keyword in to our shared shortcode (82228) and we’ll hook everything up so unsubscribes are handled automatically on your account.
Opt-out URL Link
You might want to use an option that doesn’t require the customer to send a text, for example an opt-out link. In this instance we create a bespoke link and landing page for you, which requires the contact to click the link and confirm the mobile number they wish to unsubscribe. Once submitted, this customer will be automatically unsubscribed from your account.
Manual Unsubscribe
In some cases, you might get a customer asking you to unsubscribe them without using one of the above. For example, they may give you a call or ask you in person; in this case you’ll need to head into your account and manually unsubscribe them. This is super-easy to do and we have a handy guide just here which will show you how.
All options will essentially work in the same way once actioned, so it is worth taking a moment to think about your customer and which one they will find easiest to action as this will leave you in a positive light when they unsubscribe; meaning there is no reason why they won’t use or purchase your services in the future just because they’ve chosen to stop receiving updates.
Give us a shout if you want to discuss your unsubscribe options 🙂