Messaging FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions About SMS & MMS Messaging.
In creating a mobile keyword, the very last step would be selecting the frequency at which the auto-response message is sent to the contact after he/she texts the keyword to the short code. There are three options in this step.
1) Only once per mobile number: If a number is already on the distribution list attached to this keyword, they will not receive the auto-response message.
2) Only once every hour, day, week, month, or year: A customer can receive the auto-response message once every hour, day, week, month, or year, depending on which one you choose. For example, if you select every hour and a customer texts the keyword twice within one hour, that person will receive the auto-response message only once.
3) Every time: No matter how many times a customer texts the keyword, the auto-response message will be sent every time.
The possible reason a keyword does not work when you test it is that the last step was set to “Only once per mobile number.” Again, if the number is already in the distribution list, that number will not receive the auto-response message. We suggest that if you are running a test, select “Every time” in the last step. Once testing is complete, you can go back into your keyword options and change the setting to Only once per mobile number.
The short code is blocked from all short codes. In general, Sprint and T-Mobile tend to automatically block short code messaging for their customers. A few years ago, there used to be ‘premium short codes’ that allowed companies to charge consumers when they texted a word to a short code. Many businesses were abusing this system and many consumers would unknowingly purchase products such as wallpapers, ringtones, etc. Subsequently, Sprint and T-Mobile decided to block short code messaging. This blocking is not 100 percent guaranteed, as many phone numbers are able to receive short code messages without having to initially remove the block.
In compliance with MMA regulations, when an individual opts in to a distribution list, the advertiser must provide an estimate of how many messages an individual will receive in a given month. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully compliant, so please be sure to check all relevant industry and carrier regulations.
This will not prevent you to send messages above this threshold value. The subscriber will receive a text notification: “Welcome! Msg data rates may apply. Get X# msg/mo. Reply HELP for help. STOP to Optout.”
Yes, because of the file sizes, there is a difference in text credit costs between SMS and MMS. A regular SMS text blast, which includes plain text and up to 160 characters, will cost 1 text credit per mobile number. An MMS text blast, which includes long text messages (exceeding 160 characters), picture, and video, will cost 3 text credits per mobile number.
Please note: Not all US and Canadian carriers and mobile devices support MMS.
The “REPLY STOP to opt-out” instruction is required by law and therefore must appear on every message. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully compliant, so please be sure to check all relevant industry and carrier regulations.
To edit keyword settings, please follow the proceeding steps.
Log into your account.
- Select Collect from the top gray navigation bar.
- Select the appropriate keyword and highlight it blue.
- Select the Edit button.
If you want to edit the actual keyword, you will have to delete it then recreate it.
You can easily send a voice message to your contacts by utilizing our Voice Broadcast feature. First, make sure your contacts are opted in for Voice & SMS messaging.
After uploading your CSV file to Add/Import Contacts, you will have an option to select the import type and schedule the message notification. Select Voice & SMS and schedule the notification. The contacts in your list will receive a text message asking them to opt into automated voice messages.
To utilize Voice Broadcast:
- On the top bar, hover over Message then click Send Voice Broadcast
- Next, enter the message details
- Fill out the description
- Select a caller ID number to authorize
- Select the Operator Gender
- Select your Send Message Time
- Indicate whether you would like the call retried if no one answers
- Click on Compose Message on the bottom right.
- Next, either select a file to upload or convert text-to-speech and enter your message in the text box.
- Repeat for the introductory message and the message body.
- Click on Select Recipients on the bottom right.
- Confirm that your voice broadcast does not contain any advertising, marketing, or solicitation content by checking the box and clicking Proceed.
- Select the contact list you will be sending the voice broadcast to and click Preview & Send on the bottom right.
- Click the check box to agree to terms and click Send on the bottom right.
A voice broadcast message costs 3 message credits per message sent.
There are two general approaches to building your contact list.
Internet
- Online Sign-Up Page (OSP)
- Embedded Sign-Up Page (eOSP)
- Facebook Widget
Mobile Keywords
- Normal Type
- Mobile Voting Type
- Shuffle Responder Type
By our Terms & Conditions, a number needs to be added to the compliance message. You can change the number that appears by doing the following:
- Hover over Account > Account Settings.
- Click on the Organizational Profile tab.
- Click on Edit Profile on the bottom right of the section.
- Edit the Contact Number to the one you prefer to use.
- Click on Save found on the bottom right hand corner.
A subscriber will be removed and blocked from a short code or long code when they text STOP to that code. They will be removed or blocked from email lists when they click the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email they’ve received from our system.
If a subscriber wishes to opt-in again and remove the block, they have two ways to do so. These options can be found under “Collect” on the Keyword and Online Sign-up Tools page. For toll-free numbers, however, the subscriber must first text UNSTOP to the number first before they can opt-in again.
Mobile Keywords – Contacts may resubscribe for SMS by texting any one of your keywords. In addition, Keywords can be set to capture data like email addresses from your contacts.
Online Sign-up Pages – Contacts may resubscribe by completing one of your Online Sign-up Pages, which have the option to collect mobile phone numbers and email addresses.
1)The text message was sent to a landline. Subscribers sometimes provide landline numbers, which cannot receive text messages. To help resolve this situation, we highly recommend that all customers use our “Filter landlines” feature, which is located under the Manage Contacts section. This feature will filter out landline numbers from your uploaded list of phone numbers.
2) Carriers are blocking third party messaging to subscribers’ phone numbers. To help resolve this particular situation, the contacts must call their phone carriers and ask to allow third party messaging be to their phones.
3) The phone carrier is unsupported. Although we do support all major phone carriers and some smaller ones like Boost and Metro PC, some carriers do not support third party messaging. The same situation applies to prepaid phones.
We have a variety of online sign-up pages.
Hosted sign-up page – Available directly on a webpage that is provided by us. You will not need to have your own website or developer in order to use one of these, as you can create one directly from your account without further work.
Embedded online sign-up page – Can be placed on any website that supports HTML and iFrame. You can include (embed) a snippet of HTML code on a webpage somewhere on your website, and users can sign up directly from your website without having to go to another website. You will not need to create the code, but you will need to edit it on your webpage in order to include this eOSP in your webpage.
No, our system recognizes a contact that has been added to multiple distribution lists. If you send a message to two or more distribution lists that contain repeat contacts, those contacts will receive that message only once.
To turn on the ability to import contacts, a form needs to be submitted to us. You can complete this form electronically, but the signature must be handwritten.
To access this form:
- On the top bar, click Collect then Add/Import Contacts.
- Next, choose which type of messages you are sending:
- Solicitation for marketing and promotional messages.
- Non-solicitation for alerts and internal communication.
- Click on Request on the bottom right.
- Next, click on Print Certification on the bottom right.
- This will open an Import Certification window.
- Complete the certification.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Print.
Once the form has been filled and signed, you can upload it back into our platform:
How to upload the form:
- On the top bar, click Collect then Add/Import Contacts.
- Next, choose which type of messages you are sending.
- Click on Request on the bottom right.
- Click on Upload Certification.
- On Select File(s) to Upload, attach the completed form.
- Click on Submit.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Print.
It takes up to four business hours for our Audit team to look at your form.
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