6 Tips for Businesses to Prevent SMS Opt-Outs

While every subscriber should be able to opt out easily, that doesn’t mean you want them to. Keep subscribers interested and prevent opt-outs with these tips from Sakari.

Opt-ins aren’t the only challenging part of SMS marketing. Since texting requires offering an easy way to opt out, it’s important to implement a careful and effective strategy to ensure subscribers aren’t leaving your lists.

What Are Opt-Outs?

An opt-out is the act of rejecting future communication from a business. Cell carriers require them to ensure every subscriber’s participation is truly consensual; SMS users requesting verification must provide examples of opt-ins and outs.

Opt-outs have a few guidelines, per the Cellular Telephone Industries Association (CTIA). They must meet the following criteria of opt-out best practices.

• Be conspicuous and easy to find. Marketing campaigns should display opt-outs often, ideally in every SMS.
• Provide a simple and fast method to opt out. Using the STOP keyword as an opt-out mechanism is the standard, as it shows clear instructions anyone can follow.

These enforced parameters greatly improve the health of SMS. However, they allow subscribers to opt-out so easily, keeping an effective strategy for keeping them is paramount.

Why It’s Important to Prevent SMS Opt-Outs

SMS has uniquely high ROI rewards, versatile functionalities, and outreach capability. Most businesses have much to gain from the power of SMS marketing, but they can only be sent to willing subscribers who opt in. When devising your opt-out prevention plans, remember that SMS marketing campaigns have numerous benefits.

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Ways to Prevent Opt-Outs

There are many ways to lower the opt-out rate without resorting to unscrupulous and noncompliant methods. Don’t forget that the CAN-SPAM Act and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act are binding, and heavy fines await violators.

1) Provide Value to Subscribers

Keep customers subscribed by giving them a reason to subscribe. Finding new ways to provide value is essential for ensuring any SMS campaign’s success.

This value can be created using discount codes. Send text messages containing a code usable at checkout, rewarding longtime subscribers and return customers.

Alternatively, announce flash sales and deals. By keeping subscribers in the know, you’ll create a bit of FOMO, a must for marketing. You can also combine flash sales with discount codes to make exclusive SMS subscriber-only sales.

2) Text a Little, Not a Lot

Don’t send too many text messages. While it can be tempting to send a lot of ads and marketing material, doing so can violate subscriber trust and turn a helpful SMS subscription into annoyance. They will subsequently opt-out.

When conducting a campaign, try and limit sending messages to once a week. Make sure that it conveys something meaningful that provides value. These limitations give customers and senders time to reflect on the text message.

3) Use a Double Opt In

Every list should be effective. You want only loyal subscribers who gave their explicit consent. Sending unwanted messages wastes money and time. If you’re using incentives like discount codes, you’ll want to pair them with double opt-ins. These are follow-up texts that simply ensure that the subscriber has a working phone number, that they actually agree to opt in, and that they want to get more messages.

For example, say someone clicks a checkbox to subscribe at checkout. Said subscriber gets a double opt-in saying, “Reply YES to get texts about sales.” This ensures they didn’t click the box by accident, they know what they’re getting, and they won’t opt out later.

4) Be Succinct

When writing text messages, be clear and concise with your wording. It’s essential not to take up the reader’s time. Be snappy, be articulate, and clearly convey the message you’re trying to send. This frees up the reader’s time and makes every text more efficient.

Consider the type of texts you’d rather read. Is it better to read something long and overly verbose novel or a short and witty quip? Keep subscribers’ attention, and they’re sure to stay on your opt-in list.

5) Engage and Respond

One of texting’s most unique qualities is its personal nature. Most texts are between loved ones and friends. Since text messaging with businesses requires written consent, only messages people want will wind up in their inbox (or else the sender may face legal trouble). As such, two-way texting introduces a much-loved conversational element to SMS marketing.

This feature allows businesses to converse directly with subscribers. Businesses can answer questions, respond to upgrade requests, and more. Thoughtful usage can help prevent an opt-out request and create a positive customer experience.

6) Personalize Every SMS

Bulk text messaging may sound impersonal, but it’s easy to tailor every text message to the recipient. Senders can insert first names, businesses, titles, and more into every message. Adding some personality to texts gives them more friendly and likable.

All the sender has to do is select the option when designing the message on the Sakari app. On integrations like HubSpot, use contact tokens. Check out these powerful examples of personalized text messages to get you started.

5 Opt-Out Text Message Examples

When managing your SMS campaigns, it’s essential to make opting out as seamless as opting in. Providing clear and concise opt-out text messages not only ensures compliance with regulations like the TCPA and CTIA but also maintains a positive customer experience.

Below are some opt-out text message examples you can use to make the process easy for your subscribers while keeping your messaging efficient and respectful.

1. Standard Confirmation:
   “You’ve unsubscribed from [Business Name] SMS alerts. Reply START to resubscribe or HELP for assistance. Msg & data rates may apply.”

2. Polite Acknowledgment:
   “We’ve processed your opt-out request. You will no longer receive texts from [Business Name]. Reply START if you’d like to rejoin our SMS list. Msg & data rates may apply.”

3. Customer-Centric Option:
   “[Customer Name], you’re now unsubscribed from [Business Name]. We’re sorry to see you go! Reply START to opt back in or HELP for support. Msg & data rates may apply.”

4. Promotional Re-engagement:
   “You’ve opted out of [Business Name] text messages. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on seasonal sales and exclusive offers? Or text START to rejoin anytime. Msg & data rates may apply.”

5. Short and Direct:
   “You’ll no longer receive texts from [Business Name] texts. Reply START to opt back in. Msg & data rates may apply.”

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You can check out the array of features and functionalities our A2P SMS software offers. Whether you’re from a massive enterprise or a small business, there’s much to gain from text message marketing elevated by software. MMS, autoresponders, appointment reminders, and more allow senders to prevent opt-outs while enriching the customer journey at every step of the way.