QuickPing SMS is one of the best ways to reach customers because almost everyone reads their messages. That also means it is easy to lose trust. A few careless messages can make people block you or report you. Here is how to do it properly.
Do get permission first
Send promotional messages only to people who agreed to receive them. Good ways to collect consent include a tick box on your order form, a sign-up sheet in your shop, or asking customers to send a keyword. Keep a record of when and how each person agreed.
Ghana's Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) governs how personal data, including phone numbers, may be collected and used. Treat customers' numbers with care and only use them for the purpose they gave them for.
Do make it easy to opt out
End marketing messages with a clear way to stop, such as Reply STOP to opt out. When someone opts out, remove them from your list straight away. It keeps your list healthy and keeps you out of trouble.
Do say who you are
Use your business name as your Sender ID and mention it in the message when it helps. People should never have to wonder who is texting them.
Do respect people's time
Send at sensible hours. A message at midnight annoys people, however good the offer is. Scheduling lets you write messages in advance and send them in the morning or early evening.
Do keep it short and useful
A standard SMS holds 160 characters. Longer messages are split into parts and each part uses one credit. Lead with the most important thing: the offer, the date or the action you want.
Don't buy or scrape phone lists
Numbers bought from strangers belong to people who never agreed to hear from you. Messages to such lists get complaints, can lead to your Sender ID being blocked and may break the law.
Don't mislead
Do not promise offers you cannot deliver, hide fees or pretend to be another company. Misleading messages damage your brand and are not allowed under our Terms of Service.
Don't send too often
Daily promotions make people opt out. For most businesses, a few useful messages a month work better than constant ones.
A simple checklist before you send
- Did every person on this list agree to receive messages from us?
- Does the message say who we are?
- Is there a clear opt-out?
- Is it going out at a sensible time?
- Is the offer true and the date correct?
Read our Terms of Service for the full list of what is not allowed, and our Privacy Policy to see how we handle data ourselves.