This is the first part in a series covering messaging requirements, as set by the Mobile Marketing Association’s (MMA) best practices. There are a number of requirements you must adhere to when deploying a mobile messaging campaign, including following opt-in and opt-out procedures, and as I’ll describe in this piece, providing ‘help’ information.
All references are straight from the MMA guidelines and clarified where necessary.
Your program must respond to requests for help. From the MMA guide:
To help subscribers understand their participation, each program should respond with the program details listed below when the subscriber sends the keyword HELP to the program shortcode if they are only subscribed to one service.
Any time a user texts in “HELP” or “HLP” – HLP is optional, but recommended – to your shortcode, you need to return a message containing the following information (italics from the MMA document):
- Identify of program sponsor (defined as the program name, company name, or brand associated with the campaign)
- Customer support info (either a toll-free number or web address). For PSMS campaigns, carriers like to see both. Including an email address is just polite.
- Service description of program.
- Service price—For example, $0.99 per mobile originated message; $3.99 per month. This applies largely to Premium campaigns. In this case, we’re using a Standard-rate campaign as an example, which means that while we don’t charge anything, the user’s carrier might, and we have to make that explicit. Neither the wording or the bizarre capitalization is ours – all courtesy of our friends at the MMA.
- Opt-out information
- Privacy statement, if applicable.
The message above, reprinted for easy copying:
Recess – company news alerts. More at recessmobile.com or email help@recessmobile.com.
Txt STOP to end. Msg&Data Rates may apply.
T&Cs: recessmobile.com
Another case to be aware of is when a user is subscribed to multiple programs. In those cases, you need to return a list of choices for them to reply to for more information. The menu doesn’t need most of the information described above. You can leave out:
- “Msg&Data Rates May Apply”
- STOP
- Pricing
- Sponsor contact information
An example menu:
Subscribed to multiple programs. Rply w one of the following for info:A) First programB) Second programC) Another programMore, recessmobile.com
Now, you have to determine how you want to handle replies, which can get tricky. Do you want to accept anything that starts with A, B, or C? Do you accept “First program” as a legitimate response? What if you have other keywords active within the same session which overlap with these answers? Do you iterate your multiple choice list?
Additional information, from the MMA:
- Help messages do not need to contain renewal date information.
- Should there be multiple programs running on the shortcode, the subscriber can be directed to a Web site, WAP site, SMS quiz session, or toll-free number that provides a better customer care experience, as long as basic information about the program is in the help reply message. A help menu is preferred over sending the consumer to these places for help. The help menu content descriptions are outlined above.
- Where there is no shortcode initiating access to the service, help must be provided as a link from WAP payment presentation pages. This page containing help should, at a minimum, identify services that are currently opted into, opt-out (cancellation) information, pricing and payment terms. It is recommended that a PC-accessible web site is provided into which a user entering their cell phone number can retrieve detailed information on all live services provided by that program sponsor.
Outside of what you’re required to do, here are some introductory tips for running a successful campaign.