Introduction / Video Transcript
Hi guys, Paul from Local Text Marketers here. In this video I'm going to tell 9 things you must know about SMS Marketing in Canada.
I'll be right back in just a couple of seconds, stick around, please don't go anywhere!
Alright, welcome back and thanks so much for sticking around.
Before I begin, one small thing… I will be talking about Canadian anti-spam law in this video, so it's important I point out that I am not a lawyer, and I do not play one on the Internet. Always consult with your own attorney before making any business decisions related to SMS marketing in Canada.
OK so, with the formalities out of the way, let's dig right into the topic of this video—9 things you must know about SMS Marketing in Canada, starting with…
Number 1
The law that pertains to the sending of commercial SMS messages in Canada is known as CASL, or Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation.
This law also applies to emails some social media communications and even the installation of computer programs.
Number 2
CASL is fundamentally a law about consent. In other words, permission that your clients provides to you so that you may send them commercial messages.
In CASL, there are two kinds of consent…
The first is express consent. This is pretty simple; your client provides direct permission for you to message them.
The second type of consent is called implied consent, and it is based upon an existing business relationship.
Implied consent is a little bit confusing so instead of muddling up this video with a long discussion on it, I am going to cover the consent aspect of CASL in another video.
Number 3
Implied consent allows you to send marketing messages to customers and clients with whom you have an existing business relationship…
…provided the last transaction occurred within the last two years.
Number 4
This one is very important!
Just because you have the legal right to message your clients and customers with SMS doesn't mean they are going to appreciate it.
In fact, one of the easiest ways to damage your brand, alienate your clients and generally piss people off is to start sending them text messages “out of the blue.”
That's because unlike unwanted emails—which are common, but not particularly intrusive or annoying, text messages end up right in your clients' most personal space.
That's because cell phones aren't just phones, like landlines used to be. They are the hub of people's lives and social networks.
Plus, text messaging is reserved for most people's “nearest and dearest” and when a new text message arrives, it almost always originates from someone in their immediate social circle.
When they do not, the you-know-what can hit the fan.
If you are going to start messaging your clients out of the blue based on implied consent, the first message you send is critical.
Otherwise, you risk alienating your clients and damaging your brand. If you need help with that initial message, just let us know – we'll be happy to help.
You can contact us on our web site, LocalTextMarketers.com.
Number 5
Having the legal right to message your clients does not exempt you from having to send your messages on CASL-compliant messaging templates.
Such templates must provide your clients with the ability to unsubscribe with a single click, as well as include a link to information that identifies the sender of the message.
Number 6
Canadians are still pretty skeptical of text marketing, which means you will need to make sure you address their concerns and reservations when you start or promote any SMS marketing program in Canada.
Typical concerns include the possible cost of the service, privacy and data sharing, message frequency, personal control over the subscription and so on.
Number 7
Because Canadians are skeptical, your incentive—the ethical bribe you're going to offer in exchange for the opportunity to market to someone's phone—is going to need to be valuable enough to overcome any potential reservations.
Number 8
When messaging your clients, your #1 focus should always be “what's in it for them?”
Is it a coupon, a discount, early bird access to highly desirable products that sell out quickly?
The success of your text messaging campaigns hinges on this, so be sure to take the time to identify a benefit for your customers.
Number 9
Always use deadlines—and if you can, scarcity—in your promotional messages in order to incentivize action.
Promotions without deadlines won't generate the same results as those that do, because there's no compelling reason to act.