Configure SMS in your client’s account
In the last few lessons, we showed you how to set up your client’s account for successful email sending. If you are also implementing a text message marketing solution for your client, then the steps are a bit different but equally crucial. In order to get your client started, you must:
- Head to the dropdown in the lower left of their account.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Select SMS and click Set up SMS for free.
From there, complete the set-up steps that follow on this page. For a full walkthrough of this process, review our documentation on How to set up SMS in Klaviyo.
How text messages are sent
While SMS delivery differs from email, there are certain commonalities, including the importance of following healthy sending practices to build a strong reputation among mobile carriers (e.g., AT&T or T-Mobile). As you explain how to become a trustworthy sender, use this video to explain the journey of an SMS to your client.
Follow SMS compliance best practices
Compliance plays a crucial role in your client’s SMS deliverability and overall success with this channel. Properly adhering to compliance standards is your best path to ensuring that your client’s messages reach and delight subscribers, and helps you to avoid potential pitfalls. Below are a few compliance basics to consider as you develop your client’s SMS strategy.
Note: This advice is for informational purposes only and is neither intended as nor should be substituted for consultation with appropriate legal counsel and/or your organization’s regulatory compliance team. You can also access a more detailed overview of recommended compliance best practices in Basics: SMS compliance guide.
Update your privacy policy and terms of service for mobile
When launching a text message marketing program, you must add mobile callouts to your terms of service and privacy policy. General business best practice is to let customers know what you’ll do with their data within both of these documents.
See the following articles for further guidance:
Get consent for SMS before texting anyone
Explicit consent is required before you begin sending to a contact. Explicit consent occurs when someone directly tells you that they want to receive marketing messages from your client’s brand. People should know exactly what they're signing up for and have a choice of whether or not to give their consent for SMS.
Explicit consent can be gained through a sign-up form, in-person mailing list sign-up, or when someone tells you verbally that they want to receive marketing messages from your client. Your client’s terms and conditions and privacy policy must be clear and accessible at the time of sign-up.
Make it easy to unsubscribe and identify your client's brand
Always include a way for subscribers to opt out of your client’s SMS campaign and flow messages. The specific language that you need to include may vary based on localized messaging compliance laws.
For instance, when sending to recipients in Canada, you must include the following elements in your SMS:
- Program name (e.g., for Klaviyo, it might be “Klaviyo SMS”)
- Call-to-action (CTA)
- Reply HELP for help
- Reply STOP to opt out
- “Std. Msg&Data rates may apply”
You should also identify your client’s company or brand in every SMS. Do so early in each message with either your organizational prefix (your client’s brand name at the start of the text) or a branded sender ID. This will help your client’s subscribers easily recognize them as the sender and not confuse your message as spam.
Follow compliance laws and regulations
Having anything related to these prohibited topics in your messages or on your website may result in your SMS getting filtered by the carrier or the carrier completely blocking your sending number.
Review our SMS compliance section of the Help Center to find the right information based on where your client sends.
Below are specific SMS regulations you must follow when sending to recipients in the US:
- Never send content that includes SHAFT terms (i.e., sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, and tobacco) except when using proper age-gating.
- Always use double opt-in.
- Only send 1 SMS in an abandoned cart flow.
- Send the SMS within 48 hours of an individual abandoning a cart.
- Set up call forwarding.
- Adhere to state-specific messaging limits.
Don't send too early or too late
There are certain times of day where it is illegal to send SMS. It is best to not send messages before 9 a.m. or after 8 p.m. in your recipient’s local time zone.
Klaviyo has a built-in SMS Quiet Hours feature that helps you control SMS sending times, giving you peace of mind here.