Every compliant SMS program requires a “confirmed”, or double-opt-in process. This means verifying that the phone number is owned by the subscriber at time of sign-up.
The most common confirmed opt-in methods:
- Submitting a one-time code received via SMS
- Replying “Y” to a confirmation message
- Sending a pre-filled “Send this message to subscribe” message.
- Sending a specified keyword, if configured (Such as “SAVE10”).
Confirmed opt-ins are crucial to ensuring that your phone number stays in proper compliance with local laws and regulations, and reduces any likelihood of your number being flagged as spam, and banned.
Benefits of confirmed opt-ins
By confirming every opt-in, you benefit in the following ways:
- Legally compliant - You have a track record of a confirmed opt-in for that phone number. You have better protection if someone attempts to report your message as spam.
- Lower cost, & better ROI per message - By sending messages to confirmed opt-ins, and not an inflated unconfirmed list, you know that you’re only sending messages to ideal recipients, lowering your cost, and increasing the revenue per text message.
- Less unsubscribes - Confirmed opt-ins result in a far lower unsubscribe rate.
- A clean list - You have the peace of mind in knowing that everyone you’re sending texts to has explicitly opted in to receiving those texts.
- Protection against attackers and spam phone number submissions - A cyber attacker may intentionally stuff your list with fake numbers. Confirmed opt-ins remove the ability for an attacker to inflate your list and sabotage your SMS marketing program.
- Less likelihood of being filtered or blocked - Carriers don’t want to see a high unsubscribe rate. Sending to unconfirmed numbers can lead to your phone number being filtered, or even blocked. Confirmed opt-ins help protect against this.
What Opt-in Process does Blaze SMS use?
Blaze SMS uses an optimized confirmation code opt-in which sends the recipient a unique code in which they enter directly on the Blaze SMS pop-up form.
On mobile phones, our optimized process allows the code to be automatically filled-in by the mobile browser, without the user ever needing to enter the code. This means that the mobile experience sign-up process is as efficient as possible, ensures that the device belongs to the recipient, and leads to far higher opt-in rates. This is just one of the premium features that Blaze SMS users get by default, on any plan.
With a third-party pop-up form, Blaze SMS uses a “Reply ‘Y’ to subscribe” methodology, which allows the subscriber to reply to the message in order to be subscribed.
After confirmation, subscribers will then enter your Welcome Series automation flow, if you have one activated.
Is confirmed opt-in required?
Yes, confirmed opt-ins are required. The last thing we want is a customer to have their phone number banned, or to end up in legal quandries by skirting the lines of the TCPA. Confirmed opt-in is a requirement in order to help keep you fully compliant.
But my existing pop-up subscribes customers in Shopify without a confirmation
Pop-up apps don’t have a method to confirm the opt-in, because they haven’t verified your shop for a phone number. Shopify has no built-in way to handle this either. That’s where SMS providers like Blaze SMS come in. Pop-up apps sometimes submit customers as “Subscribed”, even though they are not “confirmed”. These should not be considered as “true” subscribers until they have explicitly, through one of the above methods, given you a confirmation that they’d like to be subscribed.
Does Blaze SMS integrate confirmed opt-in into third-party pop-ups?
Yes. We integrate this, and it’s also required in order for those subscribers to compliantly flow into Blaze. We offer a host of integrations and can integrate with just about any other third-party pop-up provider. We perform custom integrations for any customer, on any plan. Give us a shout in live chat and we’ll be happy to help out.
