Twilio / Lead Connector Do's and Don'ts - Bulk SMS Messaging

The following are recommendations of what TO do and what NOT to do when sending out Bulk SMS Messages.  

Please note that all messaging transmitted via the platform - regardless of the use case or phone number type (e.g., long code, shortcode, or toll-free) - needs to comply with the Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging. All A2P messages originating from the system are subject to this Messaging Policy, which covers messaging rules and /or prohibitions regarding the following:

Revocation of Consent (“opt-out”): The initial message that you send to an individual 

needs to include the following language: “Reply STOP to unsubscribe,” or the equivalent 

so that Individuals must have the ability to revoke consent at any time by replying with a 

standard opt-out keyword.

Sender Identification: Every message you send must clearly identify you and your company name (the party that obtained the opt-in from the recipient, company name does not have to be your real business name.) as the sender, except in follow-up messages of an ongoing conversation. Twilio wants to know who are you (user name), where are you from (business name) and does the contact have a way to opt out

Messaging Usage: You should not be sending messages in any way related to alcohol, 

firearms, gambling, tobacco, or other adult content.

Initial Messages (Cold Outreach):

Make sure that your initial message doesn't sound like you are a salesman. The goal is to appear that the contact has contacted you first. If you are sending out messages asking questions for example: 
Would {{contact.address1}} happen to belong to you?
Are you the owner of {{contact.address1}}? 
Is this {{contact.first.name}}? 

These types of questions wouldn't make sense if they opted in to receive a message from you. You would already know their name and address. 

We recommend sending a more generic message Example: 

"Hi {{contact.first_name}} this is {{user.first_name}} from ABC Company" How's your day going?" or "I have the information you requested for {{contact.address1}}  

Reply STOP to Unsubscribe

Opt-out Messaging:

The initial message that you send to an individual needs to include the following language: “Reply STOP to unsubscribe,” or the equivalent using another standard opt-out keyword, such as STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, and QUIT. 

Opt-out messages should include something similar to:  

• "Reply STOPALL to unsubscribe"
• "Reply CANCEL to unsubscribe"
• "Text END to unsubscribe"
• "Reply QUIT to unsubscribe"
• Reply "STOP" to unsubscribe

You can also use: UNSUBSCRIBE 

Identify yourself:

Be sure to identify who you are and what company you are messaging from.

Example:

 "Hi {{contact.first_name}} my name is {{user.first_name}} from ABC Company. 
Reply STOP to opt-out

Tip:  Continue to identify yourself in any subsequent messages, until your contact responds and begins having a conversation with you.

Example:

"Hey {{contact.first_name}}, {{user.first_name}} again with ABC Company! Any chance we can speak about {{contact.address1}}? I'm looking for something in the area.  
Reply STOP to opt-out"

Website and Opt-In Form:

You will want to publish a website with a web form to capture any online inbound leads.  Be sure to include a checkbox on the form with the following agreement:  

"I agree to receive communication and text messages at the number provided. Message/data rates apply."

Consent Content for Your Website:

Somewhere on your website, you should include the following information:

• Company name and/or a description of the messages that will be sent
• Service delivery frequency or recurring messages disclosure (“4 messages per month”, “Message frequency varies”, “1 message per login”, etc)
  
• Customer care information (typically “Text HELP for help” or Help at XXX-XXX-XXXX) - not required for single message programs (i.e 2FA)
  
• Link to Privacy Policy describing how end-user opt-in information will be used
  
• Link to Terms and Conditions describing terms of service
  

Phone Number Reputation:

Information on how to increase your phone number reputation. Write your messages as if you are writing to a friend or relative. This will help you not appear as a spammer. Write your messages in ways that ask for a response, be creative and not generic. Most of all don't sound aggressive.

Allow More Time for the Person to Respond:

Increase the time in between your messages. Give the person time to reply without sending them another message so soon. Remember people get busy with life, work, kids, etc, and don't always respond right away. Life is hectic for everyone, remember that!  If you upset the person by bombarding them with message after message...it will be more likely that they will simply block you.

Protect Your Sending Reputation:

Ramp up your messaging by warming up your new number(s).  Start by sending a small bulk campaign, and over a period of days....slowly increase the amount being sent.

Sending from a new number(s) can cause recipients to opt-out. The more recipients that opt-out may cause your message to get flagged as a carrier violation.

When the carriers first see your text. it's important to keep your messages simple. More importantly, don’t use links or any sales language in the initial contact. The last thing you want is to sound like a salesman.  Just reach out like you would to a friend.

Message Frequency:

Avoid sending out messages too frequently.  Be mindful of your texting volume and frequency. Sending out too many messages from a single number could cause that number to be flagged, filtered, or suspended. Using multiple numbers will help prevent carrier violations. (the amount of numbers allowed will be determined on your A2P Registration. If you are a Sole Proprietor you are limited to 1 number. If you register using an EIN, there is no limit on how many numbers you can have)

Start by sending a small batch every few minutes and slowly increase that number over time. For example: Start with sending 2 messages every 3 minutes, wait 2 days increase that number to 3 messages every 3 minutes etc. Just as long as you are not sending out more than 200 messages per phone number to NEW contacts. 

Message Length:

Keep the length of your text small.  You should keep your message to no more than 160 characters (1 segment). If a message is longer than 160 characters, the carriers could break it up into multiple messages (also, you will be charged for additional segments). 

Links in Messages:

Be cautious when using links.  You want your lead or customer to easily be able to reach out to you. However, “http,” “http://,” “https://,” “https,” and other link prefixes could trigger some filters. 

Send messages that encourage recipients to respond: 

You should create your messages in a way that evokes a response to specific questions. You want to ask questions that will get a "Yes" "Yes I would like more info, etc." this will show the carriers that your message was welcomed or expected by the recipient. The more replies you get, the more conversations you will have. Having more conversations and fewer opt-outs will improve your sending reputation. 

Avoid using emojis:

Using emojis in your messaging WILL cause your messages to get filtered and potentially incur additional carrier fees (penalties).  You may be able to re-introduce emojis once you have a solid conversation going with your contact.

Avoid asking questions:

Avoid asking a question in the initial message. 

Did I reach the right person? 

Do I have the right person? 

Does (property address) belong to you?

Is this (contact name)?

Are you the owner of (property address)?

The goal is to have the first message very generic and appear as if someone went to your website and opted in to receive a message from you. Asking questions like those above will get your messages flagged. The carriers can tell you sent a message to someone who didn't opt-in

Hi (contact name), this is (user name) from (company name). I hope you are having a great day! Do you have a few minutes to talk?

Hi (contact name), this is (user name) from (company name). I received your information, please let me know when you have a few minutes to talk.

Flagged Keywords:

Avoid carrier violations by not using flagged words.  Don't come off aggressively or use too many CAPITALIZED words. Write your message more personalized as if you are the intended recipient. 

Avoid words that make you look like a spammer. Words like (All-cash, hassle-free, As-is, No repairs needed, etc.).  Certain keywords can violate a carrier's rules. (see the list of words below to avoid):

'FLAGGED' KEYWORDS - Do not use on initial contact.

Apologize 

Apology 

As-Is

Blue 

Bother 

Buy

Cash

Cash Buyer

Cash Buyers

Cash Offer

Consider

Disturb 

Do you happen to know 

Do you know anyone

Excuse me 

For Sale

Interested 

Investor 

Local Investor

Offer

Offer Cash 

Out of Blue

Out of the blue

Property Records 

Public record

Purchase

Random 

Selling Property 

Sorry

Spam 

Keep in mind that the carriers have great filtering measures in place, so different variations of the same keywords above will likely also get your messages flagged as spam. 

Quick Tips:

In drip mode, the carrier has a 1/sec limit, the bulk actions won’t let you go that detailed so 30/min has worked for our bulk texters

1. Limit your SMS messaging to 200 NEW contacts /day/number.

2. New Numbers:  We recommend that you also WARM UP your numbers, which is to simply start sending a small batch every few minutes and slowly increase that number over time. For example: Start with sending 2 messages every 3 minutes, wait 2 days increase that number to 3 messages every 3 minutes etc. 

3. Ensure that you always use a min. of three (3) marketing users with 3 phone numbers in your campaigns, so no one number gets used excessively.

Twilio AUP (stay under 1% opt-out, which means you need one and less than 8% error/failed codes which is right if you’re texting landlines, so using number validation helps).  

You can enable Number Validation by going to Settings > Business Profile > General (section).  Check the box:  'Validate Phone numbers when first SMS is sent to a new contact'.

Know your volume limits based on registration 

Know your audience's time zones and respect local laws (FL 8 am-8 pm and max 3 outreaches in a 24-hour window)

Avoid getting marked as SPAM, which will trigger Twilio eyes and Compliance Audit

Have your CTA (call to action) in check (flagged keywords)

Use a toll-free number as an alternative.

Additional Resources:

How do I prevent my Twilio messages from being filtered (blocked)? – Twilio Support