Tag: mobile

Opt-in, opt-out, spam. What’​s the difference?

You can only opt out of what you opted into. Otherwise, it is spam.

Some of your emails may “feel” like “junk,” but that is just a company sending you information that has no interest to you.

However, a commercial message — one that markets a service or product to the masses or individual — is legal to send if the following are true:

  • it is sent to email address who has opted into the service
  • it includes both clear name and contact details of your business
  • and it provides a clear and free “opt out” link so that users can unsubscribe.

Any “remove from subscription” requests sent back to a business must be honored, and you will be removed from their mailing lists.

When a recipient receives unwanted emails (or text messages), according to the ‘CAN_SPAM’ laws, these are illegal.

By clicking the “spam” button; this information goes back to the Internet Service Providers (ISP), and can get the company sending the spam email in trouble.  At worst, if they receive too many spam notices, their IP address is blacklisted from that ISP making it difficult or impossible to send new messages to anyone.

To register on the DO NOT EMAIL list:

Consumers can register at the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) consumer website: www.DMAchoice.org for a processing fee of $2, you can remain on the list for ten years. Registering online is the fastest way to see results. DMAchoice offers consumers a simple, step-by-step process that enables them to decide what mail they do and do not want.

In addition, DMAchoice online offers registration for DMA’s eMail Preference Service (reduce your unsolicited commercial email).

DO NOT CALL REGISTRY list:

The federal government’s National Do Not Call Registry is a free, easy way to reduce the telemarketing calls you receive. To register your phone number or to get information about the registry, visit www.donotcall.gov, or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you want to register. You will get fewer telemarketing calls within 31 days. Telephone numbers on the registry will only be removed when they are disconnected and reassigned, or when you choose to remove a number from the registry.

 

 

Whats behind Mobile Opt-In?

Most mobile programs require a ‘double opt-in’.

Here is what it is and why it is there:

In order for someone to start to receive text messaging they must opt in for the communications. This opt in process is different between email on mobile/text messaging. This is due to the cost of text messaging and mobile plans. Remember not all text messaging plans are created equal, there are still mobile phone plans out there that charge per text message. To prevent unnecessary costs to the consumer there is a double opt in rule to ensure the subscriber is aware of what they are signing up for. This also helps prevent spam onto your phone

In order for a company to send you a text messaging or IMs (different than a mobile apps) you must agree to 2 things:

  1. enroll into the mobile program (subscribe)
  2. and validate that the mobile number that was given is in fact your mobile number.  Usually the users is required to text ‘Y’ or ‘Yes’ back to the confirmation text – this would be your second opt in.

Mobile communication subscriptions work a little different than email subscriptions. Due to the cost structure when you enroll into a mobile program, you are only enrolling into a single program. Unlike email, when you subscribe to receive emails from retailer – your email is enrolled into all the retailers email programs. *Mobile requires the user to opt into every program individually.

Ideally this mechanism should be sufficient to establish the subscriber’s willingness to participate in the program and possession of the handset/device. The opt-in applies to the specific program and should not be used as a blanket approval to promote other programs, products or services.

When you opt out of the mobile program, the return messaging should reference the specific program the subscriber has opted-out from. No further messages should be sent to the subscriber from this program, including marketing messages for any related or unrelated programs

* email programs – plural, this is what we call in the industry global opt in and local opt out