Live Q&A: Ask us anything about Text Message Marketing!

[Tom]

Hello Sellers — On February 17th, we hosted a Square Text Message Marketing Q&A!

@lornaz and @Anneharris are the product manager and the product marketing manager for Text Message Marketing. Together, they’ve been at Square ~4 years total, and they’re excited to talk more about this powerful new way to reach more customers via text messaging. When they’re not in the (home) office, Lorna enjoys catching up on new TV shows with her 1 year old Goldendoodle, Percy, while Anne likes trying new recipes and forcing the results on friends and family.

A few example questions:

• How can I get more customers to opt in to receiving texts from me?
• How does Text Message Marketing interact with a Square Marketing or Square Loyalty subscription?
• What should I text my customers about, anyway?

[mulekickmag]

@schindoggies how expensive is it? We have 5000 loyalty customers. Not sure how many textable customers or even how to make it to where people receive tests. I think live instruction would do well also!! 

[Anneharris]

 Hi @mulekickmag, Text Message Marketing is priced on usage, so it depends how many texts you send in a month, not how many contacts you have. You can see the pricing tiers here.

It starts at $10 a month, and if you don’t send a text in a month, you don’t pay. 

[Anneharris]

Thank you for the feedback @LCvisions! While this AMA does not have a live video portion, we are working on an overview video that will walk you through how to set up Text Message Marketing, collect opt ins, send a campaign and review your results. In the meantime, if you have any questions about Text Message Marketing, feel free to post them in the seller community and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

[foodiefit1234]

we are having issues when we are testing the opt-in when we opt out and trying to opt back.  it will still say pending on the customer

[lornaz]

Hi @foodiefit1234, thank you for your question. If you opt in, out and then try to opt back in within a week via Text to Join, we won’t re-send the opt-in instructions within the same week, which is likely why it’s still showing up as pending.

[pessosices]

Thanks @Tom !

@So I’m not sure if I want to turn on text message marketing yet or not. 

If I turn it on will it automatically send out the mass text for opt in?

I might want to send out a campaign to my existing subscribers, but not send out the opt in text to everyone. 

Also alternatively, can I set up my opt in text without automatically sending it to everyone? 

Thanks 

[Anneharris]

Hi @pessosices , good to hear from you! If you turn on Text Message Marketing, it won’t automatically send a text for opt-in. Instead, you’ll get a custom phone number that you can share where you want (so customers can text YOU to opt-in) or you can text many of your Loyalty customers and ask them to respond JOIN so they will be added to your general text marketing list. We've outlined some best practices for Text to Join here as well. 

Whenever you want to send a text campaign (for opt-in or just to your Loyalty customers), you’ll be able to choose who you want to text, based on the same audience selection options available in Square Marketing.

[shopfybr]

Will there be a replay of the Q&A posted here? I have a conflict at that time.

[Tom]

Hi @shopfybr — there will be a written summary that we'll pin to this post once the product experts address all of the questions that came through. If you have anything you'd like to ask, feel free to add your thoughts to this thread and I'll make sure they see it! 🙏

[costless]

Hello.  I'm trying to understand the opt in during check on Square Register for the Retail version vs. the standard POS version.

In the standard POS on Square Register, when using loyalty, the customer can sign in or sign up before the transaction from the customer facing screen.  This signs the customer up for loyalty and there is additional text on that screen to opt into text marketing, which is great.

However, we want to use Retail on the register.  With retail, the loyalty sign in/sign up displays on the customer facing screen AFTER checkout. The sign in/up screen contains the exact same opt in text as the POS version, but does not sign customers up for text marketing.

I realize this is a bit intertwined with loyalty, but when will the Retail register actually add customers to the text marketing list as well given they are already getting the necessary text to make it legal?

[lornaz]

Hi @costless, thank you for the question! We actually recently updated the terms of service on the Loyalty sign up screen on Square Register so that all new enrollees will be fully opted into Text Message Marketing. This update should be available in early March. We currently do not have pre-transaction check in for Retail on Loyalty but the post transaction enrollment flow will update shortly. I will also pass this feedback along to the Loyalty team.

[costless]

Thanks @lornaz .  Is there any way to be notified with the text opt in starts working with retail on register?

Why the loyal checkin is different from retail to pos is beyond me.  Hopefully they will add pre-transaction check in soon.  Requiring the cashiers to find the customer slows down the process.

[mulekickmag]

@costless @If they type in phone number first thing. It made it easier for us. Hope that helps 

[costless]

Hey @lornaz can you provide a more definitive release date for this? 

"We actually recently updated the terms of service on the Loyalty sign up screen on Square Register so that all new enrollees will be fully opted into Text Message Marketing. This update should be available in early March."

[lornaz]

Hi @costless unfortunately I can't give an exact date since it depends on when the latest version is released. I can say that it is in the next software update, which should be available within the first 2 weeks of March. I can let you know when that update has been fully rolled out.

[costless]

@lornaz any updates on the next release?  Seems to be way past the normal 3-4 week release schedule.

[lornaz]

Hi @costless this update is rolled out. New Loyalty enrollees will now also be opted in to your full Text Marketing program!

[costless]

Thanks @lornaz .  I was expecting to see a release here: https://www.sellercommunity.com/t5/Square-Register-Release-Notes/bg-p/releasenotes-reg

Is there somewhere else to monitor software updates?

[AllNewU]

Will text message marketing have the ability to ask for a google or facebook review? 

[indianathomas]

You can create an independent link to a review site, however, it isn't automated.

[lornaz]

Hi @AllNewU! @indianathomas is right -- you can use Text Message Marketing to ask for google and facebook reviews by adding a link to your business in the text message. Buyers can then click on that link and leave you a review.