Can we use text messaging instead of email for Square Marketing?

[onceandagain216]

Can we use text messaging for marketing instead of e-mail? Most of my customers give phone # only.

[#2]

📳Hello Everyone!📳

I'm reaching out to those who've posted to this thread as we're hosting a question & answer session with the product team for Text Message Marketing on Wednesday, February 17th.

Have questions about setting up or feedback on how it's going so far? Please head over to this thread and let us know: Live Q&A: Ask us anything about Text Message Marketing!

[brittneyjean]

i am interested in the beta group for text messaging.

[twistedbeeswax]

Can I please join the text marketing beta? Would love to send out a few campaigns for the holidays. Thank you!

[unclebooks]

I’d be interested in getting started in using text messaging in my Square Marketing feature, thanks! 

[haircarebyjenni]

Many of my customers don't read their emails, is there a way to send them a link via text to get marketing emails and now the new contracts ? 

It would also be nice to send a mass text with updates etc 

[ashc]

Hey @haircarebyjenni,

I moved your post to an existing thread for text message marketing.

It looks like this is currently in beta. If there's availability- you're now added to the thread to be added to it. 

[svlashes]

Any updates on when text marketing will be available?? This is becoming a deal breaker for me!!!

[samsmith]

I still don’t see it in mine. I subscribed to square marketing just for this feature.

[cupzcoffeeaz]

I was just going to sign up for square marketing as I thought SMS marketing was there, but I can't see it either. 

Is this feature live or not? 

Kind of a deal breaker for me if not available, I already subscribe to square loyalty and it would be great If at least I get to reach out to those loyal customers

[Wetyourwhiskers]

any update on this request?

[Howard · Accepted solution]

We know you've been asking for it, and we're excited to announce Text Message Marketing (SMS) in the US, which is now available as an a la carte subscription that allows you to collect customer phone numbers and send them marketing-related text messages.

You can get started by visiting Text Message Marketing on on the Square Dashboard. 

Included are automated campaigns and ‘manual blast’ campaigns, where you can offer coupons, announce sales, promote events, and more. 

While Text Message Marketing can be found and used within Square Marketing in Dashboard, you DO NOT need to be subscribed to Square Marketing to use Text Message Marketing.

Square Marketing users will likewise need to onboard to Text Message Marketing, and will be billed separately for text message use.

What does the Text Message Marketing do?

Opt-in Collection

• Build a list of customers to text BEFORE you pay a cent for the product
• Collect opt-ins via your point-of-sale (or via Loyalty enrollment)
• Text customers from a phone number unique to your business. This number will also allow customers to sign up via Text to Join, and can be promoted via in-store, online, or wherever else you’d like

Manual Campaigns

• Draft a message and send to customers, instantly*
• Offer a coupon, or include a link to an announcement, event, or online sale (which we automatically shorten to save characters)
• Send up to 600 characters per message, or 250 if emojis are used. This will separate out into up to 4 texts, BUT we’ll only be charging for one ‘message’ per customer per campaign.

*Note: Texts are sent in 15 minute increments, so if you draft and send a text at 2:05pm, the text would go out at 2:15. Texts can only be sent during business hours in the merchant's time zone (i.e. 9-5). After 5pm, merchants can schedule for texts that will be sent the next day.

Automated Campaigns

• Automatically text a customer with a qualifying event (similar to automated email marketing)
• General campaigns: birthday collection + birthday reward, lapsed customer. 
• Loyalty-related campaigns like reminding about Loyalty rewards, and celebrating Loyalty anniversaries

What are the limitations?

Feature	Current Limitation
Texting: General	No two-way texting (You cannot yet respond to Buyers by text, Sellers will not see Buyer responses)
Texting: General	No picture message (MMS)
Opt-in: List Building	No phone number list upload
Opt-in: Loyalty Consent Specifics	Due to the current Loyalty consent language (which permits ‘loyalty-related communication’), Loyalty sellers will be able to send automated messages to  nearly all of their Loyalty enrollees.
Seller Use Case	Sellers who sell adult products, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, or CBD/cannabis are subject to a standard called SHAFT. This a self-regulation by mobile carriers that can block messages around these topics.

What is the pricing?

Pricing is tiered pay-as-you-go: at the end of the month, a seller will be charged the tier corresponding with how many messages they sent. They will not be charged for months where they did not send any messages. We do not have established custom pricing eligibility or rates established for launch.

[#13 · Accepted solution]

Included are automated campaigns and ‘manual blast’ campaigns, where you can offer coupons, announce sales, promote events, and more. 

While Text Message Marketing can be found and used within Square Marketing in Dashboard, you DO NOT need to be subscribed to Square Marketing to use Text Message Marketing.

Square Marketing users will likewise need to onboard to Text Message Marketing, and will be billed separately for text message use.

What does the Text Message Marketing do?

Opt-in Collection

• Build a list of customers to text BEFORE you pay a cent for the product
• Collect opt-ins via your point-of-sale (or via Loyalty enrollment)
• Text customers from a phone number unique to your business. This number will also allow customers to sign up via Text to Join, and can be promoted via in-store, online, or wherever else you’d like

Manual Campaigns

• Draft a message and send to customers, instantly*
• Offer a coupon, or include a link to an announcement, event, or online sale (which we automatically shorten to save characters)
• Send up to 600 characters per message, or 250 if emojis are used. This will separate out into up to 4 texts, BUT we’ll only be charging for one ‘message’ per customer per campaign.

*Note: Texts are sent in 15 minute increments, so if you draft and send a text at 2:05pm, the text would go out at 2:15. Texts can only be sent during business hours in the merchant's time zone (i.e. 9-5). After 5pm, merchants can schedule for texts that will be sent the next day.

Automated Campaigns

• Automatically text a customer with a qualifying event (similar to automated email marketing)
• General campaigns: birthday collection + birthday reward, lapsed customer. 
• Loyalty-related campaigns like reminding about Loyalty rewards, and celebrating Loyalty anniversaries

What are the limitations?

Feature	Current Limitation
Texting: General	No two-way texting (You cannot yet respond to Buyers by text, Sellers will not see Buyer responses)
Texting: General	No picture message (MMS)
Opt-in: List Building	No phone number list upload
Opt-in: Loyalty Consent Specifics	Due to the current Loyalty consent language (which permits ‘loyalty-related communication’), Loyalty sellers will be able to send automated messages to  nearly all of their Loyalty enrollees.
Seller Use Case	Sellers who sell adult products, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, or CBD/cannabis are subject to a standard called SHAFT. This a self-regulation by mobile carriers that can block messages around these topics.

What is the pricing?

Pricing is tiered pay-as-you-go: at the end of the month, a seller will be charged the tier corresponding with how many messages they sent. They will not be charged for months where they did not send any messages. We do not have established custom pricing eligibility or rates established for launch.

[frenchtownoasis]

Hello, Now that we have text marketing. Please advise if several opt in options are in the works. The point of marketing is to covert individuals that are not customers.  We need Square to create a website embed,  hosted sign-up page, ect.

 

[Tom]

Hey @frenchtownoasis — thanks for bringing this up. To be sure I'm on the same page, are you referring to multiple opt in options specifically for Text Message Marketing? If so, I'd suggest sharing a bit more information on this Q&A thread: Ask us anything about Text Message Marketing! Our product team will be able to take a closer look from there.

If that's not what you're looking for, feel free to reply here and I'll be sure to share your insight with the right folks internally. 🙏

[Tom]

📳Hello Everyone!📳

I'm reaching out to those who've posted to this thread as we're hosting a question & answer session with the product team for Text Message Marketing on Wednesday, February 17th.

Have questions about setting up or feedback on how it's going so far? Please head over to this thread and let us know: Live Q&A: Ask us anything about Text Message Marketing!