Solved: Re: Text message instead of e-mail for marketing? - Page 2

onceandagain216 · ‎04-26-2016

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

Howard · ‎12-02-2020

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.

Howard
Beta Team Lead, Square
Join the Beta Community
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bandoraone · ‎09-15-2016

While it sounds reasonable it makes us looking for another solution. We can tolerate to a certain degree the fact that we don't have access to the emails (btw, I personally believe that SQ intentionally doesn't add a checkbox to the "email receipt" button letting the customer opt in for our messaging) but at least it's doable. Inability to reach cusotmers via the phone which SQ has means that we need an alternative solution. Still not a show stopper but a frustrating lack of functionality. Just my few cents.

BOONgarden · ‎10-12-2016

I've looked into other solutions and they run about $69/month for unlimited texting of promotions to your database. If SQ had something around $15-$20/month I think we would all jump on it!

Unbahamas · ‎10-25-2016

Do you mind sharing the solution you came across?

Sean · ‎10-27-2016

@Unbahamas - Since we don't currently offer this functionality, I can't really offer any sort of advice for how to do this. There may be some third party options you could look in to. Of course, I'm happy to update this thread if anything changes. 🙂

Sean
he/him/his
Product Manager | Square, Inc.

KCK · ‎04-14-2017

Any updates on this?

Tom · ‎04-14-2017

Hey @KCK, thanks for checking in here. Still no updates for text message marketing at this time, though we are tracking this request. Please keep in touch for updates.

️ Tom | he/him
Seller Community Manager | Square, Inc.
Find step-by-step help in our Support Center

trainman · ‎04-14-2017

I once again, second and third this. The thread is one year old, and being in a brick and mortar retail store, that's like 3 years. Things are moving very fast, national news about the big boy stores and their problems should give notice that Square needs to get at this very basic request. I appreciate you listening, but to stay afloat, progress - we need every tool. As far as I'm concerned, email has diminished value to the 40 and under customers. Thanks.

PVS · ‎05-31-2017

adding a me too! to this thread. Wondering if I should have started a separate thread asking for the me too! button so wouldn't have to spend time typing a reply! 🙂

EJ_ · ‎06-06-2017

@PVS Thanks for sharing your interest with this, and I think a "Me Too" button is a great idea for the Community.

jeffhe · ‎06-13-2017

I see that there are two parts of the problem here:

1. How to get customers opt-in (phone), since the existing phone numbers you have might not be used to do a promotional campaign.

2. SMS marketing (Automated and blast campaigns), which integrates with SQ's discount.

A 3rd part plugin should be able to solve this. If anyone's interested in discussing more or has a solution already, reply me here. 🙂

JClarice · ‎09-13-2017

I have changed locations and need to send out a mass text message to all of my customers about my new location. I do not have everyones email address on file and it would be much easier to just send out a mass text, versus calling every single customer. I have already sent out a mass email regarding this, but that only went out to maybe 1/4 of my customers. Please help!

puka · ‎09-13-2017

Hey @JClarice - Unfortunately, mass texting is not a feature that is available at the moment. In the meantime, I've added your post to a thread that is tracking feature requests for it so that you can stay updated.

Puka - She/They
Seller Community UX Designer

R_M · ‎10-09-2017

Hello! I am trying to find a way to create a coupon that can be issued via text to all of the loyalty program customers that I have. I would say that 90% of my customers are more than willing to share their phone number for the loyalty program, but do not want to give out their email address. Is Square working on a solution to this? I have seen similar campaigns via other pos companies...

puka · ‎10-11-2017

Hey @R_M - Unfortunately, we don't have any updates on this feature request, but our Product team is actively tracking the feedback on it. We'll make sure to share your post as well. In the meantime, feel free to read more on what brings a feature request to life.

Puka - She/They
Seller Community UX Designer

intothebrew · ‎12-31-2017

Thanks for the updates. I wanted to add my two cents in. Most all of my customers are a bit younger and all use their cellphone numbers for the loyalty program. I'd easily have over five times as many customers to market to if I could utilize text marketing, and as many as ten times more. It seems that text marketing is often much more useful than email. In my instance, that is the case.

I'd really like to know how this option is coming along and if there is actual consideration for it on the horizon. I tried out the email option and there is really not significant use for this in my business. I'd be willing to pay for it monthly if I could reach my customer base. I'd say 95% of my phone numbers on file are cellular and reachable.

Thanks for the info, and I'll keep my eye out for updates.

Thefringe21701 · ‎01-01-2018

Totally agree we need text messaging campaigns. Its been 2 years since this thread started.... and no progress ...really. Please give us something.

trainman · ‎01-02-2018

Two years. Time to act.

Rdahlberg · ‎02-13-2018

Because it's been 2 years (probably more, if I were to guess), I think they are purposefully NOT adding this feature for some reason or another. Ridiculous? Yes, because the consumer is getting younger and younger and the under 30 crowd does NOT use email making this marketing function less and less useful.

intothebrew · ‎02-13-2018

It would really be unfortunate. As time goes on, there will be other services that do offer text messaging and that would certainly create a migration of customers toward the more millenial-friendly POS. I'd hope that it's actually at some level of development. It doesn't seem it'd be too hard to implement. Let's hope that's the case.

EJ_ · ‎01-02-2018

This is great feedback @intothebrew

Thanks so much for sharing. As this keeps gaining momentum among sellers, hopefully we're able to get some new information for you all soon.

SolidCoffee · ‎03-30-2018

Any update on text marketing? It's shocking that SQ doesn't have this. Considering a change.

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

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