Vivery is proud to offer text messaging to help agencies reach their neighbors. Using this text messaging platform comes with both convenience and responsibility. This article describes best practices that will not only improve your message delivery and engagement rate, but also help ensure the tool remains reliable and accessible for everyone who depends on it.
1. Be a Responsible User
Many of the suggestions in this list of best practices require some work on your part. There is no charge for the text messaging service, but like anything, there are limits. Following this guide will help you to understand how to steer clear of the limits.
Sending relevant, appropriate messages—and avoiding excessive use—helps system performance and deliverability. Removing names and numbers that are undeliverable or unsubscribed also helps.
Being a good steward of the platform ensures it stays fast and effective for all users.
2. Always Obtain Proper Consent
Before sending messages, make sure you have clear permission from your contacts. Compliance with regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act is essential. This means recipients should have knowingly opted in to receive messages from you. Respecting consent not only keeps you compliant but also builds trust with your audience.
If you are unsure if you have the appropriate consent and have uploaded contacts from an existing CRM like Oasis or LinkToFeed, check in with a staff member at your food bank to see if those entities provide you with that coverage. If it does not, we encourage you to use the self-signup methods in the platform to rebuild your contact list as those methods provide appropriate, verifiable consent.
Click here to view the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA): https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/tcpa-rules.pdf
Click here to read more about CAN-SPAM and compliance:https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business
3. Maintain a Clean Contact List
A healthy contact list is key to successful messaging. Regularly review and update your contacts to ensure accuracy:
- Remove numbers with “failed” delivery statuses, as these are no longer valid
- Delete outdated or incorrect contact information
- Delete unsubscribed users to de-clutter your contact list
Keeping your list clean improves delivery rates and reduces unnecessary strain on the system.
4. Send Messages in Smaller Batches
Instead of sending one large blast, break your messages into smaller batches. This approach helps messages send faster and reduces the chance of delays or delivery issues. It also allows you to monitor performance and make adjustments as needed.
5. Use Groups Strategically
Organizing your contacts into clear, intentional groups can significantly improve your messaging efficiency. Thoughtful grouping helps avoid sending duplicate messages and ensures content is more relevant to each audience.
For example, creating groups based on language preferences allows you to send tailored messages without repeating the same communication multiple times to a broader audience. Well-structured groups lead to cleaner campaigns and a better experience for recipients.
Here is an article regarding using the contact group function in the text messaging tool: https://support.vivery.org/text-messaging/4854181183
6. Consolidate Messages When Possible
Frequent messaging can overwhelm recipients and reduce engagement. When appropriate, combine multiple updates into a single, well-structured message instead of sending several texts throughout the week.
For instance, if you typically send three separate messages to the same group, consider whether that information can be delivered in one clear, concise message. This reduces message fatigue, improves readability, and helps maintain a positive relationship with your audience.
7. Avoid Spam Triggers
Wording of a text message is crucial to ensure the message is sent. Certain words have been overused or cause concern for recipients and may trigger message filters.
For example, a sentence like “FREE FOOD TODAY” may alert a filter and prevent a message from being sent. If the same sender continues to send the same type of message, the sender’s ability to send more messages may be diminished.
Consider another approach, like “Join us for our food distribution today,” to help build trust with your audience and set a more professional tone. This message has a better chance to clear the spam filters as well.
By following these best practices, you’ll not only improve your messaging results but also help maintain a high-quality, reliable platform for everyone who uses it.
More Reading
Here are some other articles to help you become more efficient and effective with text messaging:
https://www.business.com/articles/text-message-laws/
https://mailchimp.com/resources/text-messaging-laws-by-state/
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business
https://www.ctia.org/the-wireless-industry/industry-commitments/messaging-interoperability-sms-mms