Velocify LeadManager 24.1 Major Release: Feature Enhancements

• Obtain consent before sending SMS communications: Under the TCPA, prior express written consent (PEWC) is required for texts to a cell phone. This consent must be documented by a written agreement and include information on how to opt-out, who the sending party is, message frequency, and how to get help. Even in the case of lead generation by third parties, the best and safest course is to obtain PEWC directly for your company before initiating SMS communication with a consumer.

• Configure your workflow to send text messages only after customers are contacted: Text messaging should not be the first form of contact with a consumer. You should configure your contact strategy workflows to ensure contact has been made via a different channel before you send your leads an SMS message. This can be done by adjusting the Client Settings for SMS in Velocify.

• Be considerate to the unique nature of text messaging: SMS marketing feels more personal than other types of marketing because it happens within the same application where they talk to friends and family. Take extra care to be considerate of when you send text messages and how frequently you communicate.

• When a lead fails to respond, stop sending them text messages: If a lead is not responding to your SMS communication, it is a good practice to reach out via email or telephone call to find out if they are still engaged. If not, you can opt them out manually via the Velocify UI. If they later decide to re-engage, you can manually opt them back in. Note that this is better than them opting out with the STOP keyword, since that can only be reversed by them sending START. Also, when you manually opt them out via the Lead Add/Edit page, this does NOT count as an opt out in the report. IMPORTANT: You need consent to call a mobile number just like you need consent to send SMS. If you are calling leads, make sure to include phone call consent in your call to action. For examples, see TCPA Consent Requirements for SMS Messaging.

• Eliminate / change messages that are not working and reduce their frequency: You can view delivered vs undelivered counts in the SMS History report. Filter by template and assess which templates result in extensive filtering by carriers (i.e. undelivered). Consider changing or retiring those templates and replacing them with modified ones. Reduce the frequency with which you send messages.

• Reduce the number of messages you are sending to individual recipients within a short span of time to avoid resembling spam.

• Review your leads database to ensure all consumers have provided their consent to receive communications from you. Removing any consumers who have not responded to recent messages may also help reduce opt-out rates.

• If you are sending messages to users repeatedly over a long period of time, you should check in with your recipients at least once every 18 months to ensure they still want to receive messages from you.

• Track opt-outs by template and lead source: With the Velocify 24.1 Major Release, the SMS report enables you to see what templates/lead sources result in the most Opt-Outs. When you identify a template that generates a high number of opt-outs, review the template, revise it, or change or disable it. This helps you get a good idea of what messages are working vs not. If a lead source generates higher opt outs, ensure that you are receiving proper consent for leads from that source.

In addition to monitoring and ensuring that Opt Out and Error rates are within the above-mentioned limits, you are responsible for the following requirements as well:

• Avoid Forbidden Use Cases: See Forbidden Message Categories for a list of use cases prohibited by the carriers. You should not send any messages that can be categorized as a forbidden message. While spam filtering in email accounts delivers emails to a spam folder, forbidden messages are not delivered at all.

• If you are not sure whether your messages are allowed, ask your Velocify Customer Service Representative before sending the messages.

• Sender identification: Every message you send must clearly identify you as the sender, except in follow-up messages of an ongoing conversation - template messages should indicate who the sender is (company name or DBA).

• Avoid same or similar message sent across a large number of phone numbers: Velocify does not permit sending similar or identical messages across many phone numbers without appropriate business justification. In general, you should avoid sending identical or almost identical messages to large numbers of leads. Messages should be personalized and spaced out. If you are approved for SMS A2P, five phone numbers should suffice.

  • Carriers assign messages a “cumulative score based on how many messages have come from a phone number during a time period, how many similar messages have transited the carrier’s network, or if the message contains content that makes it a high match for spam. Time periods are measured by the second, minute, hour and day.”

• When your text messages are flagged, it increases the chances of future messages from the same number (or those with similar content) being filtered out as well.

• Additional tips to avoid carrier violations during your text message marketing:

  • Limit URLs: Including URLs can negatively impact delivery and increase the likelihood of getting flagged as a carrier violation.

  • Avoid public URL shorteners:  Public URL shorteners, such as bit.ly, tinyurl.com, and others can can trigger some filters and should be avoided because carriers do not know what content the recipient may be redirected to.

  • Avoid creating unnecessary urgency: Especially with Spammy Words. Urgency is sales 101. However, it is not up to you to instill a sense of urgency. If there is enough value in what you have to offer, urgency will happen naturally. There is nothing wrong with urging your prospect to take action, but do your best to avoid creating urgency too soon.

1. Log into Velocify as an administrator.

2. Click your username on the top right corner of the page, and under Administration, click Communication.

   

3. Click the Manage Posts tab.

   

4. Click the Add New Post button.

   

5. In the New Post Template Add/Edit page, notice the new Security Notice panel.

   

6. If you enter a URL that has not been approved by ICE, the Enabled column in the Manage Posts page displays a No value. Clicking the No link displays the following new Post domain approval pending message.

   The Enabled column only displays No value (Yes is not supported).

   

7. While the post domain is being approved by the ICE team, you can proceed with configuring the post such as defining Delivery/Drip settings and Certificate Authentication.

   

1. Log into Velocify as an administrator.

2. Click your username on the top right corner of the page, and under Preferences, click Telephony Compliance.

   • This displays compliance profiles such as Customer Profile, Shaken/Stir, CNAM, and Voice Integrity. Only the Customer Profile button is active when you access this setting for the first time. Once you complete the customer profile registration, and your submission is approved by ICE, the subsequent buttons (Shaken/Stir, CNAM, and Voice Integrity) will be activated.

3. Click the Customer Profile button.

   

4. Enter information in the Customer Profile page. Mandatory fields are indicated with a red asterisk (*).

   

5. After completing all the fields, click the Submit button.

6. This will bring you back to the Telephony Compliance page updated with a table. Customer Profile Status = Submitted. When the status updates to Approved, you can proceed with Shaken Stir settings. Once that is approved, proceed with CNAM.

   

7. Click the CNAM button and in the CNAM Registration page, type the CNAM Display Name and click the Submit button.

   

8. This navigates you back to the Telephony Compliance page updated with the CNAM registration details.

   

9. Click the Voice Integrity button.

   

10. Update information in the Voice Integrity Registration page and click the Submit button.

    

1. Go to the Preferences menu > MyVoiceMails, and click Add Voicemail.

2. Choose the voicemail type, click Submit, select the Upload option, choose your .wav. file, and click Upload.

Call Flow Greetings can be uploaded similarly, and must be in .mp3 format.

You can find many free MP3 recorder apps online, or use a free website like online-voice-recorder.com to record an .mp3 format voice file. Alternately, you can find many apps or websites that provide services to convert a .m4a or .wav file into a .mp3.