Many organizations have started to realize the possibilities related to text message marketing. However, the way companies choose to deploy this solution can have radically different outcomes. For example, randomly texting everyone in a particular area can now be costly in Connecticut.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has signed new legislation this week that will make unsolicited marketing by text message illegal in the state as it is now under the "Do Not Call" registry. Violators could be fined from $11,000 to $20,000.
A press release from the Governors office states that this move was needed because technology has evolved to the point that the original "Do Not Call" list is now outdated.
"Unsolicited text messages are more than just a bother for consumers," State Senator Paul Doyle (D-Wethersfield), the Senate chairman of the legislature's General Law Committee, said in the release. "They can also cost people a lot of money. Providing Connecticut consumers with the necessary safeguards will go a long way in keeping the public protected from a new generation of marketing."
This does not mean that text message marketing is dead, far from it. Instead, this will help businesses that are considering this kind of approach to be smart about how they implement this kind of solution. Instead of blasting random consumers with text massages in hopes that someone will read them, organizations should partner with an SMS service provider to create a more targeted approach that entices consumers to sign up and start receiving coupons and messages right to their phones.
