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Simple Texting Basic:
Terms:
- The Keyword - usually no space in-between. It is not case sensitive
- The (Opt-in) Contact List - The people text a keyword to 55525, they are signing up to agree to receive text message from us. Each keyword is attached to a list. It is a collect of the phone number.
- Campaigns - you can schedule ahead to send out text message to people in your group for announcement, a reminder, or to promote an event. Text message is instant. You can save it as draft in Campaigns to plan ahead the time to send it out.
- Character count - there is 130 character limit for the basic charge. going over it will charge us more.
- Credit - the unit the system uses to change fee based on usage.
Regulation:
1. The system monitors inappropriate vocabularies.
2. The system will fine church (we are are sole operator of 55525) if someone files complain receiving unwanted text. Basically, you should only send text message to phone numbers that subscribed to 55525. Please do not add phone number which has never opt-in.
For Example: We can only text people who have texted keyword CherishNight to 55525 to subscribe to it. We should not add / upload people's phone number and text them on a topic that they have not express that they agree to receive text message.
User Guidelines:
- Please work with your Ministry SimpleTexting Point of Contact (POC) first to see if there is already a keyword exist for what you need to do or can be updated to do what you want to do.
- Please open a ticket if you believe there is an existing keyword you want to look up but it may not be under your ministry can access. SimpleTexting Admin will help locate it for you.
- We do not send message to people unless they Opt-In first. So please avoid adding phone number manually into group manually unless you verify they are opt-in before via other keyword. We will be fined if we are reported.
- If you use link for form or document, please test it first.
Please use the shorten the link if it is going over 130 characters. Please use the shorten URL function on setup to reduce character count.
- Please plan sending out message (campaign) between 8AM to 8PM as common practice.
- Please do not share your login without your Ministry Director approval first and training. If you need help with training, please contact the Tech Team.
- If your keyword needs form link from MyAwaken / brushfire, please create a separate ticket for it using the Database category.
- You are responsible to provide a working, accurate link (URL) when creating a new ticket for you new keyword. The SimpleTexting admin is not responsible to produce nor select the link (URL) for you.
POC (Point Of Contact) Guidelines:
1. Each Ministry Director appoint one person to be responsible managing the keywords belong to the ministry. This position is called POC Point of Contact.
2. The Person (POC) has to be either staff or high level trusted volunteer who have to sign yearly agreement to the SOP.
3. The POC has to notify the Tech team who is the next person to take over. POC has to hand off and train the next staff/volunteer taking over when there is transitioning.
4. This technology is inviting people to Opt-In on the information for your keyword. We do not use it for Mass reach, Please do not manually add any phone numbers you collect from other method to send out campaign. You will be fined.
5. Only use the Contact list when you send campaign (the phone numbers that subscribe to your keyword). StimpleTexting is an Opt-In communication. People have right to Opt-Out as well.
6. Ministry POC has to use the Wreck form to submit request on the changes they need for each keyword. Ticket turn around time is usually within 48 hours or faster.
Communication Guidelines:
1. The Simple testing System use the word "Credit' to describe the cost of using the system. The cost is budgeted. Each text we send out cost money. Long excessive paragraph are charged more on higher rate. so be brief and to the point.
2. We only send out text to people who subscribe to the keyword they want to receive info (use the contact list). We will be fined with huge fee if and when we sent message to people who does not opt-in to subscribe.
3. Character limit is 130. Be a good steward managing money (credit) we spend in every auto-reply content and campaign. Please avoid long paragraph. Please use "trigger" if your auto-reply content can break up by location. When you send a message that is using 3 credit and times 100+ recipients, the bill grows quickly.
4. Example: SimpleTexting is a notification. It is a mass communication tool. Recovery ministry had a campaign for seeking RecoveryStory submission. It should have a link to a form for recipients to submit testimony. We do not setup 55525 to handle real time text conversation.
5. Review your auto-reply content and campaign content as it should not contain provocative vocabulary (money, $, gun, etc) as cellphone carriers audit and withhold the message from going out.
URL to open a SimpleTexting ticket request:
Wrike - Simple Text Request
