How To: Maintain Simple Text Security and Legalities

Policies for SimpleTexting: 

Policy Statement: In order to successfully use the simple texting program for your ministry, we are expecting that you follow these simple instructions & guidelines in order to maintain effective usage of simple texting.

• Please use the wrike form  to start your keyword requests: Simple Text Request   Please obtain approval from your leader first. The new contact list for the new keyword will have to be added to your account so you can access it.  
  • For a new account, please start your Wrike request.  The Tech Team will work with your leader to review. The seats are limited.  
  • Account holders are responsible and should be responsive to requirements.
  • For new keyword, please fill out the form and work with Marketing Team. 
  • Keywords are maintained in the Simple Text Tracking Document on a monthly basis by the admin staff.  Please use the form to ask any question you have regarding Simpletexting.  
•  If and when you are granted new account, Training is required.  
  • You must setup 2FA in your account.  If you remove your 2FA setup, the vendor can provoke your account.  
  • Keyword login & passwords are ministry based and only have access to the keywords for your ministries. 
• Under no circumstances, can keyword messages be distributed to numbers that have not subscribed to that keyword. 
  • Every keyword has a contact list tracking who subscribe to the keyword.  
  • Messages can only be legally sent to phone numbers that have actively subscribed to that keyword. 
• Once your ministry receives your requested simple text login & password you are responsible for maintaining your campaigns & keywords.  
  • Event Date must be accurate.  update the auto-reply content when event is in the past. 
  • You must be responsive to communication and advisories and actions required to maintain your account privilege.  The vendor admin will do audit on 2FA setup throughout.  When we request you to renew password, please respond that you take care of it.  If you have any question, please let us know by open wrike request.  
    If the vendor delete your account due to your non-compliant, The Tech Team will communicate, train and retain when necessary before access can be granted.  
  • Campaign content must have accurate information, clear and clean vocabulary.  This is a mass marketing toll.  The carriers are monitoring and will block or withhold message if it got flagged. 
  • Schedule your campaign between 8am to 8pm.  Keep your campaign content clean and accurate. This will prevent your message is clear when vendor's compliance team monitoring content.   If you see your campaign in the "monitory" status, contact the vendor's support chat and get it cleared.  
• Use SMS Mainly and maintain within the 130 Character limit as much as possible and the content will allow, try not to go over.
• Do not text those not subscribed - brand new people to the church or those not in leadership or unaware of the culture! Ex: do not send a hi card person a message to say hi and welcome the new hi card person. 

Contact Lists:

• DO NOT ADD PHONE NUMBER MANUALLY TO YOUR CONTACT LIST!!!  
• The difference between attaching an existing contact list or creating a new contact list is important to pay attention to. You can have people text in to the keyword you create and it will make a contact list. You can also use an existing contact list from another keyword and attach it to a new campaign. 
• PAY ATTENTION to the Contact List you are selecting for campaigns!!! If your keyword changes but the contact list is still going to be the same you can select the old list, or walk through steps with the SImpleText Team to import the old list into the new keyword list. 

SimpleTexting Procedure Overview:

Goal: To keep a cohesive and legal process for the use and function of Simple Text and our teams. 

• All Keywords MUST be submitted through Wrike for approval to verify that it is a unique word and ready for use. We do not want multiple teams using a variation of the same phrase. 
• Keywords and Campaigns MUST maintain the Awaken language and theme. 
• What are some types of keywords that fit awaken language/examples Keyword: something they are texting - subscribing to such as: “Awakenpartyhost” or “Cherishprayerbalboa”
• If there is a name change to team, procedure, etc go through the previous steps to transition the keywords and campaigns. 
• Keep the CORE KEYWORD Simple Text Tracking Document up to date on a monthly basis. 
• Keep any CAMPAIGN & AUTO RESPONDER language up to date in the Simple Text Tracking Document on a monthly basis. 
• Keep List in the Simple Text Tracking Document up to date on a bi-monthly basis of the “subscribers” list name and what campaign or keyword they are linked to.
• Keep any AutoSend dates, days, and times updated in the Simple Text Tracking Document on a Monthly basis
• POC (the Point of Contact staff for each ministry) should attend training on process and what is NOT acceptable actions within SimpleText.
• POC must notify Admin in Tech Team on who will be the next staff responsible when leaving the position.  POC should pass on knowledge and account ID/password to the next staff assigned.  
  
  Further Compliance Reading - 

   

• Everything You Need to Know About SMS Compliance

• How Can I Invite People to Opt In?

• TCPA Compliance

• Import Guidelines and Rules