Search Marketing FAQ

Pre-written email sequence sent on a schedule after a trigger. Example welcome drip: Day 0 (signup confirmation + offer), Day 3 (brand story), Day 7 (best-sellers), Day 14 (testimonials), Day 21 (final discount before list cleaning). Each email in the drip is pre-written and triggered automatically. Drip campaigns automate the early customer relationship. Standard tactic in modern email marketing.

in Email Marketing

Three-stage process. Re-engagement campaign (3-5 emails with strong offer or curiosity). Segment by response: re-engaged (keep), still inactive (final win-back attempt). Sunset (remove from list to protect deliverability). Don't keep sending to inactive subscribers - hurts engagement metrics and sender reputation. Sunset 90-180 days inactive subscribers based on your sending cadence.

in Email Marketing

Four practices. Honor unsubscribe immediately (CAN-SPAM legal requirement; 10 days max but most ESPs do instantly). One-click unsubscribe in every email. Clean bounces automatically. Sunset inactive subscribers (90-180 days). List hygiene is deliverability foundation. Bigger list with bad hygiene performs worse than smaller list with active subscribers.

in Email Marketing

Five major platforms. Klaviyo - dominant in e-commerce, especially Shopify. Mailchimp - SMB-friendly, broad audience. ActiveCampaign - automation-heavy, B2B + SMB. HubSpot - CRM-integrated, mid-market+. Marketo / Eloqua / Pardot - enterprise B2B. Most e-commerce uses Klaviyo + Shopify; most SMB uses Mailchimp; most B2B uses HubSpot or ActiveCampaign.

in Email Marketing

Three comparisons. Klaviyo: deep e-commerce integration, behavioral data triggers, e-commerce reporting. Mailchimp: ease of use, drag-drop editor, modest pricing for small lists. ActiveCampaign: automation depth, CRM features, multi-channel (email + SMS + chat). Pick by use case. Klaviyo for e-commerce. Mailchimp for SMB simplicity. ActiveCampaign for sophisticated automation.

in Email Marketing

Five-criteria framework. List size and growth trajectory (pricing impact). Channel needs (email only vs email + SMS + push). Integration with your stack (Shopify, Stripe, CRM). Automation depth needed. Team's technical sophistication. Try free tiers / trials before committing. Migration costs grow with list size - pick well early. Most teams start with Mailchimp + outgrow to Klaviyo/ActiveCampaign.

in Email Marketing

Explicit consent from a subscriber to receive marketing text messages. Required under TCPA (US), CASL (Canada), GDPR (EU). Must include: opt-in language, frequency expectations, message + data rates disclosure, easy opt-out method. Without proper opt-in, fines start at $500 per message and can reach $1,500 per willful violation. Compliance is mandatory, not optional.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Three reasons. Legal mandate (TCPA in US, CASL in Canada, similar elsewhere). Carrier requirements (Verizon, AT&T can shut down sending). Consumer trust (text inbox is more personal than email). Opt-in protects business legally and brand reputationally. Non-opt-in SMS marketing is the highest-risk marketing channel - fines are punitive. Compliance investment is worth it.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Specific consent to receive marketing SMS at a specific phone number. Must include: clear opt-in language, identification of sender, frequency disclosure, message + data rates disclosure, opt-out instructions. Pre-checked boxes don't count. Implied consent doesn't count. Buying lists doesn't count. The consent must be specific and provable - record date, time, source, exact language.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

No - express written consent is required for marketing SMS. Implied consent (e.g., a customer purchases from you) does NOT authorize marketing SMS. The exception: transactional messages (order confirmations, shipping updates) related to the customer relationship can use implied consent. Promotional messages always require explicit express opt-in. Don't confuse the two - the legal distinction is sharp.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Transactional messages (order confirmation, shipping update, abandoned cart only for active sessions): yes. Marketing messages (promotions, new product launches, sale reminders): no. Purchase relationship doesn't create marketing consent. To text customers marketing messages, you need separate opt-in. Most checkout flows now include 'Get text updates' checkbox for marketing consent.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Five required disclosures. Identification of the business. Description of message types (promotions, alerts). Expected frequency (e.g., '4 messages per month'). Message and data rates may apply notice. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. All five must appear at the opt-in moment, not hidden in terms of service. Carrier requirements add specific phrasing.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Single opt-in: user provides phone + consent in one step (e.g., checkbox at checkout). Double opt-in: user provides phone, receives confirmation text, replies YES to confirm. TCPA technically only requires single opt-in but double opt-in adds protection against typos, malicious entries, and consent disputes. Many SMS platforms (Attentive, Postscript) default to double opt-in for compliance.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Eight elements. Clear opt-in checkbox (unchecked by default). Phone number field. Identification of business. Message frequency disclosure. Message + data rates notice. Reply STOP for opt-out. Reply HELP for help. Terms of service + privacy policy links. Capture timestamp + IP + exact opt-in language for records. Use compliance-built forms from Attentive, Postscript, Klaviyo SMS.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

No. TCPA requires affirmative opt-in - the user must actively check the box. Pre-checked boxes are not valid consent. This was clarified by FCC in 2024 update. Audit all opt-in forms to ensure boxes are unchecked by default. Pre-checked boxes are the #1 compliance violation in audits. Easy to fix; expensive to ignore.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Sample compliant language: 'By checking this box, I consent to receive recurring marketing text messages from [Brand] at the number provided, including messages sent by autodialer. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. View our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.' Customize for your situation.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

After opt-in, send a confirmation text including. Brand identification. Message type description. Frequency expectation. Message + data rates notice. Opt-out instructions (Reply STOP). HELP keyword reminder. Example: 'You're in! Get exclusive offers from [Brand]. 4 msgs/month. Msg+data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe, HELP for help.' SMS platforms generate this automatically.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Four placement options. Checkout: 'Get text updates' checkbox below billing/shipping fields. Popup: 'Get 10% off' with email + phone fields (phone as optional). Account creation: SMS opt-in as separate checkbox. Lead magnet: phone field with compliance language. Each placement requires identical compliance language (frequency, rates, STOP). Test consent capture rates by placement.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Yes. User texts a keyword (e.g., 'JOIN') to a short code to opt in. Common at events, in-store signage. Confirmation text must include all compliance disclosures. Keyword text-in is one of the most reliable opt-in methods because the user has demonstrated active intent. Works well for in-store sign-ups and event marketing. Platforms (Attentive, Klaviyo) handle keyword campaigns.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Yes, but must be documented. Verbal consent: record the call or have written notes of date/time/exact language used. Paper consent: keep signed forms with date and the compliant disclosure language. Both must include the same five disclosures as electronic opt-in. Records must be retained for at least 4 years (TCPA statute of limitations). Most compliance experts recommend electronic opt-in for stronger paper trail.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Initial opt-in: user provides phone + clicks consent (or texts keyword). Confirmation text: 'Reply YES to confirm subscription to [Brand]. Msg+data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out.' User replies YES. Welcome message: confirms subscription, repeats disclosures, sends offer if applicable. Stronger compliance than single opt-in; reduces accidental sign-ups. Default for high-volume senders.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Three required keywords. STOP / CANCEL / UNSUBSCRIBE / END / QUIT: immediate opt-out, send single confirmation 'You've been unsubscribed,' remove from list. HELP / INFO: respond with sender ID + how to opt out. UNSTOP / START / SUBSCRIBE: re-subscribe (only valid if you can verify prior consent). SMS platforms handle these automatically; verify your platform supports all standard keywords.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Immediately - no waiting period. Any message sent after the opt-out is a violation. SMS platforms suppress opted-out numbers within seconds. CTIA guidance specifies opt-out processing must be near-instant. Failure to honor opt-outs is the most-cited TCPA violation in lawsuits. SMS sending systems must integrate opt-out lists in real-time, not batch.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance

Two scenarios. With prior opt-in: send abandoned cart SMS just like any marketing message. Without opt-in but during active session: gray area - some send within session, but recent court rulings increase risk. Safest: never send abandoned cart SMS without express opt-in. Capture SMS opt-in at checkout (separate from email) to enable abandoned cart sequences.

in SMS Marketing & Compliance