Collecting phone numbers – how to do it easily and legally

Collecting phone numbers

No matter how many digital marketing channels are introduced, collecting phone numbers will always remain essential to communicate with customers. Why?

Because phone calls and texts are direct, convenient, and cost-effective, they are the best mediums to use in case of an emergency. 

There are so many platforms that will allow you to send out mass texts and calls to help you reach a large number of consumers at a moment’s notice. 

Unfortunately, this brings up an issue constantly faced by consumers – the invasion of privacy. 

Some companies will go to any length to grow their customer base, even if it means collecting phone numbers illegally. 

Facebook recently faced a lawsuit for breaching user privacy and selling confidential user information to businesses, but at what cost?

The company is still fighting court battles and forced to pay a settlement of $550 million on another lawsuit on its use of facial technology in Illinois. 

That is a major factor why the app’s userbase has dropped down by 15 million users in the past year alone. 

This, along with the Equifax data breach in 2017, are examples that show us that even the biggest corporations cannot get away with violating user privacy.

Consumers see an overwhelming level of marketing around them on a day-to-day basis, something that constantly raises suspicions about how businesses obtain information to promote such targeted ads. 

The safest way to contact your customers without stepping over the line is clearly asking for their permission. 

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) states that no promotional calls can be made without consumers’ prior consent and accidental dialling is not an effective legal defence – meaning companies could face fines up to $1000 per call.  

Many businesses don’t know how to collect mobile phone numbers for their SMS marketing campaign therefore, they miss out on the opportunities available to them. Here are 5 most creative and sure-fire ways of collecting phone numbers legally: 

#1. Keyword opt-ins

This is one of the most professional and commonly used methods of collecting phone numbers. 

Many digital applications are integrated with a software that allows an app to collect phone numbers for businesses. 

Here’s how it works. Businesses sign up with an SMS marketing service or come up with an easy keyword or phrase that consumers are likely to remember. 

Customers are required to send in this keyword on the messaging app that the business uses to communicate with them; thus, opting into the business’s marketing campaign and giving them the permission to send promotional messages.

To minimize the effort on the consumers part and making sure they don’t have to look for your business’s SMS campaign, send out clear instructions on how to opt-in: 

 It’s always a great idea to promote this campaign around your customers in their daily lives – on billboards, banners, markets, flyers and any other place that your customers frequently visit or pass by.

For this, you need to make sure your keyword is easy and relevant to your business so that consumers remember it even after they’ve seen the promotion, for example, SUBWAY is likely to use keywords like SUB and a shop that sells smartphones and other gadgets can use a keyword like TECH. 

#2. Website forms 

This is another great way to collect consumers’ phone numbers legally. 

However, many business owners are now aware on how to collect phone numbers from website. To make sure this method is effective, you need to place your online forms at the right place and at the right time. 

Once readers have read the content on your blog or made a purchase from your online store, then you can offer them free updates on their order, shipping, new collections etc:

If you do this the second a visitor opens your site, you’re effectively driving away from a potential customer because pop-ups are a nuisance for visitors trying to navigate a website.  

You’ll notice a lot of websites ask for contact information at checkout, but it is very important to add an optional message asking consumers whether they would like to receive updates and promotional offers:

The image above shows the right way to collect phone numbers from website. If they do not check that box, you can only use their contact information for order details but if you want to be really efficient, save their contact details so that the next time they contact you, you can address them by their name and have all details ready at a moment’s notice; thus, instilling customer loyalty. 

#3. Online competitions 

The best way to get customers to subscribe to offers and updates is by providing incentives like discounts – because consumers love nothing more than a good deal! 

This way, you’ll not only engage your customers in a fun activity but you’ll also motivate disinterested customers to subscribe because they were tempted to avail the incentive; thus, giving you the opportunity to spark their interest and turn them into regular customers.

#4. Request details at checkout

We’ve already discussed how you can get customers details on online stores, but what about our physical stores? 

Even though the number of e-commerce consumers rose by 15% in just the last year, physical stores still exist and are an important part of the customer experience because shoppers like me can never be satisfied until they see a product in reality. I always feel like these online stores will scam me. 

Anyhow, you need to train your employees on how to collect phone numbers for SMS marketing and place the best workers at checkout in order to convince customers to opt into your campaign. 

Before your customers leave, ask them to give their contact details verbally or through a written feedback form if they’d like to receive offers and updates. 

You’d be surprised at how effective this can be because research suggests that 54% of consumers want businesses to contact them via text. 

You should definitely opt for this strategy if you manage a restaurant, grocery store, retail outlet or even a small cafe. 

Another thing you can take advantage of in-store is small advertisements within aisles and at checkout:

Again, where you place your promotions is very crucial to the success of your campaign. If you sell baked goods, you can place a board similar to the one in the picture above at the bakery of local grocery stores where potential customers are likely to visit. 

#5. Customer service calls 

Even though phone calls are being massively replaced by text messaging in most industries, they are still the best medium to use for urgent and time-sensitive situations.

Customer support staff and helplines can take advantage of opportunities to save customer details in order to update them about their issue. 

In this case, you’re not trying to make sales but rather you’re trying to involve the customer in the process so that they can remain up to date on how their problem is being handled and when it will be resolved. 

The important thing to do is to make sure all customer service calls are being recorded. 

Train your employees on how to collect phone numbers for the purpose of sending updates via text or call. 

You’ve probably received automated calls when you register a complaint with a company asking you to dial 1 if the complaint has been resolved or 2 if it has not. 

If you press 2, a customer representative will get back to you with a follow-up on the situation. 

Automation is absolutely essential to help your company survive in the aggressively competitive business environment in the 21st decade. 

With so many customers to deal with, automation will ensure secure phone calls and ease the burden on employees many of whom remain tied to their desks all day. 

Do’s and don’ts 

I’ve listed down pretty much everything that you need to do and a lot of things that you need to keep a lookout for, but when it comes to collecting phone numbers legally, there are some clear cut things that you cannot afford to mess up: 

Don’t buy lists 

There are a number of companies that sell a list of phone numbers of locals in an area.

However, while it may be legal to purchase these lists, it is not legal to use them to approach customers who have not given their consent, much less be aware that their number has been sold to your company!

Thus, make sure that you only contact those customers that have provided you with their personal phone numbers themselves, via a digital platform or face to face. 

Know the right timing and frequency  

Whether you contact your customers via call or text, the key to effective communication is knowing the when, how and why. 

If you contact your customers too much, you’re likely to annoy them into opting out and if you message too less, they may forget about your brand or switch to competitor offerings. 

So the question arises – how many times should you text your customers for a promotional campaign? 

Research suggests that that texting your customers 1-2 times per week is optimal. 

Calls are only used for customer support and the number of calls depends entirely on the issue faced by the customer so you don’t need to take that into consideration. 

Plus, when it comes to text messages, you can send out texts at late hours or at the last minute and it won’t be a problem because 90% of texts are read within the first 3 minutes. 

However, when it comes to calls, make sure you only place them during working hours otherwise it could seem extremely unprofessional – although not illegal. 

Some emergency situations are an exception to this formality, especially for institutions like banks and security companies. 

Give clear opt-out instructions 

This is something you need to make absolutely sure of. 

Every single time that you text your customers, you need to include instructions on how to opt-out: 

A lot of businesses skip this step in order to increase their reach and maximise subscribers but with new consumer laws, they are risking a potential lawsuit. 

Not only are you legally bound to send opt-out instructions, but your customers will also appreciate it if you leave the choice to them. 

The best thing you can do is run an effective campaign with relevant, timely and limited texts per week to make sure that your subscribers remain interested in your business. 

Plus, only your most loyal customers are likely to subscribe so you can design your offers exclusively for them. 

Use ExpressText to customise each text to the recipient’s name and send out pre-written, scheduled holiday greetings, and personalised birthday messages to customers automatically. 

Conclusion 

Collecting phone numbers is not an easy task and legal guidelines do not make it any easier but they do it for customer privacy and protection since SMS and calls are two very personal forms of communication. 

By following legal guidelines, you are likely to earn the respect of your customers which will generate trust and loyalty in the long run. 

No matter how smartly you conduct your business, honesty is a crucial component of the future success of a business. 

Today’s customers demand absolute transparency from companies in business dealings and all businesses need to keep that in mind.

Are you going to start collecting phone numbers from your customers?

How to collect phone numbers from Facebook?

You can use your Facebook business page to gather phone numbers from new or existing customers. Using the simple one-tap mechanism offered on Facebook Messenger, you can send a broadcast requesting that followers provide their phone numbers for promotional purposes. You can add a mouth-watering deal to encourage people to sign up.

What are the benefits of collecting phone numbers from customers?

By collecting phone numbers, you will be able to send out mass text blasts with exclusive coupons, special deals, and big announcements for your customers.

How should your business be collecting phone numbers?

You should never collect customer phone numbers without their permission. Always ask before adding someone’s phone number to your calling or SMS blast lists.

What are the best methods for collecting phone numbers?

There are lots of ways to get creative when requesting phone numbers from customers, but website contact forms, online competitions or surveys, and collecting customer details at checkout are some of the best ways of collecting numbers.

What are best practices for my business when collecting phone numbers?

DO ask before collecting numbers, DON’T buy lists from data aggregator companies, DO use short code keywords in your text messages, KNOW the right timing for text blasts, and GIVE customers a choice to opt out.

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