How to Get Started with SMS Marketing

Overview

The SMS Guest Marketing feature is a powerful tool which allows you to send immediate, and high open-rate messages to guests directly from your Libro dashboard. You can use this feature to send concise yet personalized messages to any guest who has used Libro to make a reservation at your restaurant.

For pricing and activation details, please contact us at [e-mail].

 

Next up, be informed about SMS Marketing Consent - Laws & Compliance.

Toll-Free Number 

What is Toll-Free Verification?

The toll-free number (TFN) verification is a mandatory industry-wide process that whitelists your text messaging traffic with the toll-free messaging aggregator. It helps to reduce the number of false-positive blocks and ensures message deliverability.

If you wish to use the SMS marketing feature, here's what you need to know:

• Toll-Free Number Activation: Libro needs to get a toll-free number for you. In order to comply with local marketing regulations, we rent toll free numbers from third party providers, which require us to activate and purchase these phone numbers before being able to use them.
  • Note that for Libro accounts with multiple restaurants, if you wish to send campaigns for each establishment, you will need to obtain a toll-free number for each location.
• Cost: The cost to maintain a phone number for a year is $35 plus tax. This subscription is a subscription separate from your current plan.

Activate your Toll-Free Number 

To submit a request for a toll-free number, here are the steps to follow:

1. Access your Libro Back Office
2. Go to My Restaurants, then click on Settings
3. Go to SMS Marketing Campaigns
4. Click on "Get Started" to fill out the form

Activation Request - Status

Following the submission of the form, you will see a page displaying the live status of your verification request. Until it has been approved, it will appear as ‘pending’ and you will not be able to send out SMS campaigns yet.

Delay in Obtaining a Toll-Free Number

When you request a toll-free number for your marketing SMS, the standard processing time typically ranges from 24 to 48 hours. However, please be aware that in some cases, the process may take up to 2 weeks. This extended duration can occur due to various factors, such as increased demand, carrier processing times, and additional verification requirements. You can always track the live status of your request in the Back Office under 'SMS Marketing Campaigns' under your restaurant's settings.

Maintaining Your SMS Number's Active Status

To provide you with a dedicated SMS number for your marketing campaigns, we must adhere to policies set by telecommunication carriers. The most critical policy relates to number activity.

• The 60-Day Rule: You must send at least one SMS campaign from your number within any 60-day period.

• Consequence of Inactivity: If a number has no outbound messages for 60 consecutive days, carriers automatically flag it as inactive and reclaim it. The number is then permanently deactivated, and you will lose the ability to send messages from it.

• How to Stay Active: The solution is simple: launch at least one campaign every two months. This signals to carriers that the number is in active use and guarantees your service will not be disrupted.