📝 Overview
This article provides guidance for managing all types of client messaging within the software, including text marketing, reminders, and notifications. It explains how to stay compliant with messaging regulations, format messages correctly, and ensure clients are properly opted in before receiving communications.
💬 Messaging Do’s and Don’ts
Follow these best practices to help your messages reach clients successfully and avoid delivery issues or carrier violations. The Do’s outline clear, effective communication strategies, while the Don’ts list common pitfalls that can lead to blocked messages or non-compliance.
⛔ Warning: DaySmart will not reimburse customers who ignore these guidelines or exceed text limits due to carrier blocks.
Click the arrow to learn more about the do's and don'ts of messaging
Click the arrow to learn more about the do's and don'ts of messaging
✅ Do's
Write clear, concise messages (under 160 characters).
Target your audience with relevant content.
Always include your business name using the
<company name>placeholder.Use the
<unsubscribe>placeholder to ensure clients can opt out easily.Follow character count limits using tools like Twilio’s Counter.
❌ Don’ts
Avoid special characters or emojis that may cause delivery errors.
Avoid sending text campaigns to all clients in your database at once.
Don’t send back-to-back campaigns too frequently.
Avoid promoting cannabis or CBD-related products.
Don’t use customer reminder numbers for marketing purposes.
Avoid spam phrases like “100% off,” “extra cash,” or “click here.”
Don’t use public URL shorteners (like bit.ly) in messages as they’re often flagged by carriers.
Do not add secondary phone numbers to text messages. This includes What's App links/numbers.
📨 Things to Know About Text Marketing
This section explains key compliance rules and best practices for text marketing, including how to properly format messages, obtain client consent, and use tools like QR codes to help clients opt in securely.
📝 Formatting for Text Marketing Messages
Click the arrow to learn more about text marketing message formatting
Click the arrow to learn more about text marketing message formatting
💡Pro Tip: Unsubscribing information is automatically added by the software along with placeholders like <Company Name> and <Company Phone>. Do not remove or edit these placeholders, they’ll update automatically when a text campaign sends.
All text marketing messages must include:
Company Name
Company Phone Number
Instructions for how clients can opt out
Example Message:
We’re back open! Come on in and get a haircut.
<Company Name> / <Company Phone>
🧾 How to Get Clients Opted In
Click the arrow to learn more about opting in clients
Click the arrow to learn more about opting in clients
⚠️ Please Note:
If a client later texts unsubscribe, stop, or cancel, they’ll be opted out and will not receive further marketing texts unless they text back subscribe again.
The text appointment reminder notifications and text marketing messages come from different numbers and are not linked. If a client replies stop to one of those numbers, it will only stop that type of message. If the customer subscribes, unsubscribes, then subscribes again with the word "subscribe," the second activation attempt for "subscribe" will not work. They will need to reply with "start" to the number they unsubscribed from.
Opting all clients into text marketing without consent is illegal.
As of February 21, 2024, DaySmart customers will no longer be able to mass opt in clients to text marketing.
Below are approved ways to get clients properly opted in. Clients must opt in voluntarily to receive marketing texts. They can do this by texting one of the following keywords (not case-sensitive):
subscribestart
Ways to invite clients to opt in:
Ask at the front desk during checkout or appointments.
Display a sign or QR code linking to the opt-in number.
Include an opt-in invitation in email campaigns.
📱 QR Code for Text Marketing Opt-In
Click the arrow to learn the QR code setup steps
Click the arrow to learn the QR code setup steps
While not officially supported, you can create a QR code to make it easier for clients to subscribe.
Go to a QR code generator site such as QR Code Generator (TQRGC).
Select SMS as the code type.
Enter your business’s text marketing number in the Number field.
In the Message field, type
SUBSCRIBE.Save or print the generated code for your business.
Display the QR code at checkout or on promotional materials.
Test the code to confirm it opens a text message ready to send.
📧 Avoiding Spam Filters for Email Campaigns
Learn how to create email marketing campaigns that reach your clients' inboxes instead of their junk mail. While it's not possible to predict everything a spam filter will flag, following these best practices will help improve your delivery rate.
🏷️ Subject Lines
Click here to learn how to write effective subject lines
Click here to learn how to write effective subject lines
Having a catchy subject line is critical to getting your clients to open marketing emails, but it's also important to avoid common spam triggers.
Avoid words like "free," "click now," or "huge savings."
Avoid excessive punctuation or unnecessary capital letters.
Think about the types of messages that appear in your own junk mail — most of them contain these elements.
📄 Body Text
Click here to learn best practices for email body content
Click here to learn best practices for email body content
Spam filters check the content of your message to determine if it belongs in the inbox or junk mail.
Personalize your messages: Use the Insert tags to include clients' first names. If a spam filter thinks the sender doesn't have any business emailing the recipient, it's more likely to trash the message.
Ask clients to add you to their safe list: Consider adding a line of text requesting that clients add your marketing emails to their "safe list" in their email account settings to ensure future emails are properly received.
Honor unsubscribe requests: Always respect clients who click the Unsubscribe link in your emails.
Avoid link shorteners: Do not use services like bit.ly or goo.gl. If you include links, make sure they work properly and only direct clients to sites that are free of pop-ups.
🎨 Formatting and Layout
Click here to learn how to format your email campaigns
Click here to learn how to format your email campaigns
Balance text and images: Don't send an email that's nothing but a picture of a coupon or promotion. This will likely get flagged as an advertisement and trigger spam filters.
Keep introductions brief: Don't take up too much space describing your business by means of introduction or company goals.
Avoid contests and giveaways: Refrain from offering clients ways to win anything or enter contests in your marketing emails.
Skip the ALL CAPS: Avoid using all capital letters and excessive punctuation for emphasis.
Use templates as a guide: The software provides pre-made templates that conform to these guidelines. If you're unsure how to create your own, take a look at them to get started.
🧪 Test Your Content
Click here to learn how to test your email campaigns
Click here to learn how to test your email campaigns
Add yourself and your employees as clients in the software with valid email addresses.
Use a variety of free email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) and send any new campaigns to these addresses first.
Check that nothing is being flagged as spam when it really shouldn't be.
Keep in mind what you see in your own junk mail — don't send your clients anything you wouldn't want to receive yourself.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Find answers to common questions or additional details that may not be covered in the main instructions.
Click the arrow to view frequently asked questions
Click the arrow to view frequently asked questions
Why is mass opt-in illegal?
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Click the arrow to view the answer
Due to changes in legal guidelines, clients must give explicit consent to receive marketing messages; automatic enrollment violates federal regulations.
What happens if a client texts “stop”?
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Click the arrow to view the answer
They’ll be immediately unsubscribed from all text campaigns.
Can I resend to unsubscribed clients?
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Click the arrow to view the answer
Only after they text back subscribe or start to opt in again.
How do I cancel Text Marketing for my account?
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Click the arrow to view the answer
To cancel Text Marketing for your account, the steps depend on how it was originally set up:
If Text Marketing was self-provisioned, you can cancel it directly within your account settings. Navigate to More > Settings and locate your Text Marketing subscription to remove it.
If Text Marketing was set up through DaySmart support, please contact our support team directly to have the add-on removed from your account. You can reach us by chat, or by email at [email protected].
How do I avoid getting my email campaigns marked as spam?
Click the arrow to view the answer
Click the arrow to view the answer
Follow the best practices outlined in the Avoiding Spam Filters for Email Campaigns section above. Key tips include avoiding spam trigger words in subject lines, personalizing your emails with client first names, balancing text and images, and testing your campaigns before sending them to clients.
Can I use link shorteners in my messages?
Click the arrow to view the answer
Click the arrow to view the answer
No. Public URL shorteners like bit.ly or goo.gl are frequently flagged by carriers and spam filters. Always use full, direct links in both text and email campaigns.
How can I test my email campaign before sending it to clients?
Click the arrow to view the answer
Click the arrow to view the answer
Add yourself and your employees as clients in the software with valid email addresses. Use a variety of free email providers and send any new campaigns to these test addresses first to confirm nothing is being flagged as spam.