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TCPA and Texting

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) exists to regulate American communications via radio, television, satellite, cable, and wire. As technology evolves, so does this agency in order to better provide communication services and ensure consumers are protected. It is for this reason that the FCC created the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA).

The purpose of the TCPA is to restrict telemarketing and unwanted telephone solicitation. It monitors and restricts the use of auto-dialers, artificial voice messages, fax machine messages, and SMS text messages.

Essentially, there are eight main requirements that everyone must follow when utilizing any of the aforementioned tools to communicate with others. Unless there is express consent from the person or entity to whom solicitations will be sent,these rules are locally enforced on a federal level, and there are no exceptions.

Solicitors must not call residences before 8 AM or after 9 PM during said residences’ local times.

Each company must maintain a “do-not-call” list of consumers who ask not to be called by the company. These DNC requests must be honored for a minimum of 5 years.

Solicitors must honor the do-not-call requests of consumers who belong on the National Do Not Call Registry.

Solicitors must provide their name, the name of the person or entity on whose behalf the call is being made, and a telephone number or address at which that person or entity may be contacted.

It is prohibited to solicit to residences using an artificial voice or voice recording.

It is prohibited to make any call using automated telephone equipment or an artificial or prerecorded voice to an emergency line (911), a hospital emergency number, a physician’s office, a hospital or healthcare facility or elderly room, a cellular telephone, or any service for which the recipient is charged for the call.

It is prohibited to engage two or more lines of a multi-line business via autodialed calls.

It is prohibited to send any unsolicited faxes containing advertising messages.

In the event of a violation of the TCPA, a subscriber may sue for up to $500 for each violation or recover actual monetary loss (whichever is greater), seek an injunction, or both.

In the event of a willful violation of the TCPA, a subscriber may sue for up to three times the damages; in other words, $1,500 for each violation.

It is therefore of paramount importance that any person or entity who wishes to call, text, or fax a recipient with advertising or marketing messages be aware of these specific restrictions and abide by them. EquiiText has developed several “best practices” methods that are available to every business SMS text messaging user to comply with these regulations.

Sleep timers in the settings tab prevent businesses from sending campaigns before or after the awake hours approved by the TCPA. The EquiiText landline scrubber also prevents any text message or voice broadcast to be sent to any residential phone number. There is a DNC scrub available to all users to ensure no texts could be sent to a person or entity who belongs on the National Do Not Call Registry, and every EquiiText user similarly has an opt-out auto-responder that must always remain activated. We also train new users how to introduce themselves in a first message to all contacts with plenty of artificially intelligent responders to answer identity questions, location questions, and contact queries.

We have numerous features and policies that prevent users from using EquiiText in such a way that users can use business texting within the rules and guidelines of the FCC and TCPA. For more information on these agencies or about EquiiText best practices, please call, text, or email us today!

Call:  +1(888)501-3550

Text:  +1(888)501-3550

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How to Write a Great Campaign Message

Welcome to SMS marketing with EquiiText!

It is so exciting when new members first begin using their text messaging platforms. Business owners around the country already have big ideas about how best to utilize and integrate SMS marketing and advertising in the most effective ways; it’s all about increasing that ROI!

But where do we start, and how?

First things first, it is important to be aware of the different types of messages you can send out to large groups of contacts: personal, commercial, neutral, and spammy. It is an EquiiText best practice to focus on a campaign message that encourages two-way communication between your business and your customers. In other words, a message sent out to multiple people should be personal, commercial, or neutral, such as,

“Hello! This is John from John & Co. I was wondering if you had a moment to chat today about an amazing promotion we're running :) Reply YES or NOT NOW”

which runs a score of 99.51% commercial.

A message such as this gives recipients the opportunity to reply back to your platform to learn more information about your company and to receive your specific marketing and advertising messages. The automatic responders are the best place to put content regarding deals, specials, promotions, and more, since the people who are genuinely interested in receiving that information will purposefully trigger those responders, whereas people who are uninterested will opt-out or choose not to respond at all.

Sending a marketing or advertising message in a large campaign is likely to be regarded as a spammy message. For example, a message that reads,

“Hello! This is John from John & Co. We are running a special promotion for our VIP customers! Up to 50% off select products today only - text YES or NOT NOW”

runs a score of 99.92% spammy; on the EquiiText platform, any campaign message over an 80% spam score will not be permitted to send.

EquiiText places customer engagement and communication above all else, and for good reason! Almost all text messages are read within mere seconds of being received, but if the message strikes the wrong note with a customer, he or she is less likely to respond positively.

Consumers enjoy receiving text messages from businesses they like, more so than phone calls and emails. However, spamming a customer’s phone leads to lower deliverability, fewer opens, and fewer happy customers.

For more information on how to send an excellent campaign message, give our EquiiText professionals a call today! You can also email us or text us any time.

Want to learn more about using SpinTax in campaign messages for even better deliverability and open rates? Check out this blog now and improve your best practices score immediately!

Good luck, and happy texting!

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Free AI Super Phone Giveaway

EquiiText has partnered up with a local Las Vegas telecommunications company to bring you the latest and greatest in business VoIP services!

No matter what kind of business you’re in, whether you’re a remote worker or a large call center that specializes in inbound and outbound calls, the EQ-F3P is your perfect sales and communications solution.

EquiiText specializes in using our patented artificial intelligence system to make SMS marketing simpler and more functional than ever before. Recognizing this advantage, we have combined our ALINA (Artificial Language Intelligence Application) with Equiinet’s robust VoIP business phone. If you miss a call, the ALINA system will send you an SMS alert regarding the call, and it will also send a customized text to the caller, letting him or her that you will call them back!

Not only is it SMS enabled, it also comes equipped with a feature known as Voicemail Auto-Drop: now you have the ability toleave pre-recorded voicemails quickly and efficiently, allowing you to call more leads per day than ever before!

Gone are the days of waiting for the customer’s voicemail to play through before you must “leave a message after the tone.” Thanks to the smart EQ-F3P, you can “drop” your voicemail the second the phone stops ringing and move on to your next call! The built-in ALINA system is designed to begin the message only after the tone is heard, ensuring your voicemails will never be cut off due to the customer’s voice recording.

The average length of time it takes to ring through to a customer’s voicemail box is twenty seconds, or four rings. A voicemail recording can last for up to three minutes, which potentially means a single phone call can take nearly seven minutes. With the EQ-F3P Voicemail Auto-Drop, you can call twenty-one people in that same length of time. In a six-hour day, that equates to an additional one thousand calls!

If you’re still reading instead of calling us for your EquiiText phone right now, let me also add that the EQ-F3P also allows you to record your own IVR so inbound callers are greeted by your voice and directed to the appropriate extension. It is even designed for simultaneous ring capabilities, ensuring that calls will rarely be missed as they will also be delivered to your cell phone.

These are only a few of the incredible features offered on the EQ-F3P, so give us an email, call or text today to find out how this AI Super Phone can be yours! This offer is only available for a limited time, so don’t wait – contact us now!

Call: +1(888)501-3550

Text: +1(888)501-3550

Email: support@equiitext.com

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Top 10 Ways Realtors Use EquiiText

Thanks to our ongoing EquiiText Realtor Case Study, we have been able to determine the top ten ways that realtors, real estate agents, and brokers can use EquiiText SMS as a tool to market and advertise themselves and their businesses.

In an industry that requires individuals to become professional self-marketers as quickly and efficiently as possible, it is necessary to ensure one is using the best tools at his or her disposal. While there are many types of marketing platforms available for those in the real estate industry, one thing is consistently clear: everyone texts. No matter whether agents post ads online, put up billboards, or utilize social media, they will always predominantly use their cell phones to communicate with clients and prospective clients. Why not make it easier than ever to reach the most people in the least amount of time for less money?

Here are the top 10 ways realtors use EquiiText to increase their success (and their ROIs!):

1. Send mass text messages to sellers whose homes haven’t yet been sold

If you have a list of opt-in contacts who are attempting to sell their homes but haven’t had any luck, sending a campaign message to these clients to give them seller tips or more information about your processes for finding a good buyer is a great way to utilize the EquiiText SMS platform.

2. Use personalized auto-responders for prospective clients who want more information

Realtors, real estate agents, and brokers often spend a majority of their days working one-on-one with clients and don’t have time to respond quickly to prospective clients who have questions about their services. With the EquiiText auto-responders, agents have the ability to create custom responses that are sent immediately to text inquiries. This way you can ensure new prospects are never ignored without taking time away from current clients.

3. Create drip campaigns for both buyers and sellers

Thanks to the EquiiText Timed Follow Up feature, you can automatically send messages to opt-in leads hours, days, weeks, and months after they’ve started texting your platform. For instance, when someone texts in to ask for information on a particular home you are selling, you can follow up with them after a predetermined amount of time to see if they are still interested in looking at the house with you.

4. Integrate the SMS platform with Zillow and other realtor websites

If you use Zillow or a similar real-estate site that allows prospects to look at properties your company has posted, you can receive automatic notifications on your EquiiText platform alerting you to traffic on the website, allowing you to send messages to those leads asking if they would like more information from you. Beat the competition by responding faster than everyone else!

5. Send bulk SMS messages to opt-in contacts whose homes have increased in value

In the current market, the value of homes and other properties are rapidly increasing as the number of buyers outpace the number of properties for sale. However, many home owners in ideal locations are unaware of how much their homes are now worth. Sending alerts to these property owners may incentivize them to pursue selling with you and your business.

6. Keep all business messages in one place on a Cloud Platform with a virtual number, rather than using a personal phone or being forced to purchase a business phone

Because the real-estate industry has gone mobile more quickly than almost any other industry today, most agents and brokers are using their cell phones to communicate with clients more than any other medium. For top sellers with large contact lists, there is often a necessity to have a separate business phone. Thanks to the EquiiText Cloud Platform, all your messages are kept together on your browser, making it easier than ever to receive and respond to texts from clients without purchasing an expensive cellphone.

7. Allow clients to text in MLS numbers to receive more information regarding a specific home

With EquiiText’s customized auto-responders that allow for any desired keywords to trigger them, it’s simple to create unique messages for specific properties that clients can receive when they text in the MLS number. It’s a great way to get more data on current interests, as well as more opt-in leads!

8. Promote your SMS virtual number to bring in more leads

Building your contact list of prospective clients has never been easier. Since EquiiText allows you to choose your own virtual numbers from an expansive list of all local area codes as well as toll-free selections, you can pick the best phone number to lock in to your platform that allows prospects to text in. Some of the best places to include your virtual number for marketing your business include:

Direct mailers

Open house advertisements

Email campaigns

Brochures

Home for sale flyers

Business cards

Company website

Social media profiles

…And much more!

9. Create text message campaigns to alert opt-in contacts about upcoming open houses

Have a big open house coming up this weekend? Let your opt-ins know! Whether they’re interested in purchasing or if they’re thinking of selling their homes and are looking for ideas, having the opportunity to inform your contacts simultaneously ensures the most people will know and come see the beautiful property you are selling.

10. Keep in touch with past clients so you never stay out-of-sight, out-of-mind

Many people are under the impression that once their home is purchased or sold, the relationship they’ve cultivated with their real-estate agent, realtor, or broker is finished. But we know better! Keeping in contact with past clients is an incredibly important aspect of an agent’s regular correspondences. Using the EquiiText Cloud Platform to consistently reach out during holidays, birthdays, or even just to check in on past clients reminds them that you are the person to turn to for all their real estate needs. Use the Timed Follow Up feature and create future campaigns for previous clientele so they always think of you first when they reenter the market.

These are only ten of the most useful ways agents in the real-estate industry can utilize the EquiiText Cloud Platform for efficient marketing and advertising. There are dozens more features that help agents increase their success and their ROI, including URL link tracking, API integrations, and webhooks. Give us a call, text, or email today to request more information and receive a free demo of the platform today!

Interested in being part of a realtor case study for EquiiText? Sign up here to obtain your free account with bonus credits included! All we need from you is feedback on how the platform works for you and if there are any features you would like us to include in the future. We can’t wait to help you succeed!

Call: 8885013550

Text: 8885013550

Email: support@equiitext.com

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Review: Equiinet F6PG Gigabit IP Phone System

Now that it’s 2018, it’s no wonder that desktop IP phones are becoming smarter and more functional. The new Equiinet F6PG is a pinnacle of smart technology, hybridized with the traditional IP phone design. It is easy to program and easier to use, and its advanced features allow for better productivity with fewer headaches.

Phone Features

The F6PG stands out from the pack with three color LCD screens. The main screen boasts a user-friendly 4.3-inch display, and two 2.8-inch DSS screens which act as a built-in extension module—a cost-saving solution to traditional IP phones. These intelligent screens have twelve DSS buttons, but with five available pages, the F6PG allows for a virtualized total of sixty DSS/BLF keys. With the phone’s ability to maintain 6 SIP lines and hold up to 1,000 contacts, the F6PG is the only IP phone you will ever need.

Fortunately, since the F6PG supports its own URL, you can access the phone’s contact library, call log, and more through its webpage. Simply scan the phone’s QR code with your mobile device or log on through your computer, and you can easily keep track of all the information going in and out of the phone.

Equiinet’s incredible new IP phone is PoE enabled with an entire gigabit of ethernet capability. Its HD voice feature shines through both the handset and its full duplex speaker. Don’t want to talk the old-fashioned way? The F6PG is also includes an RJ9 headset port that is compatible with EHS wireless headsets for hands-free communication.

Call Features

Along with the standard call features present on many IP desktop phones, the F6PG provides businesses the ability to set up private hot lines and unique passcodes for their employees to dial out, otherwise known as hot-desking. Here are more of the F6PG’s call features:

Interested? Give Equiinet a call today, and see if we can upgrade you to the amazing F6PG at little to no cost to you! You may also purchase this smart desktop phone directly. We know you’ll love the F6PG as much as we do!