Make the invitation specific
Explain who will send the messages, the subject, the channel and the expected frequency. A customer can then decide whether the relationship is useful. Asking for alerts when a favorite pastry returns is a clearer invitation than an unspecified promise of updates from local businesses.
Treat the enrollment flow as part of the product. Show the customer what they selected and let them correct it. Keep merchant-specific messages distinct from broader local recommendations. A phone number collected for a receipt or an inquiry should not be treated as automatic permission for every future promotion.
Keep an understandable permission record
Record the sender, subject, channel, enrollment time, method and exact language shown. Preserve later changes and withdrawals. If you import an existing audience, verify the permission for the intended use rather than relying on the presence of a contact field. Resolve unknown permission before sending promotional messages.
Provider rules and applicable laws need to be checked for the actual workflow. Twilio’s messaging policy, for example, requires consent tied to the sender and subject, retained proof and a straightforward opt-out. It distinguishes a response to an incoming question from permission for ongoing promotional engagement.
Use a small number of meaningful preferences
Ask for preferences that change the recommendation. Favorite products, reachable locations, usual visit times and message frequency can be useful. A long personality survey may add effort without improving the first suggestion. Let customers inspect and correct what the business believes they like.
Keep observed behavior separate from guesses. An order placed for a colleague does not necessarily establish a personal preference. Missing purchase history remains unknown. Use a simple question when the answer matters, and avoid implying that an automated system knows more about the person than it does.
Send a complete, timely proposition
An illustrative alert might say that the strawberry pastry box a customer saved is available for Saturday pickup, with its price, pickup window and order link. The destination should repeat the current terms. Avoid vague urgency or unsupported scarcity. If stock is limited, the number needs an actual source and update owner.
Make the promised action precise. A reply may request a hold, ask a question or open checkout, depending on the supported process. It should not imply that payment or a reservation has completed when it has not. Provide a visible confirmation after the actual action succeeds.
Make pausing and stopping dependable
Offer a simple way to stop messages and useful controls for changing frequency or topics. Test the process with the actual sending system before enrolling customers. A preference change should affect future campaigns, including scheduled work and any connected tools, rather than only changing a label on a dashboard.
Give staff a clear route for handling requests received outside the normal interface. Keep necessary service communication and promotional campaigns appropriately separated. Before launch, confirm the channel’s exact requirements, including opt-out wording and timing. A sample message or this guide does not establish compliance for a particular business.
Measure usefulness and customer fatigue together
Track eligible customers, delivered messages, meaningful replies, completed paid actions, repeat use, pauses and opt-outs. Compare results by topic and frequency. A high response rate to one product does not justify sending unrelated promotions to the same group.
Review whether the message adds profitable demand or merely changes the channel used by existing regulars. Consider a comparable group receiving fewer discretionary alerts where practical. If customers repeatedly ignore a topic, improve relevance or reduce frequency. More sending is not a substitute for an offer worth receiving.
Common questions
Can one merchant share its list with another?
Do not assume the customer agreed to that. Keep merchant permissions separate from any broader network relationship and verify the intended use before transferring or activating contact data.
How often should a local business send promotions?
Start with the frequency the customer chose and the number of genuinely useful occasions. There is no universal cadence that makes an irrelevant message welcome.
Do messages need to offer a deal?
No. Availability, timing and convenience can be useful at full price. Evaluate whether the message helps the customer act and whether the resulting business is profitable.
Sources and further reading
Reviewed October 23, 2026