What is “unsubscribed from SMS”?

“Unsubscribed from SMS” means that a subscriber has revoked their consent to receive SMS or MMS messages from your brand. An unsubscribe option is mandatory for every SMS or MMS message sent, according to SMS marketing regulations in the US, Canada, the European Union, Australia, and many other countries around the world. 

Aside from staying in line with regulations, keeping track of the unsubscribed metric gives you insight into potential bottlenecks, areas for improvement, and strategies that bring success.

To simplify your SMS marketing efforts, Klaviyo offers automated consent status changes based on the Unsubscribed metric. This subscriber-triggered automation helps you focus on customers interested in receiving targeted messaging from your band.

2 ways to add an unsubscribe option to your messages

  1. Opting out via an opt-out keyword: Every time you send an SMS message, include a keyword people can use to unsubscribe. These keywords are typically words like STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, or QUIT.
  2. Opting out via an unsubscribe link: Include an unsubscribe link that takes recipients to a web page that lets them unsubscribe.

4 best practices for managing SMS opt-out requests

  1. Get express consent in the first place: Before sending any messages to your subscribers, get their explicit consent via a sign-up form. Send an automated message immediately after they subscribe so they can confirm with an opt-in keyword like “YES” or “SUBSCRIBE.”
  2. Provide clear opt-out instructions: It should be obvious to people how they can unsubscribe, either with a keyword that’s easy to type or an unsubscribe link that’s easy to tap.
  3. Get familiar with local regulations: Learn about the regulations of all regions where your recipients live and receive messages. In the US, for example, promotional texts are regulated by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
  4. Honor all opt-out requests: Honor opt-outs by removing people from your SMS lists as quickly as possible. Make it easy by using a marketing automation platform that automatically processes all opt-out requests without any manual work.

Ready to automate and monitor your unsubscribe requests? Sign up for Klaviyo to add opt-out keywords to your SMS messages while keeping your SMS engagement as high as possible.

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