How to run SMS keyword campaigns
How text-in keyword campaigns work, how to choose a keyword, what the auto-reply must include, and how to promote one so it actually builds a list.
·5 min read
A keyword campaign lets someone join your list by texting a word to your number. It is the cleanest opt-in there is, because the customer initiated contact — there is no ambiguity about consent.
It is also the easiest to promote anywhere you have physical presence: signage, receipts, packaging, a stage, a jersey.
Choosing a keyword
Short, unambiguous and easy to spell out loud. Avoid anything that could be misheard, and avoid words people might text you for other reasons.
Never use a word that collides with a reserved command. STOP, HELP, START, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE and their variants are handled as opt-out and help instructions and must never be repurposed.
- ✓Keep it under about eight characters and easy to say aloud
- ✓Avoid reserved words: STOP, HELP, START, CANCEL, END, QUIT
- ✓Use different keywords per channel to measure which promotion works
- ✓Check it does not spell something unfortunate when typed quickly
The auto-reply is a compliance document
The confirmation message someone receives after texting your keyword has to do real work. It should identify your business, state what they have signed up for, say that message frequency varies, note that message and data rates may apply, and explain how to stop and how to get help.
Deliver whatever you promised in the same message. If the sign said text JOIN for ten percent off, the code belongs in that first reply, not in a follow-up.
Promotion and measurement
Keywords work where people are already paying attention and have their phone out: table tents, receipts, event signage, packaging inserts, the end of a podcast segment.
Use a different keyword per placement so you can see which ones actually produce subscribers. Most businesses discover that one placement produces the overwhelming majority and the rest are decoration.
Key takeaways
- →Keyword opt-in is the cleanest consent because the customer initiates it.
- →Never repurpose reserved words like STOP, HELP or START.
- →The confirmation reply must carry the full disclosure and the promised offer.
- →Use a distinct keyword per placement to see what actually works.
Put this into practice with Text2Sale
Upload your leads, automate fast first-touch texts and follow-ups, stay 10DLC and TCPA compliant, and manage every conversation in one inbox.
Frequently asked questions
How does an SMS keyword campaign work?
Someone texts a chosen word to your business number and is automatically subscribed and sent a confirmation. Because the customer initiated contact, it is the least ambiguous form of consent available.
What words can you not use as an SMS keyword?
Reserved commands and their variants — STOP, HELP, START, CANCEL, END, QUIT, UNSUBSCRIBE. These are handled as opt-out and help instructions and must never be repurposed as campaign keywords.
What must the keyword confirmation message say?
Your business name, what the person has subscribed to, that message frequency varies, that message and data rates may apply, and how to stop and get help — plus whatever offer the promotion promised.