Understanding Service vs. Marketing Messages
As an activity provider, it’s essential to communicate effectively with your customers. Whether you're sharing updates about a class or promoting something new, knowing the difference between service and marketing messages will help you stay compliant with regulations and maintain customer trust.
What Are Service Messages?
Service messages are communications directly related to the customer’s existing bookings, ongoing classes, or essential updates about their booked activities. These messages are functional and necessary to ensure smooth participation in your classes.
Examples of service messages:
Class is cancelled
Class time has changed
Teacher has changed
Itinerary
What to bring
Key characteristics of service messages:
They are essential for delivering your service.
Customers expect them as part of their engagement with your business.
They do not require marketing opt-in consent, as they are operational.
Note: you cannot add any marketing content to a regular service message. If you do this, the message becomes classed as marketing, even if it contains service information.
Make sure to keep service and marketing messages separate.
What Are Marketing Messages?
Marketing messages are communications designed to promote your services, attract new bookings, or encourage additional purchases. These messages aim to grow your business by highlighting new opportunities or add-ons.
Examples of marketing messages:
Newsletter
Advertising a new class, holiday camp, or seasonal event
Notifying customers of new activities or dates
Inviting customers to rebook or book new dates
Advertising merchandise or optional add-ons
Promotional/discount campaigns
Key characteristics of marketing messages:
They are promotional in nature.
Customers need to opt in to receive them under GDPR and other data protection regulations.
They are not essential for delivering a service the customer has already booked.
How to Stay Compliant, Maintain Trust, and Avoid Being Reported
Check Consent for Marketing Messages:
When they book, your customers choose whether they consent to receive marketing from your supplier account. This consent status is displayed to you in the Customer directory, and in the Send List before you choose your message type.
Always check before sending a message whether your customers have consented to receiving the message. You can choose to exclude opted-out customers from your send lists at any point. It's always better to be safe rather than sorry.Maintain High Quality Message Content:
Ensure customers can easily distinguish between service and marketing communications to maintain trust.
You should also ensure that your messages don't look spammy by ensuring they contain useful information and are well-written.Don't Include Marketing Content in a Service Message:
Make sure to keep service and marketing messages separate.
When sending a service message that contains important operational information, don't include any marketing or promotional information. If you do this, the message is classified as marketing and it is illegal to send this to customers who are opted out.Don't Send Too Many Messages
Customers don't like spam, and customers won't respond well to being contacted too frequently. Try to send service messages only when needed, and don't overdo it with your marketing campaigns.
By understanding the difference, you can build trust with your customers while promoting your activities effectively.
If you still have questions, please get in touch with us at support@bookpebble.co.uk