A2P Messaging: A Basic Guide for Business Communication

Application to Person (A2P) messaging is a way of sending SMS messages from a company to a customer. These messages are often automated and can be used for various purposes like security, notifications, and marketing.?

A2P messaging is regularly built in to modern business operations, as it is cost-effective and efficient.

Understanding A2P Messaging

How does A2P messaging work?

There are three primary methods that are used for A2P messaging:

Short Codes: These are 5-6 digit numbers frequently used for mass marketing campaigns. You’ve likely received many of these messages on your cell phone. “Sign up now!” “Register today to make a difference!”?

10-Digit Long Codes (10DLC): These are typical phone numbers (xxx-xxx-xxxx) with a local area code and are excellent for customer service and have the ability for both phone calls and text messages.?

Toll-Free Numbers (TFN): These are free to consumers and easy to memorize. Many companies choose this route for marketing, customer support, etc.?

A2P vs P2P Messages

You know A2P is short for Application-to-Person, so can you guess what P2P refers to? Person-to-Person. P2P messaging is people messaging each other, from one device to another. A2P messaging uses a software to help businesses send messages, sometimes a large volume, making it ideal especially for marketing purposes.?

Manually texting, especially in large quantities requires a lot of cut and paste and is time consuming - so if you’re still individually pressing send it may be time to consider a more scalable solution for customer communication.

Regulations and Compliance in A2P Messaging

There are many rules and regulations surrounding A2P messaging, and rightly so, because all A2P SMS business communications go directly to the phones of the end-users. These regulations are two-fold: they help maintain consumer trust and allow businesses to continue using SMS as a business communication channel.?

Compliance Guidelines for A2P Messages

Recent changes in 10DLC regulations have significantly strengthened the use of A2P messaging. For instance businesses must provide or complete:

Brand Registration: If you’re using A2P messaging, you’ll need to register your brand, wait for verification, and confirm you’ve received a campaign ID.

Campaigns:? The Campaign Registry (TCR) oversees the 10DLC process and requires businesses to acknowledge a use case - standard or special.?

Opt-In: Consider how you’re receiving consent to send people A2P messages. Please note, businesses that do not follow A2P rules and regulations will likely receive fines. It’s much better to become familiar with 10DLC requirements, take the time to register your brand, and send compliant messages.

Market Trends and Growth for A2P SMS

The A2P SMS market is experiencing significant growth.

Here’s why:

Popularity: SMS automation and streamlining of systems across many different industries.

Population: More people, more customers.

Convenience: It’s safe to guess that (almost) everyone you know has a smart phone, right? It’s accessible and effective.

Mobile Payments: Payment providers often rely on security like 2FA.

Integrations: Some platforms, like Clerk Chat, offer SMS integrations with data and contact systems like Salesforce, Outlook, and Hubspot.

Choosing the Right A2P Messaging Platform

Before deciding which platform to use, consider:

Compliance: Make sure the platform adheres to and is aware of regulations. Bonus points if they are able to guide you through Brand Registration.

Budget: Do you have a price point or budget??

Business Needs: What are your goals for A2P messaging? Why are you adding this to your strategy??

Scalability: Will the number of messages you plan to send change over time? Is it possible you may need the ability to send a higher volume eventually?

Features: Often overlooked, think about user capability. Might you want to be able to personalize? Schedule? Communicate two-way? View analytics? Integrate with other tools you’re using??

FAQs

What is the difference between A2P and P2P messaging?

• P2P (person-to-person) messaging is small scale - individuals texting each other.? A2P (application-to-person) messaging is often automated and in bulk from a business to a customer.?

How can Businesses Ensure Compliance with A2P Regulations?

• Review the rules, register your brand and campaigns (The Campaign Registry is a great resource), obtain opt-in consent from recipients, follow best practices (i.e. be concise, respect unsubscribes, consider time zones, etc.)

Why should I consider A2P messaging for my business??

• Immediacy, open rates, cost, and probably most important - customer engagement via two-way communication.?

A2P SMS Messaging and Clerk Chat

Connect with customers. Personalize your messaging, Be mindful of budgets. Create targeted marketing. Round robin customer service.

A2P tackles all of the above.

Learn more about the technology, understand the rules, and find the right platform.

Interested? Send us a DM: Clerk Chat . We’d love to help you get started with conversational messaging for your business.