Own Your 10DLC A2P Campaigns: Top 6 Questions Answered

Tired of navigating the confusing world of 10-digit long code (10DLC) messaging? You’re not alone! In this blog post, we’ll break down the top 6 questions about 10DLC application-to-person (A2P) messaging, empowering you to take control of your campaigns. Want to watch the full webinar accompanying this post? Do so Here:

1. What is 10DLC A2P?

Simply put, it’s using local 10-digit phone numbers for business texting. Think of those texts you get from your favorite brands – they’re likely using 10DLC A2P. This builds trust with customers as they see a familiar area code.

2. What is The Campaign Registry (TCR)?

TCR is a US-based organization that oversees 10DLC registration. They act as gatekeepers, ensuring businesses use this channel responsibly. While this adds a layer of complexity, it also standardizes the process, making it easier to navigate in the long run.

3. What are Brands and Campaigns?

When registering for 10DLC, you’ll register your brand (business information) and campaigns (how you’ll use messaging). Think of your brand as your company’s identity and campaigns as the different ways you’ll text customers (e.g., marketing, customer support).

4. How Do You Register Campaigns?

There are two ways:

• Through a messaging provider (reseller): Easy, but you lose ownership and control.
• As a Campaign Service Provider (CSP): You register directly with TCR, giving you full ownership and the ability to switch providers seamlessly.

5. Do I Own My Campaigns?

This depends on how you registered. If you’re a CSP, you own them! If you registered through a provider, you’re likely a reseller with limited control.

6. What Power Do I Have as a Reseller?

Minimal, unfortunately. You can submit and appeal campaigns, but you can’t transfer them to another provider. This limits your flexibility and can be a major problem if you need to switch providers.

Key Takeaways:

Owning your 10DLC campaigns is crucial for long-term success. By understanding the registration process, becoming a CSP, and demanding transparency from your provider, you can unlock the full potential of business texting. When in doubt, remember these four things:

• Explore Being a CSP: This gives you maximum control and flexibility. It’s easy to register on The Campaign Registry website.
• Demand Transparency: Don’t let providers keep you in the dark. Ask questions about their processes, fees, and deliverability rates.
• Negotiate: Don’t be afraid to push back on high fees or restrictive terms. Your business is valuable!
• Optimize Your Campaigns: Ensure your website and messaging practices comply with TCR guidelines to avoid rejections.

Audience Q&A:

• Question: I’m wanting to leave Twilio because of the poor support and timeframes around getting verification or 10DLC registration approved. Can I take my campaigns with me?

• • Answer: Approval timeframes should ideally be 1-3 business days. If consistently longer, contact your Twilio rep. Whether you can take your campaigns depends on if you’re a CSP. If you registered through Twilio, they own the campaigns and likely won’t transfer them, though it’s worth asking.

• Question: I am speaking with a few companies now, and all of them are naming very high prices for quote re-registering campaigns. Is this a legitimate charge? And how can I save some money in the process?

• • Answer: Re-registering campaigns is necessary if your previous provider won’t transfer them. It involves creating new campaigns with the new provider before deactivating the old ones. High re-registration fees are common. Negotiate with the new provider to amortize the cost or waive it based on projected message volume.

• Question: My company only sends a few 100 messages per month. What kind of campaign should I register?

• • Answer: A low-volume mixed campaign is recommended. It’s cheaper than a standard campaign and allows you to use multiple messaging subcategories (e.g., marketing, customer support) within a single campaign, reducing the risk of message drift.

• Question: My campaign was rejected for forbidden content. Can you explain a bit about this? How is it forbidden?

• • Answer: “Forbidden content” rejections often occur in sensitive industries like finance. While some categories are genuinely prohibited (e.g., SHAFT – sexual content, harassment, alcohol, firearms, tobacco), others are gray areas. Establish a clear use case with your provider, demonstrating your legitimate business practices and how you obtain consent, to improve approval chances.

• Question: Do you think resellers will ever have a voice? I shouldn’t need to stay with Twilio if I’m having severe issues.

• • Answer: There’s growing momentum for allowing campaign transfers, even for resellers. This would increase competition and hold providers accountable. It’s hoped that greater transparency and control will eventually be extended to resellers.

• Question: I’m using GoHighLevel, and I think they use Twilio. Is that why I have had problems getting registered? Is there someone I can talk to about my campaigns?

• • Answer: GoHighLevel likely uses Twilio. Registration problems often stem from issues with website content (call-to-action language, privacy policy) or the way campaigns are submitted. Review the webinar’s guidance on these points. You can always seek advice on your specific campaigns.

• Question: When you’re reviewing campaigns, what are you looking for?

• • Answer: Reviewers check for accurate and descriptive campaign descriptions, proper call-to-action language (including opt-in/opt-out instructions and required disclaimers), sample messages, a clear opt-in process, and compliant website content (especially call-to-action and privacy policy).

• Question: Do I have to pay every time my campaign is reviewed? $10 is a lot of money for a small business.

• • Answer: Fees are typically charged for each review by the Direct Connect Aggregator (DCA). Some providers with internal DCAs may offer pre-reviews to reduce rejections and associated costs. It’s worth asking your provider about their review process and associated fees.

• Question: How do I become a CSP?

• • Answer: The webinar provided a step-by-step walkthrough of the CSP registration process on The Campaign Registry website. It involves creating an account, providing business information, and completing an onboarding session.

• Question: Our company has a CRM, and we’re using Twilio to resell connectivity. We’d like to move. Who do you recommend that we switch to?

• • Answer: Provider recommendations depend on your specific needs. Key factors for CRMs include an intuitive UI with built-in analytics and logs, CSP capability (allowing you to own your campaigns), uptime, deliverability rates, approval timeframes, common rejection reasons in your vertical, the number of upstream hops, message delivery speed, and API limits.

Want to learn more? Stay tuned for upcoming webinars on specific topics like campaign approvals, throughput, and creating a strong use case.