In the world of phone list marketing, opt-in compliance is not merely a suggestion; it is the absolute foundation upon which all successful and sustainable SMS campaigns are built. The consequences of non-compliance are severe, ranging from hefty government fines (potentially millions of dollars) to devastating private lawsuits, brand reputation damage, and carrier blocking. "Collecting numbers the right way" means adhering to strict legal frameworks (like TCPA in the US, GDPR in the EU, CASL in Canada, PIPL in China) and industry best practices that prioritize explicit consent and transparency.
The core principle across virtually all regulations is "prior express written south africa phone number list consent" for marketing messages sent via SMS. This is more stringent than for email and requires a clear, unambiguous action by the subscriber.
Here's how to collect numbers the right way, ensuring full opt-in compliance:
Explicit Consent (The Golden Rule):
Definition: The user must take a clear, affirmative action to indicate their willingness to receive SMS messages from your specific brand for specified purposes.
What NOT to do:
Never buy, rent, or scrape phone lists.
Never assume consent (e.g., from an existing customer relationship for marketing SMS).
Never use pre-checked boxes on forms.
Never bundle consent for SMS with consent for other channels (e.g., email).
What TO do: Ensure consent is freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.
