There are many reasons why your business should consider implementing SMS marketing into your overall marketing strategy:
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It’s budget-friendly – you can send messages from 1.9p per message
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It hits the mark – over 97% of text messages are read within the first four minutes
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It gets your customers to act – 19% of people will click a link in a SMS campaign rather than just 4.2% for emails
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It produces results – 30% of SMS campaigns receive average response rates of 30%, compared to 4% for emails
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It’s easy to streamline into your day to day business
But, how secure is it?
How do you implement SMS marketing, without the stress and worry that your customer data is at risk?
Cyber security is a very real risk for modern business. Your customer data is your business, so security levels should never be compromised.
We have put together the top 5 security tips to help you make sure that the platform you choose is the safest one possible.
Look out for the little green padlock
You have probably noticed a little green padlock in the browser URL bar for some websites you visit. This is a Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, and it creates an encrypted connection between your web server and your visitor’s web browser.
By doing so, a private connection is established and information can be transmitted just between your web server and your visitor’s web browser, eliminating the possibility of a third-party tampering with your data, eavesdropping or message forgery.
Businesses like Voodoo SMS are always transmitting personal information, like mobile phone numbers, across their site. That means that the level of security they provide is paramount, so by enabling SSL across every page, their customers have the peace of mind that their data is in safe hands.
Best in class SSL certificates
Not to be confused with a standard SSL certificate, the Extended Validation Certificate, or EVC, is the highest class of SSL. A good SMS marketing provider will ensure it has the highest possible level of protection, but it’s worth remembering that not every provider has to have an EVC in place. It’s a choice, an investment, but ultimately, a confirmation to you as to how seriously they take data protection.
Cyber ‘seals of approval’
When considering which SMS provider to choose, find out if they have been awarded the Cyber Essentials certificate. This is a Government-backed scheme to assist businesses in maintaining cyber security standards.
Another way in which you’ll get a feel for the level of security adhered to is if they have a IASME Security Standards certificates. Both of these ensure that security is at the forefront of the company’s best practice policy.
Regular testing
It’s worth doing your research as to how regular the SMS provider tests their own security walls.
Regular penetration testing is vital to a business as it ensures their cybersecurity contains no points-of-weakness and fully complies to PCI DSS standards at all times.
Key Exchange and Cipher Strength
Key Exchange creates an algorithm in which secure data can be transmitted between two parties, and the Cipher Strength is basically the strength of the padlock that protects your precious information.
When comparing which SMS provider to choose, it’s worth knowing what amount of insurance they’re offering, and this will depend on their Cipher Strength.
Some providers offer insurance levels of up to £1.5billion; a good indicator that their level of protection is high enough to assume that they’ll never need to expend that amount of money.
