Question 1

What is A2P 10DLC and why does it matter for SMS marketing?

Accepted Answer

A2P 10DLC (Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code) is the carrier-mandated registration system for business SMS messaging in the United States. Before 2021, businesses could send SMS messages through unregistered long codes without formal carrier approval. A2P 10DLC changed that — requiring businesses to register their brand, use case, and messaging content with The Campaign Registry (TCR) before carriers will deliver their messages. Without proper 10DLC registration, your messages are likely to be filtered or blocked by carriers, your delivery rates will suffer, and you're operating outside the compliance framework carriers now enforce. H2M handles A2P 10DLC registration as part of every SMS campaign setup — our clients don't need to manage this process themselves.

Question 2

What is the difference between SMS and MMS?

Accepted Answer

SMS (Short Message Service) is a standard text message — plain text only, up to 160 characters per message segment. MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) supports images, GIFs, short video clips, and audio files alongside text, with a higher character limit (up to 1,600 characters). MMS messages are typically 3–4x more expensive to send than SMS but can significantly increase engagement for visual content. H2M's SMS programs support both formats. For most lead nurture and appointment reminders, SMS is sufficient and more cost-efficient. For product launches and high-engagement campaigns, MMS can be worth the premium.

Question 3

What does TCPA compliance mean for SMS marketing?

Accepted Answer

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is the primary federal law governing commercial text messaging in the United States. It requires that businesses obtain prior express written consent from consumers before sending them marketing text messages. Violations carry statutory penalties of $500–$1,500 per message. H2M's SMS programs are built to comply with TCPA requirements: we capture and document consent at the point of opt-in, process opt-outs automatically, and maintain consent records for every contact on your list.

Question 4

What is a 98% open rate and is it real?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the 98% figure is a widely cited industry benchmark for SMS open rates, and it's real under the right conditions. SMS messages are read because they arrive directly on a person's phone with a notification — unlike email, which is filtered, ignored, or checked only when the recipient decides to open their inbox. However, a 98% open rate refers to messages being opened, not acted upon. Conversion rates vary significantly based on message quality, timing, audience relevance, and offer. H2M's SMS programs are optimized for both open rate and conversion rate.

Question 5

How quickly can H2M launch an SMS campaign?

Accepted Answer

For a new client with no existing SMS infrastructure, a typical timeline from engagement to first send is 2–4 weeks. This includes A2P 10DLC brand and campaign registration (which takes 1–2 weeks with carriers), audience strategy development, opt-in flow setup, message sequence development, and compliance review. For clients with existing 10DLC registrations or established contact lists, timelines can compress significantly.

Question 6

What is dedicated email infrastructure and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

Most email service providers (ESPs) host thousands of customers on shared IP addresses. When you send email through a shared IP, your deliverability depends partly on the behavior of every other sender on that IP — if other senders have high complaint rates or engage in spam activity, your reputation suffers even if your own list is clean. Dedicated email infrastructure means your campaigns send from IP addresses that belong to you alone. H2M's email programs run on dedicated sending infrastructure as a standard component — not a premium upgrade.

Question 7

What does CAN-SPAM compliance require for email marketing?

Accepted Answer

The CAN-SPAM Act requires that all commercial emails include: (1) a clear and accurate 'From' name and email address, (2) an honest subject line, (3) a physical postal address for the sending organization, (4) a clear and conspicuous opt-out mechanism, and (5) honor of all unsubscribe requests within 10 business days. Violations carry civil penalties of up to $50,120 per email. H2M's email programs enforce CAN-SPAM compliance at the system level.

Question 8

How does H2M improve email deliverability for clients with existing lists?

Accepted Answer

Deliverability improvement typically involves four steps: (1) List hygiene — removing hard bounces, invalid addresses, and chronically unengaged contacts; (2) Infrastructure migration — moving to dedicated sending IPs with a careful warm-up process; (3) Authentication setup — configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records correctly; (4) Engagement optimization — segmenting sends to prioritize engaged contacts and gradually re-engaging dormant segments. H2M performs a deliverability audit for new email clients before any campaign send.

Question 9

What is Factua?

Accepted Answer

Factua is H2M's proprietary data platform — the technology infrastructure that powers our data acquisition programs. Factua captures first-party consumer data on H2M's owned and operated digital properties, enriches each record in real time with behavioral intent signals, verifies consent at the point of capture, and delivers structured, campaign-ready records to H2M's clients. Factua's data has a single, clear origin — which means every record has an auditable consent chain from first interaction to final delivery. Factua is exclusive to H2M.

Question 10

What is first-party data and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

First-party data is information collected directly from consumers by the organization that will use it — captured on H2M's own digital properties with the consumer's direct knowledge and consent. This is distinct from third-party data, which is collected by data brokers and aggregators and then sold to marketers. First-party data matters for three reasons: (1) Compliance — the consent chain is clear and auditable; (2) Quality — first-party data tends to be more accurate and more current; (3) Intent — when data is captured at the moment of active consumer intent, it reflects a much higher likelihood of conversion.

Question 11

What is the difference between a lead and a record from H2M's data acquisition program?

Accepted Answer

Most lead vendors deliver contact information. H2M's data acquisition programs deliver structured, intent-validated records that include: contact information, behavioral intent signals (what the consumer was researching at the point of capture), consent documentation (timestamped proof of TCPA-compliant opt-in), and data quality indicators (validation that the contact information is current and accurate). An H2M record arrives with the context a sales or marketing team needs to have a relevant, timely conversation — not just a phone number to cold-call.

Question 12

How does H2M handle data privacy regulations like CCPA?

Accepted Answer

H2M's data programs are structured to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and its successor, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), as well as applicable state-level privacy regulations. This includes honoring consumer rights requests (access, deletion, opt-out of sale), maintaining records of data processing activities, and providing clear privacy disclosures on all data capture properties. H2M recommends that clients who receive consumer data from H2M's programs also review their own data handling practices against applicable regulations.

Question 13

What does CPA and CPL pricing mean?

Accepted Answer

CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) means you pay a fixed fee each time a specific action is completed — such as a sale, a signed contract, or an enrolled student. CPL (Cost Per Lead) means you pay a fixed fee for each qualified lead delivered, regardless of whether that lead ultimately converts to a customer. Both models are performance-based — you pay for outcomes, not for traffic or impressions. You define what counts as a qualified lead or acquisition; we deliver to that standard.

Question 14

How does H2M vet publishers in its network?

Accepted Answer

H2M's publisher vetting process covers four areas: (1) Traffic quality — we audit traffic sources for bot activity and incentivized clicks; (2) Audience accuracy — we verify that publisher audiences match the demographic and intent profiles claimed; (3) Compliance practices — we review consent capture methods and opt-in disclosures; (4) Historical performance — we evaluate conversion rates, complaint rates, and long-term reliability. Publishers who don't meet H2M's standards are not admitted to the network and are removed if they fail to maintain those standards after admission.

Question 15

What industries does H2M specialize in?

Accepted Answer

H2M's core verticals are insurance, legal (mass tort and personal injury), financial services, healthcare, education, and staffing and recruitment. These are the industries where H2M's team has the deepest compliance knowledge, the most refined audience models within Factua, and the strongest performance track record. H2M's services are not limited to these verticals — if you operate in a compliance-sensitive or performance-marketing-driven industry not listed here, we're happy to discuss whether H2M is a good fit.

Question 16

What does a typical H2M engagement look like?

Accepted Answer

H2M engagements typically begin with a strategy consultation — a structured conversation about your current marketing program, your goals, your audience, and your compliance environment. From that conversation, H2M develops a program recommendation that may involve one or more of our four service lines (SMS, email, data acquisition, publisher network). Most clients work with H2M on an ongoing basis with a dedicated campaign strategist as their primary point of contact.

Question 17

How is H2M different from a typical marketing agency or lead vendor?

Accepted Answer

Three things make H2M structurally different. First, H2M owns its technology: Factua is a proprietary data platform built and operated by H2M. Second, H2M operates all four channels (SMS, email, data acquisition, publisher network) under one roof, which means programs can be integrated rather than siloed. Third, H2M's compliance infrastructure is built from the ground up, not bolted on — our team built TCPA compliance into our data capture and outreach systems at the architecture level.

Question 18

Does H2M work with companies outside the United States?

Accepted Answer

H2M's core expertise and infrastructure are built for the U.S. market — including U.S. carrier requirements (A2P 10DLC), U.S. compliance regulations (TCPA, CAN-SPAM, CCPA), and U.S.-based consumer audiences. H2M does not currently operate SMS or data acquisition programs in international markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

SMS Marketing