Can I add customers who bought a ticket?

Not for marketing texts unless they separately agreed. Add an optional, unchecked text opt-in at checkout instead.

What should the opt-in checkbox say?

Name your brand, the type and frequency of messages, that rates may apply, that consent is not a condition of purchase and how to opt out and get help.

Can I buy a list to get started?

No. Purchased, rented and shared lists do not carry consent to your brand and are not allowed on Encore Text.

Do keywords count as consent?

A person texting your keyword after seeing clear terms is an affirmative opt-in. Send a confirmation with frequency, rates and opt-out language.

Guide

How to build an SMS list with consent

By Encore Text Team · October 12, 2026

A text list is only as valuable as the consent behind it. People who knowingly signed up open, click and stay subscribed. People who were added without asking complain, and complaints lead to carrier filtering and legal risk. This guide covers where to collect numbers, what to say at the point of sign-up and how to keep the list healthy as it grows.

Start with the promise

Before you build a form, decide what subscribers will get and how often. Early access to tickets, a weekly lineup, drop alerts or a monthly offer are all clear promises. A vague promise like updates leads to vague consent and disappointed subscribers. Whatever you promise at sign-up, keep to it.

The disclosure every sign-up needs

Wherever you collect numbers, show a short disclosure next to the field or checkbox. It should include:

Your brand name.
The type of messages, for example event alerts and offers.
Message frequency, for example up to 4 msgs/month.
That message and data rates may apply.
That consent is not a condition of purchase.
How to opt out (reply STOP) and get help (reply HELP).
Links to your SMS terms and privacy policy.

Example: By checking this box, I agree to receive recurring marketing texts from Northside Live at the number provided, up to 4 msgs/month. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. See our Terms and Privacy Policy.

Website and landing-page forms

A dedicated sign-up page is the easiest opt-in to prove, because you can show reviewers exactly what visitors see. Use a separate, unchecked checkbox for texts rather than bundling consent into account creation. Store the page version or disclosure wording so you know what each person agreed to.

Keywords

A keyword lets people join by texting a word such as JOIN or VIP to your number. Announce it on stage, on screens, on posters and in social posts, along with brief terms. The first reply should confirm the subscription and include frequency, rates and opt-out language. Keywords work well in person because there is nothing to type except one word.

QR codes

A QR code on a flyer, ticket, wristband or merch tag can open a sign-up page or a pre-filled text with your keyword. Put a short disclosure near the code so people know what scanning leads to. Track which code a sign-up came from with tags so you can see which placements work.

Checkout and ticketing

Ticket and merch buyers are excellent prospects, but a purchase is not consent to marketing texts. Add an optional, unchecked text opt-in at checkout. Never make it required to complete the purchase, and never pre-check it. If your ticketing platform cannot add a checkbox, link to your own sign-up page from the confirmation email or page.

In person

Door staff, merch tables and street teams can collect sign-ups on a tablet running your sign-up page. Paper sheets work too if they include the full disclosure and a signature or checkbox, and you keep the sheets as proof. Avoid typing in numbers from business cards or collecting numbers for one purpose and using them for another.

Importing an existing list

If you already have numbers, ask how each was collected. Contacts who opted in to texts from your brand with clear disclosure can usually be imported. Contacts who only gave a number for a reservation, a ticket purchase or a contest typically did not agree to marketing texts. For those, ask for consent through another channel, such as email, with a link to your sign-up page.

Never import purchased, rented, shared or scraped lists.

Keeping the list healthy

Send a welcome message right after sign-up so the first text is expected.
Stick to the frequency you promised.
Segment by city or interest so people get messages that are relevant to them.
Remove landlines and invalid numbers before sending.
Watch opt-out rates; a spike usually means a message missed the mark.
Re-confirm consent with contacts who have not heard from you in a long time.

How Encore Text supports consent

Encore Text keeps a consent record for every contact with the source, timestamp and disclosure version, asks you to confirm consent on import, supports keywords with automatic confirmation replies and can clean lists of landlines and invalid numbers before you send. Opt-outs apply immediately across every campaign. Canadian contacts also carry their CASL consent type and, for implied consent, an expiry date.

Writing a good welcome message

The welcome message is the first impression of your text program, and it doubles as a record of what the person signed up for. Confirm the subscription, name your brand, restate the frequency and include help and opt-out instructions. If you promised something at sign-up, such as an early-access code, deliver it here.

Northside Live: Welcome! Here's your early-access code for the next presale: NSL-EARLY. Up to 4 msgs/month. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to opt out.

Promoting your sign-up

Once the sign-up exists, tell people about it everywhere your audience already is. Mention the keyword from the stage or DJ booth, add the link to your social bios and email footers, print the QR code on posters and table cards, and include it in ticket confirmation emails. Explain the benefit in one sentence: first access to presales, the weekly lineup or members-only offers. People are far more willing to share a number when they know exactly what they will get in return.

Measure each source with its own tag or keyword. After a month you will know whether the stage announcement, the ticket email or the poster brings in the most engaged subscribers.

Mistakes to avoid

Pre-checking the text consent box or hiding it in general terms.
Making text consent a condition of buying a ticket.
Adding numbers from a contest without a clear text opt-in.
Using a list collected for one brand to text for another brand.
Promising weekly texts and sending daily ones.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add customers who bought a ticket?: Not for marketing texts unless they separately agreed. Add an optional, unchecked text opt-in at checkout instead.
What should the opt-in checkbox say?: Name your brand, the type and frequency of messages, that rates may apply, that consent is not a condition of purchase and how to opt out and get help.
Can I buy a list to get started?: No. Purchased, rented and shared lists do not carry consent to your brand and are not allowed on Encore Text.
Do keywords count as consent?: A person texting your keyword after seeing clear terms is an affirmative opt-in. Send a confirmation with frequency, rates and opt-out language.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws and carrier rules change and depend on your situation, so talk to a qualified lawyer about your messaging program.

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