What Are the Best Practices for ENRICH Branded Messaging in 2026?

Key Takeaways

Collect and document opt-in consent separately for marketing and transactional messages to stay compliant.
Use rich media like product images, carousels, and PDF attachments to keep customers engaged within the message thread.
Personalize messages using customer data and send them between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time to avoid message fatigue.
Pair ENRICH™ Branded Messaging with INFORM® Branded Calling for a consistent, verified experience that builds trust across channels.

What Is ENRICH Branded Messaging and Why Does It Matter in 2026?

Deploying First Orion’s ENRICH™ Branded Messaging is a significant change in how your business communicates. But like any powerful tool, the results you get depend significantly on how you use it.

Here are the practices that separate high-performing branded messaging programs from ones that underdeliver. These principles apply whether you’re a solo operator running a healthcare practice or a mid-market retail brand managing tens of thousands of customer relationships.

Get User Consent (Opt-In): Obtain clear user opt-in before sending RCS messages. Maintaining records of consent ensures compliance with privacy regulations. Opt-in for messaging is non-transferrable between messaging agents.

Separate Marketing and Transactional Messaging: Ensure consent for marketing and transactional messages are separately collected and managed.

Include Clear Business Contact Details: Brands should add direct “contact us” information such as phone, email, or website to reinforce trust and credibility.

Use Rich Features Intentionally: The ability to send high-resolution images, carousels, and attachments is one of ENRICH’s most powerful differentiators. High-value applications of rich media include:

Product images in abandoned cart recovery messages (show the exact item they left behind)

Carousels for appointment types, delivery windows, or product recommendations

Maps and location attachments for delivery confirmations or branch directions

PDF attachments for statements, insurance documents, or intake forms

Personalize to Increase Engagement: RCS campaigns see their highest performance when message content is relevant to the specific recipient. Use your customer data to send the right message to the right person at the right moment — whether that’s a loyalty reward to your top spenders, a reorder reminder to lapsed customers, or a tailored service offer based on account history.

Consider Frequency and Timing: Avoid spammy behaviors including unsolicited or repetitive messages. Schedule communications between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. of the recipients’ local time zone. Avoid message fatigue by eliminating unsolicited messages.

Create a Omnichannel Experience: Customers who receive a branded call through INFORM® Branded Calling and a branded text through ENRICH are receiving consistent, verified communications from your business across two channels. That consistency compounds trust over time. Consider aligning your messaging campaigns with your calling programs — using text to confirm, follow up, or provide richer detail after a voice interaction.

Optimize Campaigns: ENRICH provides key metrics including messages sent to RCS-capable devices, delivery rates, open rates, and response rates. Review these regularly. If open rates are high, but response rates are low, your CTAs may need sharper framing. If delivery rates are below expectations, review your device and carrier targeting settings.

Ensure Security and Privacy: Do not include sensitive personal information and comply with data protection laws.

Provide Easy Opt-Out: Consider “Reply STOP to Unsubscribe,” which should be processed immediately. Document all opt-out requests as part of your compliance records.

Avoid Prohibited Content: No spam, phishing, harassment, bullying, defamatory, obscene, harmful, or otherwise inappropriate content.

Stay Up to Date on Carrier Guidelines: Carriers often update their published best practices with the latest in managing customer relationships over the messaging channel, reflecting useful insights captured through consumer feedback.

Turn Anonymous Texts into Trust Conversations

ENRICH Branded Messaging gives your business the tools to communicate with clarity, credibility, and context, but the brands that see the greatest results are the ones that deploy it with intention.

Whether you are just getting started or looking to optimize an existing program, First Orion is ready to help you build a branded messaging strategy that drives real engagement.

See the power of ENRICH today.