In this article, we will outline essential guidelines for sending compliant SMS campaigns through Aloware. These best practices ensure your messaging is effective, adheres to compliance standards, and maximizes deliverability.
What is an SMS campaign?
An SMS campaign allows you to send a text message to a group of contacts simultaneously. It's perfect for:
promotions and special offers
important updates or notifications
event reminders
customer engagement
Why is compliance important?
Compliance means following the rules set by mobile carriers and regulatory bodies to ensure your messages are delivered successfully and not marked as spam. Staying compliant protects your business reputation and builds trust with your recipients.
Best practices for sending SMS campaigns
Do's of SMS Campaigns
Verify campaign approval - always ensure that the brand and campaign are approved before sending messages. Verify that the sending number is attached to the correct campaign.
Match campaign use cases - ensure that the SMS campaign matches its intended use case. For instance, do not use a number designated for two-factor authentication (2FA) for marketing messages.
Include opt-out language - it's mandatory to provide a clear opt-out option in all marketing communications. For example, use phrases like "reply STOP to unsubscribe".
Check account credits - always confirm that there are sufficient credits in the account before launching a broadcast. Utilize the broadcast cost calculator to estimate SMS costs.
Identify your brand - include your company's name in messages to prevent them from being perceived as spam.
Use multiple lines - when managing high-volumes SMS campaigns, consider using different lines or numbers to distribute the traffic evenly.
Obtain consent - ensure all contacts in your broadcast list have opted in to receive messages. Aloware will automatically remove any contacts that have opted out, but manual tagging for "Do Not Contact" (DNC) is necessary for those who request it during calls.
Don'ts of SMS campaigns
Avoid high volume from 10DLC numbers - 10DLC numbers are standard 10-digit phone numbers that include an area code, like 555-555-5555. Sending a high volume of messages (20,000 or more) from a 10DLC number can affect your message deliverability. For large-scale messaging campaigns, consider using short codes as an alternative to maintain optimal performance.
Steer clear of suspicious URLs - do not include unbranded or suspicious URLs (e.g., bitly links) in your messages, as these may be flagged as spam. Learn about Aloware's shortened URLs in this guide.
Refrain from inappropriate language - avoid using phrases that imply spam, such as "click here immediately" or topics related to debt collection, firearms, and drugs. Read more about restricted uses cases in this guide.
Limit international numbers - to control costs and compliance risks, avoid sending messages to international numbers. Create segmented lists that exclude these numbers when planning broadcasts. Learn more how Aloware can identify line types in this guide.
Use SMS vs MMS appropriately - for lengthy messages (600 characters or more), convert them to MMS. An SMS has a character limit of 160, while MMS allows up to 1,600 characters, which can be more cost-effective. Read this guide to learn how to activate long SMS as MMS in Aloware.
Understand emoji encoding - be aware that including emojis changes the message encoding from GSM 7 to UCS 2, reducing the character limit from 160 to 70. This can lead to increased segment counts and potentially higher costs.
By following these guidelines, you'll be able to connect with your leads effectively while staying compliant with regulations. Aloware is designed to make SMS campaigns easy and efficient, even if you're new to it. Happy texting!