Did you notice the phone numbers from where you get SMS for marketing updates or brand texts? If yes, then these messages are different from the text messages of your friends and family. The phone number of the received messages is short and unique to see and use. You must not plan to make a call on it. Read on to know more about the SMS short codes you see every day but don't know why businesses tend to use them in marketing campaigns to reach their customers via text messages.
Do you know about SMS short codes?
Shortcodes are the abbreviated numbers for SMS marketing. Businesses find it great to deliver personalized and targeted messages to many subscribers. Marketers find it easy and quick to integrate the SMS strategy into the ongoing digital campaign.
This five or six-digit number helps the business to convey its messages to more customers in less time. The shortcode will appear in the "from" number in the received messages, just like any 10 digits number when the friends' message.
Short codes are perfect for catering marketing campaigns and are easy to remember because of their fewer characters. These can even serve as vanity numbers that form a word on the phone's keypad. It lets the business check the direct responses and ineffectiveness of its campaigns. Users use such campaigns for voting in the contests and select them to get text updates and more information regarding the brand.
Importance of SMS shortcode
Note down the benefits of SMS short codes:
- Short codes are unique, short, and memorable.
- Undoubtedly shortcodes are business numbers.
- It is easy and quick to reach out to more customers in less time. It is highly effective at limited-time promotion and sales.
- Users can search in shortcodes in its directory to find legit text campaigns.
- Short codes have the specific purpose of receiving and sending text messages only, no faxes or phone calls.
Difference between Dedicated and Shared shortcode
Various businesses use shared short codes, but only a business can use dedicated short codes. Cost savings is the main advantage of shared short codes. Various businesses use the shared codes, so their cost divides, and the total cost spent on the code will reduce for every customer.
Shared code Issues
Shared code may reduce the business' costs but ultimately bring numerous risks.
1. Every brand has to be SMS compliant
None of the businesses should use shortcodes improperly or illegally because that can ban it from all or some of the main wireless carriers, stopping the businesses from reaching their desired customers via shortcodes. It can be a financial loss even when customers are unreachable on the discounts, order or shipping confirmations, or up-to-date information.
2. Accidental opt-out of subscribers
If a customer opts out from a particular brand, he opts out from every other brand if he forgets or fails to type in the dedicated keyword to unsubscribe. The system cannot recognize the customer's association with a particular brand and gives a collective treatment.
3. Changing regulations of shortcodes
Due to the above-mentioned issues, many companies prefer dedicated short codes over shared ones.
Shortcodes Implementation
10DLCs or toll-free numbers are good choices for the ongoing discontinuing trend of shared short codes. However, still follow the below measures for the shared short codes:
- Better text compliance with shared codes
- Mention keyword in the text messages (short code texts)
- Vanity short codes to express unique branding
- Personalized messages(text) for prominent branding
Conclusion
Businesses count Text messaging as another best way to reach customers and increase engagement. Integration of SMS in marketing campaigns with short text codes is a smart way to engage many customers in a short time and reap higher throughputs, quick messaging, and better customer engagement.
