SMS campaigns: 5 bad habits to refrain from (and 5 tips on how to get better)

SMS are a wonderful invention. Today, almost 30 years after its introduction, it reaches almost every person in the world in a matter of seconds – reliably. For companies, SMS is also considered personal and serious. To keep it that way, we have put together some bad habits, which are unfortunately practiced again and again, and five tips on how to do it better.

Bad habit 1: Spam

Nobody likes spam. It consumes nerves and storage space, and in most cases is deleted after receipt. Nevertheless, companies try repeatedly to draw attention to themselves with spam. In some countries this is prohibited by regulations, and many network operators do not even deliver messages classified as spam. As a result, your company not only loses reputation, but also money. 

Tip: Do not send spam. Sounds very simple, doesn’t it? If your messages are not delivered by a network operator on suspicion of spam, it may help to look at the wording. And: if possible, avoid sending many SMS messages to one recipient in a short time.

Bad habit 2: Meaningless messages

The lines to spam are blurred, but there is a difference. Not every “empty” message is spam, and not every spam message is pointless. It is important that if your message does not offer the customer any added value in the form of information or a real advantage, you should better refrain from sending it. Even if you usually send news on a regular basis: If there is nothing to report, skip a message.

Tip: Before sending a message, consider whether you are offering the customer added value – whether individually or as a bulk SMS. Information, updates or discount codes, but also personal appreciation such as birthday greetings or Christmas and New Year’s wishes are well received.

Bad habit 3: Violations of the rules in different countries

When sending international SMS, there are a number of peculiarities and rules to be observed. Violations can lead to your SMS not being delivered, or at least not in the intended form. In some countries, however, a violation can also have legal consequences, for example in the USA or Canada. This will result in additional costs and a loss of reputation.

Tip: In this blog article we have summarized the most important rules in most recipient countries. This way you can always keep an eye on them. The article will also be updated as changes occur.

Bad habit 4: Wrong recipient

Of course it is clear to us that it is not necessarily avoidable for a customer or employee to make a typing error or mistake when entering a number. Unfortunately, it happens from time to time that recipients who have already unsubscribed from an SMS list (or who are no longer a customer of the company) are also contacted by SMS. This seems unprofessional and unnecessarily costs money. 

Tip: Our number validation helps you to sort out invalid numbers. Otherwise, you should make sure that your SMS recipient lists are always up to date and, above all, that customers who no longer wish to receive SMS messages are removed from the lists.

Bad habit 5: Disregarding time differences

When sending SMS it often happens that the recipient lives in a different time zone than the sender. With a difference of only one hour this is usually of no concern. But nobody wants to be woken up from their mobile phone at three in the morning just to find out that an online shop on the other side of the continent is starting a discount campaign. 

Tip: To avoid SMS messages at night, organize your contact lists by time zone and schedule the dispatch accordingly.

Conclusion

With this list of avoidable bad habits, we make no claim to comprehensiveness. We have only picked out a few of the most common points. Perhaps the most important advice I can give you is: use SMS wisely. Consider in advance whether you can offer the recipient added value by sending the SMS, and find out about regulations and restrictions. 

Header picture by SIphotography via iStock.com