How Do You Know Where A Sms Short Code Is Registered To?

Editor's notation: This article was originally published on March 17th, 2020. Alex McPeak has updated it to reflect the most current data and insights.

If you've ever signed up for a brand's texts, or their SMS marketing updates, yous've probably noticed the messages don't look the same as the ones your friends or family send yous.

Right abroad, you might realize the phone number the message comes from is shorter than what yous're used to seeing.

What you may or may not already know is that these abbreviated numbers are actually called "short codes" and they serve a purpose in SMS marketing.

They're a great way for a business to ship targeted and personalized text messages to a long list of subscribers.

Read on to observe:

What is an SMS short code
Why use a brusk code
Shared vs. dedicated short codes
Dangers of a shared code
What'southward adjacent for SMS short codes
Brusque code best practices
Short codes as part of your SMS marketing strategy

What is an SMS short code?

An SMS curt code is a five- or half dozen-digit number that allows a business to ship more than text messages in a shorter time period to their customers. The customer volition see the brusque lawmaking equally the "from" number when they receive the text, similar to how they would see a long, 10-digit number if a friend or family member texted them directly.

Because short codes contain less characters than a typical telephone number, they're easier to recollect and are great for marketing campaigns. Like to long, ten-digit vanity numbers, curt codes can likewise exist vanity numbers.

A vanity number is a number that spells out a word using a phone'south number keypad, making information technology easier to remember. For example, Pepsi may take a five-digit vanity number, 73774, which spells "Pepsi" on your phone'due south numeric keypad.

If you've ever seen a business organization asking you to text "[keyword]" to "545667," this is an example of a text messaging keyword entrada. This allows the business to know which marketing campaigns are driving a directly response and which aren't.

Businesses can use these types of campaigns to allow users to vote in a competition, opt in to receive text updates, or receive additional information virtually the brand.

Why use a short code?

You might wonder what the benefits of using curt codes over a regular phone number are and whether it'south right for your business organization.

SMS short codes have several benefits over a traditional 10-digit number, or x-digit long code (10DLC):

Short codes are brief and memorable. Yous can use them in numerous areas of your business organization, from digital to print, radio, and other offline advertising channels. And you tin easily create unlike keywords to know which marketing channels are working and which aren't.
They're unmistakably a business organisation number. When someone sees a message coming from a short code, they know it's coming from a business or system and not someone they know.
There'due south an SMS brusk code directory where users can look upwardly short codes, which can requite your text campaigns more legitimacy.
Curt lawmaking text messages deliver much faster than traditional 10-digit numbers. Long code messages tin can typically only deliver one message per second. If you lot're sending a text to a list of x,000 people, it could have nigh iii hours for all of the messages to deliver! Short codes, on the other paw, can send every bit rapidly as 100 messages per second. This would just take just over four minutes for a text entrada to send to ten,000 people. If you lot're running a flash sale or limited-time promotion, the added speed of short codes is crucial.
Brusque codes can just send or receive text letters, you lot can't use them for phone calls or faxes (does anybody still use fax?) and so you don't have to worry about recipients trying to utilize it outside the purpose of SMS.

Multiple businesses utilize a shared brusque code as opposed to a defended short code, which only one business can use.

One of the biggest benefits of shared brusk codes is the toll savings. Multiple businesses share the cost, which reduces the total amount each private business organisation will spend to use the lawmaking.

Some short codes may have thousands of businesses using the code, which significantly reduces costs, but also comes with some big risks.

Due to the possibility of thousands of businesses using the same number, there are many dangers associated with using a shared short code.

1 | Y'all rely on other brands to stay SMS compliant

If ane business does something illegal or improperly uses the brusk lawmaking, that shared number could be blacklisted by some or all of the major wireless carriers, preventing all businesses that use that short lawmaking from reaching their customers.

If a business relies on text messaging to keep their audience upward-to-date with news, discounts, or even aircraft and lodge confirmations, information technology can be extremely costly to not exist able to reach them.

two | Subscribers may accidentally opt-out

If one of your customers opts into texts from your brand in add-on to other brands that are using the aforementioned brusque code and they try to opt out of just one of the brands (without using a defended keyword), the client may be opted out of every brand'southward listing—including yours.

The organisation will run into the opt out asking coming from the customer'southward telephone number, but will not necessarily know which make to associate it with.

See the screenshot beneath for an example of what this might look like.

3 | Short code regulations are changing

Due to some of the issues mentioned above, many carriers are actually removing the power to send from shared short codes . In fact, many carriers already began restricting the utilise of shared short codes in 2019. Keep reading for more than on the shared brusque code ban.

What's next for SMS short codes?

The terminate is near for shared short codes. In March of 2021, mobile carriers began to retire all shared short codes , which meant that brands at present demand a dedicated curt code or move to toll-free numbers or 10DLCs.

Merely this isn't breaking news to most. Major carriers like AT&T announced as early as 2018 that they would eventually eliminate the use of shared short codes. In fact, many carriers had already begun restricting the use of shared short codes .

What does this mean for y'all?

If you use Klaviyo SMS, nix will change— you've received the all-time user experience from 24-hour interval i by avoiding shared short codes completely with the foresight they would be discontinued.

If y'all're just starting out and you'd like to examination SMS marketing for your brand, a 10DLC might be a good choice since it's the most affordable selection. But proceed in listen that if you have more than 200 SMS subscribers for a unmarried 10DLC, you may feel deliverability issues. Equally your subscriber list grows beyond this point, consider switching over to a cost-free number or dedicated short code.

For brands that can't beget a dedicated short code but accept already congenital up their SMS subscriber listing, a verified toll-free number is the best pick. Toll-gratis number delivery rates are better than long number delivery rates, especially when yous verify the phone number .

Another option to consider is obtaining multiple 10DLC numbers. If you lot're using multiple numbers, Klaviyo automatically remembers the phone number a customer start got a text from. This ways that they'll continue to receive texts from that original number, even if you've added a new primary phone number. This ensures your customers aren't receiving SMS marketing letters from your brand from multiple phone numbers, which tin can create a disjointed experience.

Unfortunately, with shared short codes no longer available, many small businesses will be priced out of brusque codes with their SMS provider. This means they'll accept to resort to price gratuitous and long numbers, which many SMS providers don't offer.

Additionally, as providers scramble to come upward with alternative options to the shared SMS brusk lawmaking, it may go out brands without an adequate option that fits their upkeep.

If you were using shared short codes with your current SMS provider, you would have moved to a dedicated number (either short, toll-costless, or 10DLC) to ensure your texts were continued to deliver to customers one time carriers close down shared short codes.

Short code all-time practices

When it comes to using short codes, at that place are a few tips and tricks to ensure you follow the rules and provide a not bad customer experience:

i | Understand SMS compliance

It's important for your SMS campaigns to be in compliance with the local laws where you do concern, then ensure your business organisation complies with the Telephone Consumer Protection Ac (TCPA), Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), and other messaging authorities.

Whether you ship from a brusk code or a long number, e'er respect your customers' privacy and honor their opt in and opt out requests. Never spam or send unwanted messages.

2 | Use vanity brusk codes for unique brand experiences

Vanity short codes can exist a great manner to create a memorable number that your customers can to text to opt into campaigns, contests, discounts, and much more. Their versatility is often worth the extra cost because they can exist used in print campaigns, billboards, digital campaigns, radios, podcasts, and other marketing channels. This tin can help you create unique customer experiences through SMS .

3 | Make your brand apparent

Include your make proper name in your messages whether you're sending from a long or short number. Most people don't save businesses to their contact list (unless it'southward a business that they regularly call for customer support, for example). If you mention your brand in your marketing letters, customers never have to guess where they're coming from.

4 | Utilize keywords

Attribution and tracking return on investment (ROI) are vital to the success of any marketing entrada. In social club to understand attribution for SMS, utilise custom keywords to track the various sources yous're using to abound the SMS list.

For example you may say "Text FB to XXXXX to get an exclusive offer" on Facebook and "Text ENTER to XXXXX to enter our giveaway" if you're trying to grow your SMS list through a contest or giveaway.

Brusk codes every bit part of your SMS marketing strategy

Text messaging is one of the best ways to engage with your audience and short codes are merely another tactic to further increase appointment.

If you've never launched an SMS campaign and yous aren't using SMS automation, there'south never been a better fourth dimension to kickoff than right now. As mobile telephone usage continues to grow, SMS will be an nugget as i of your owned marketing channels.

If you lot're choosing between a long and short code for your brand's SMS number , consider using a short lawmaking since it can provide college throughputs, faster messaging, and help you drive better client engagement.

Curious about how other brands are using SMS marketing? Find out how Dagne Dover is using SMS to power their campaigns in a world of privacy and cookies.

Fix to get started with SMS marketing?

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Chris Newton

Chris Newton is Klaviyo's former Inbound Marketing Manager, where he oversaw SEO and conversion rate optimization. Chris has several years of experience working for SaaS companies in the tech industry, and has consulted with hundreds of clients, helping them develop their digital marketing strategies to abound their businesses online. Chris holds an MBA from Champlain Higher in Burlington, VT. When not at work, he enjoys traveling, cooking, and cheering on Boston sports teams.

Source: https://www.klaviyo.com/blog/sms-short-codes

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