How to Improve the Deliverability Rate of an SMS Campaign?

You regularly send bulk SMS messages and want to improve the deliverability rate of your next campaign? Find several tips in this article.

Here is how to improve the deliverability rate of your bulk SMS messages, as well as the impact of your campaign.

Start by Checking Your Database

The first cause of errors we encounter is the presence of landline phone numbers (it is worth noting that it is impossible to send an SMS to a landline number, with rare exceptions). The second is the inclusion of a phone number with missing digits.

In France, a mobile number has ten digits!

To verify your database, you can use our number verification tool or use a simple Excel spreadsheet and add formulas to check the validity of your database. If you want to automate the verification process, the HLR API allows you to carry out this check.

Is your number database outdated?

Run an HLR verification of your database (definition of HLR verification). This verification allows you to validate numbers directly with carriers. This way, you can find out which numbers are active in your database.
To use HLR, feel free to contact our teams so we can give you access to the HLR number verification space.

Watch out for SMS messages with more than 160 characters!

Do you often use concatenated SMS? (A concatenated SMS is a message composed of more than 160 characters)

Including a URL in your SMS can also affect deliverability. Indeed, mobile carriers and spam filters are sensitive to URLs, especially if they redirect to unknown or unauthenticated domains. As far as recipients are concerned, URLs can be perceived as suspicious, particularly if they resemble shortened links.

Warning! Some carriers have imposed very strict rules regarding this type of message (See article: sender name customization, Free Mobile specifics).

To summarize, to improve the deliverability rate of a concatenated SMS, you should:

• Let the short number appear and avoid customizing the sender name
• Include the SMS opt-out

Learn from your previous campaigns!

With every campaign you run, you receive the message delivery status. This way, you can tell whether the message was successfully received or not delivered. You can then remove from your lists the numbers that repeatedly fail during your campaigns. You can also review the timing of your campaigns, as some campaigns perform better at certain times or on certain days of the week ( Read also: What is the best time of the week to send a marketing SMS?)

Do you have any questions about improving the deliverability rate of an SMS campaign? Feel free to contact us directly.
Support your network by improving their deliverability rate by becoming an SMS reseller.