Communication Platform as a Service Archives

10 Digit Long Code (10DLC) SMS rules and what you need to know.

April 30, 2021 by Odyssey Support

In June of 2021, all enterprise-level long code SMS and MMS messages that are sent through to multiple Major U.S carriers are being moved to a new 10-digit long code (10 DLC) Application-to-Person service. This service will be used to outline new content procedures and categorization for mass SMS services moving forward.

Please note, this applies to US Carriers only and does not apply to Canadian traffic on Canadian Carriers.

What is 10DLC?

10DLC allows for a higher messaging quantity per long code and deliverability than more traditional long code bulk messaging types. A 10DLC number is a local 10-digit phone number and has the benefits for

There will be registration requirements for 10DLC sender numbers, implemented to protect recipients from unwanted spam, while also improving deliverability. 10DLC requires SMS Providers to register the businesses that use their SMS Long code lines and well as categorize them into use case groupings. Each of these groupings will then be assigned a ‘trust score’ which can affect the amount of throughput a group can use. The end goal of these measures is increasing transparency regarding who is sending large amounts of SMS and what they are sending.

10DLC is designed to be an alternative option to shared short code numbers, which present a significantly higher risk of being used to send spam. It is also a more affordable option than dedicated short codes.

What will I have to do?

If you are a Canadian client sending to Canadian customers, there is nothing you need to do. If you are a US client sending to US based clients, then Odyssey will advise of the required steps. Odyssey is in the process of organizing the required groupings and will send out further information to customers when it becomes available and relevant.

Have questions? Please contact us!

1-(888)-661-9823

Operations@odysseyservices.net

How to Use Odyssey Analytics Tools to Provide Insights About Your Messages and Recipients.

March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 by Odyssey Support

Odyssey’s secure WebPortal provides numerous analytics tools which clients can access to gain relevant data throughout each stage of the message sending process. These tools can be used to track and gain better insights on strategy creation for your message content, lists and optimal scheduling.

When generating a customer email, SMS or fax list, the quality of the recipients on that list is of primary importance to ensure you reach your intended audience. This is something one should strive to achieve before a list is sent, however, this is not always a perfect process!

Odyssey’s post-transmission details shows you essential basic information such as if your message has successfully sent or failed, as well as gives you specific insights as to WHY it has failed.

Email

For email analytics, the Portal displays if an email is none active (Hard bounce), if it possibly has a transmission error in the receiver’s server (Soft Bounce), if its possibly on your account’s “opt out” list or recipient's system has a filter (Rejected). Our Portal provides a list of addresses and statistical data for each of the above options.

The next type of email analytics data you will see on the Portal is for open and click rates. Even if an email is successfully sent; it will not matter if your recipients do not open the message. This information may be helpful in providing insight into changing your strategy in terms of email and subject composition, into something they feel is worthy of their time to open and read.

This tool will show you how many of your successful emails were opened, links clicked and opt outs. You can also track this activity on the basis of the first 24 hours, first 7 days or the last 12-hour period at the time of your inquiry.

Link details will outline each link present in your email and how many times each has been clicked on, total times and by unique recipients.

This tool can be used to determine where your recipients are drawn to, what parts of your websites are receiving attention or if the links you want to receive attention are actually being clicked.

SMS

SMS based analytics can be more specific to the reason a message is unsuccessful. This is because it draws from data received from the carrier receiving the message This allows you a better understanding of the quality of your list and what measures you can take to clean that list up for future sends.

Here are some examples of various possible outcomes:

Activity details can give you insights on various factors of the interactions from your recipients, such as how many replies your message has received (Answers), How many have opted out and the total of those who either replied or clicked on a link in the message (Acknowledged).

Confirmed Recipients tracks if we have a status of the messages outcome once it successfully reaches the carrier. This does not mean a message has failed or has not been received, just that the carrier has accepted the message and has not provided further information on its final destination.

How to add value to your SMS recipients.

February 8, 2021 by Odyssey Support

How to add value to your SMS recipients.

Most consumers prefer to receive an SMS from a company rather than any other form of media.

Emails and voicemails can get easily ignored and deleted, but texts are practically impossible to miss thanks to notifications appearing instantly, and phones always being in hand. Opt-out rates for email subscriber lists are significantly higher than Text opt outs.

Even with these statistics, it is still important that your recipients feel they are getting some sort of value from the messages they receive. They need to feel that you had a good reason to message them, that the message is worth their time to read and respond to and that they can take action based on that message.

What adds value to an SMS?

Text messaging is the most engaging channel for messaging, with a near 100% open rate and 40% click-through rate. But if you don’t have a message that engages your recipients and adds value, they are much less likely to take action.

1. Have a compelling reason to reach out:

What is the reason they are receiving your message and why is it important?

2. Create a captivating message:

Your message needs to be clear and concise. Your message is coming in the form of a text message, and one of the biggest appeals of a text is that it’s short and to the point.

3. Avoid language that is industry specific:

Try not to include words or phrases that the majority of your audience may not understand.

4. Incorporate a call to action in your message.

A call to action is a phrase that will give your audience a next step in the process. In the case of an SMS promotion the next step could be “click this link”, “Reply to this message” or “use this code.

SMS: What are the benefits of long code and short code number when sending SMS Messages?

January 18, 2021 by Odyssey Support

Long Code

What Is Long Code?

A long code is a 10-digit phone number used for communication between two or more individuals.

Advantages of Long Codes

One of the best things about using long codes is that there is very minimal setup time. In fact, you can get a long code number up and running within a few hours

With long codes, you can send SMS messages and make calls from the same number, so your customers don’t have to worry about reaching you via different points of contact. The same phone number can be used for voice calls, faxes, and texts, which establishes a consistent, familiar channel for communicating.

The biggest advantage of long codes is that businesses and customers are able to have personalized and seamless two-way conversations. Customizing your customer's experience is essential in today’s tailored-marketing world. Long codes guarantee that the sender is an actual person, not a random bot, so sending long code messages for personal information, such as billing purposes, ensures that your message is reaching a real individual.

Best Uses of Long Codes

Meaningful Two-Way Communication
Gathering Customer Information
Providing Targeted, Relevant Content
Appointment Reminders and Confirmation
Alert Notifications: Banking Alerts, Shipping Alerts, Airline Alerts
Troubleshooting Product or Service Problems

Disadvantages of Long Codes

While long codes have plenty of advantages, there are some disadvantages to this messaging method. One disadvantage of using a long code is the inability to send high volumes of text messages at once. The throughput rate of long code messaging is a mere 1 message per second, which can make blasting thousands of subscribers take hours instead of seconds. As a result, marketing through long codes is less efficient than many other methods. However, a platform such as Odyssey OMS can assign multiple long codes to accommodate high volume SMS sends.

SMS marketing messages through long codes is prohibited and will result in immediate shutdown of your long code. And there is no option to make these messages free to the end user, which can make customers dissatisfied by using up their data for unwanted messages. The content of your long code is also limited to SMS, so you are unable to send videos or picture messages.

Another disadvantage of long codes is they take longer than short codes to enter into your phone. Long codes are harder to remember, less convenient, and more susceptible to user error. While the setup and monthly cost may be cheaper for long codes, individual message fees are higher than short code text messages.

Long code messaging can also be subject to carrier-initiated surcharges in certain regions and countries. The receiving carrier can set a rate that will be charged for every recipient on your list that belongs to that carrier.

Unlike long code messaging, with short code messaging you can send large blasts of texts simultaneously to create an effective marketing campaign.

Short Code

What Is Short Code?

A short code is a convenient 5 or 6-digit number that enables users to text in a keyword to automatically opt-in to a business’s database. Short code text messaging is ideal for mass, impersonal, one-way communication.

There are two types of short codes, shared and dedicated, which both have different advantages and capabilities.

Shared Short Code

A shared short code is a short code that is used by multiple users. Shared short codes limit what keywords users can use, because other users might already be using that keyword. An example of this would be if someone created the keyword “EATHERE”, then no other users on that short code would be able to use that keyword.

Advantages of Shared Short Codes

The main advantage of short codes is you’re able to send high volumes of text messages at once. Short codes are effectively used for marketing purposes, as it creates a memorable experience across a broad audience. With a high throughput rate, messages sent through short codes can be used for alert notifications, mobile coupons, and marketing promotions.

Short codes also give an option for businesses to pay the cost of sending the message up front, so the end user doesn’t have to pay, making short code texting the primary channel of communication for most marketers.

Dedicated Short Code

A dedicated short code is a short code that can only be used by a single user. The short code can be specifically chosen by the user, much like a custom license plate. They also have the option to use any keyword they want, removing the limit of only using one keyword per code.

Advantages of Dedicated Short Codes

Better Brand Recognition: A short code can be as recognizable to your customer as your twitter username or website address.
Freedom to choose your keywords: When you have a dedicated short code, you aren't limited by other people already using your SMS mobile keyword, which gives you creative freedom to run your campaigns how you want.
Control what goes out: When you have your own dedicated short code, you can be in total control of how your messaging campaigns are seen by your customers, which helps you maintain a consistent brand image.
Security: If you work in an industry like the financial services, healthcare, or the government, then having a dedicated short code allows you to have complete control over what is sent and will give you a greater degree of privacy and security.
More Functionality: If you have a dedicated short code you can do things that shared short codes can't do, like run a text-to-win campaign for your subscribers.

Uses of Short Codes

Bulk Messaging
Marketing Promotions
Two-Factor Authentication
Billing Information
Mobile Coupons
Alert Notifications: Weather updates, Traffic updates, and Security Notifications
Sweepstakes and Contests
Mobile Voting

Drawbacks of Short Codes

Short codes are limited to communication between a business and their customer solely through 5 or 6-digit numbers, making the conversation feel less personal. Unless a dedicated short code is used, customers are unable to communicate back to the business in an interactive way. On the other hand, if you choose a provider who can capture responses, like Odyssey, then you can have an intelligent “interactive” text conversation with your customers, and you can also record their responses!

Whether you decide to use short code or long code texting for your business communication, sending an SMS message is an effective way of developing strong relationships with your customers.

Improve your internal organizational communication with Odyssey SMS

November 27, 2020 by Odyssey Support

Organizations, and the teams within them, often have scheduled meetings to get all of their members on the same page – these can occur weekly, monthly, quarterly or as required.

With more and more teams working remotely, coordination is essential. Odyssey SMS can be used to send a group message to the entire team, with the ability to personalize the meeting link, time, date and other important details for different departments in a single send.

SMS can be used as a quick reference rather than sorting through the countless emails one receives on a daily basis.

Using Odyssey Merge tags, you can input information in one single “list” that is unique to each team or even an individual recipient you would like to contact. Sending one SMS “job” to multiple teams simultaneously, improves efficiency, organization and time management.

Here are a few examples of personalization that can be achieved in a single list with varying information.

“Hello [Department] team, our quarterly meeting will be held on [Meeting date] at [Meeting time] please click this link [Meeting link] to join.”

“Hey [first name], it is time for your performance review. Please meet with me on [Meeting date] at [Meeting time] and use this link [Meeting link] to join.”