With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, it’s crucial that your text messages actually get delivered to your customers. Unfortunately, phone carriers aren’t always on your side when it comes to delivering your text messages.
But don’t worry – we’ve compiled some tips to help you make sure your messages don’t end up being blocked. Follow these strategies, and you’ll be well-prepared to connect with your customers effectively this holiday season.
BFCM Text Message Deliverability Tips
Images
If you are sending an image, make sure the image file name does not include any special characters and that the image is less than 1.0 MB in size.
If you need help finding the size of your image, follow these steps.
Links
When sending links in a text, don’t use a link shortener like bit.ly. If your link is long and you want to increase the chance of the text message being sent, use Skipio’s built-in link shortener. We usually don’t experience any deliverability issues with messages containing Skipio links.
To turn on Skipio’s automatic link shortener
- Log in to your account at app.skipio.com in a web browser
- Click on the “Profile & Settings” icon in the bottom left corner
- Select “My Profile”
- Select the “Messaging” tab
- Make sure both the “Track Links” and “Shorten Links in Messages” boxes are checked
This will allow you to include full links in your messages that will automatically be shortened by Skipio. Skipio links also lets you track which contacts click on the links, as it will create “System Groups” in your address book with the group name as the URL that was sent.
Timing
Peak sending times are expected to be between 7 AM MST – 1 PM MST during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
To prevent message slowdowns and/or blockages, don’t send messages during these times. To help with deliverability, send your text messages outside the start of the hour. For example, instead of sending a message at 2 PM, send it at 2:16 PM.
Language
Recently, loan advertisements have become a prohibited campaign type. If your messages relate to this industry, avoid dollar signs or other loan-related characters/phrases. Below are some examples of prohibited loan messaging campaigns. Avoid writing messages that are similar to these.
Carriers are also more likely to block messages that don’t include opt-out language. If you’re sending marketing messages to a large group of contacts at once, consider adding something like “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” at the end of your text.
10DLC Registration
To help ensure your messages aren’t blocked, make sure you have completed 10DLC registration and that carriers have verified your opt-in methods.
Carriers are also planning a number registration blackout period around the week of Black Friday. This means you won’t be able to register and send messages at the last minute. To avoid any issues, complete your 10DLC registration as soon as possible.
If you are unsure about your 10DLC registration status, reach out to Skipio support ([email protected]) to verify that your 10DLC registration has been completed and that your opt-in method is verified.
We can never guarantee your messages won’t be blocked, but by following these tips, they’re more likely to be delivered.
