For your campaign to thrive, it must first reach your recipient. It sounds easy, but it’s not always so straightforward. Certain challenges can get between you and your subscribers, but luckily, there are ways to overcome them.
Firstly, what does ‘SMS deliverability’ actually mean?
The term refers to texts successfully reaching your subscribers, measured by the ‘deliverability rate.’
Deliverability is a crucial aspect of SMS marketing: if your messages aren’t delivered, your open rates (and other important metrics) will suffer.
Here’s how to avoid some of the most common SMS deliverability challenges.
⚡️1. Carrier spam restrictions #
Most phone carriers use spam filters to block junk messages from their users, so be mindful of the texts you send. Generally, limiting how many messages you send and their length is a good place to start.
It’s also a good idea to look up what constitutes spam for different carriers, as many have their own rules.
⚡️2. Low engagement rates #
Carriers may also flag your number as spam if your messages have consistently received low engagement, reducing delivery rates.
Has your engagement been faltering? Don’t worry; we’ve got your back. Read up on how to improve it here.
⚡️3. Poor list quality #
Having issues with your deliverability can mean that your SMS subscriber list needs a little cleansing.
Verify whether all the numbers on your list are valid and accurate, and remove those that aren’t. You can also remove idle subscribers unless you’re determined to win them back with a re-engagement campaign.
Implement a double opt-in for future sign-ups to confirm people’s consent — this will help keep your list clean and high-quality.
⚡️ 4. Non-compliance with SMS regulations #
Every country and region has its own rules and regulations for managing its messaging services. If you don’t comply, you risk more than just not having your messages delivered. You can find our article on compliance laws here.
This is an easily avoidable challenge. Respect the laws. Research them first to guarantee you know what is expected of you, and implement them into your marketing strategy.
⚡️5. Technical issues #
While technology has — and continues to — progress, nothing has yet been invented to prevent technical issues from arising. Whether it’s network congestion, data breaches, or carrier outages… it happens. But there’s good news: you can reduce the chances of this affecting your deliverability.
Choose a reliable SMS service provider that offers secure, high-quality and fast delivery, data protection and, if needed, global coverage. Test your messages before sending them to ensure they’re compatible with various devices and carriers.
At Zap, we want everyone to be a winner. Contact us today to perfect your deliverability and marketing strategy.
