When done in a compliance-friendly manner, texting is an effective way to synchronize outbound and inbound customer interactions into a single service. With the opportunity for a 98% open rate, Short Message Service (SMS) messages are an ingenious way to boost engagement, increase contact rates, and more.

To optimize click through rates and achieve the greatest possible return on investment from your SMS strategy, follow these SMS best practices.

• Ensure that you have permission
  • You must have permission from your customers before texting them. This is separate from any permissions you have already obtained (for example, email signup). Your text messaging opt-in must be independent and specific to SMS communications, with its own set of policies. The best way to get a customer's permission to text them is through the channel where you currently communicate with them. For example, capture or confirm consent while the customer is on the phone with an agent, obtain consent while the customer is on hold through an Interactive Voice Response (IVR), or offer an SMS consent option on your payment portal or company website.
    
    
• Select the correct number
  • Long codes resemble a traditional phone number so they are a good choice when you want to send messages with a personal feel. For example, when a delivery is dropped off, sending an alert from a long code seems as if the message was sent directly by the delivery driver, even if it is an automated message. However, long codes have limitations in terms of the volume of messages that you can send over a specific time frame. To reach a greater number of customers (for example, promoting a flash sale), using a short code helps you reach your recipients in a more timely manner.
    
    
• Your callback number must match your toll-free number
  
  
• Set expectations
  • To avoid confusion (and unwanted spam complaints), clarify in your message to customers how, when, and why you intend to communicate with them using SMS. This can be a simple statement that is displayed before customers opt in (for example, Sign up to receive text message payment reminders from [company]. We will only text you bill-related notifications and will never share your personal data). Then, upon signup, send a follow-up message containing easy instructions to opt out of SMS.
    
    
• Simplify messages
  • SMS messages should be the most concise form of communication you send to your customers. Because of their mobile format, they need to be easy to read at a glance and on a small screen. 
  • When building SMS campaigns, create messages that are short and direct. Include a clear call to action that makes it easy for recipients to take the intended action, whether that is clicking a link, taking a survey, or sending a response message. Include clear options to opt out of SMS in the welcome messages (for example, Reply STOP to unsubscribe).
  • Keep messages at or under 160 characters.
    
    
• Be mindful of timing
  • When it is 16:00 in Los Angeles, it is midnight in London, 01:00 in Berlin, and 02:00 in Athens. There is no faster way to lose a customer than by waking them up in the middle of the night. When sending texts to the other side of the world, you must consider timing in your international SMS strategy.
    
    
• Personalization
  • Personalize the SMS message by including the customer’s attributes in the message (for example, Dear Jane Doe...).
    
    
• Language
  • Avoid controversial and abusive language including explicit debt collection verbiage.
    
    
• Sensitive information
  • Do not include sensitive information in the messages such as personally identifiable information (PII), personal health information (PHI), and payment card industry (PCI) data.
    
    
• Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
  • If applicable, use the MMS capabilities in the SMS message by adding attachments to the message (for example, when sending offers or reminders using SMS).
    
    
• Frequency
  • Do not send frequent SMS messages. This can annoy customers and prompt them to quickly opt out of your SMS program. Your opt-out rates are monitored by the carriers. The greater your opt-out rate, the greater the probability that your future messages will be filtered. LiveVox recommends that you do not send more than two SMS messages to a customer on a weekly basis. 
    
    
• Opt-outs
  • Respect all opt-outs. Do not manipulate your SMS suppression list.
    
    
• Shared short codes
  • Do not use short codes that are already used by another provider.