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shortcode Tag

News, tips & advice from FastSMS

An SMS shortcode is a 4, 5 or 6 digit number which can receive text messages but not voice calls. Mostly they have 5 digits starting with 6 or 8 – e.g. 87007 or 61612. Whilst it is possible to have your own dedicated shortcode, this is relatively expensive both in setup costs and monthly rental fees. So it is most normal to rent a keyword on a shared shortcode from an agent such as Fastsms.

A keyword can be any combination of letters and numbers. The keyword defines who the message is for and also the actions prompted by the keyword. For example the keyword “QUIZ” might be related to a text based competition by a specific party and their user base might be invited to text QUIZ followed by the answer to the quiz question. Equally the keyword FASTSMS might simply be used to indicate that the message following the keyword is intended for Fastsms.

Over 92% of people in the UK have mobile phones. SMS marketing is one of the best ways to reach out to them in a personal way. But for your marketing to be a real success, you need to get replies. Using a shortcode with keywords offers many benefits for your marketing. Let's take a look at the top three.

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Like Google, you may think a SIM farm is an old video game (go ahead, Google it!). But when it comes to SMS messaging, a SIM farm is nothing like a fun and harmless video game. SIM in this context is referring to a subscriber identity module, or SIM card in a mobile device. Every mobile on a GSM network uses one. It contains information about the owner and mobile including number, contact lists, network authorisation.

In sit down restaurants, what is the one feature every patron will look at? The table. Think about it. They need to look down to pick up utensils, put their glass back down, find their napkin, or to find a distraction for those awkward moments with your fellow diners. What if you could turn that time into a SMS marketing opportunity?

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Hotels constantly strive to improve customer experiences, but sometimes things go awry. Many problems could be fixed if the customer complains while at the hotel rather than later when they return home. By having a 'textline' you can give guests the opportunity to share their views directly with management without a direct confrontation.

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If you’re using SMS campaigns as part of your strategy to drive sales, sign ups, fund raise, or any goal, you’ll need to know if it’s working. You may be familiar with email tracking or other forms of marketing metrics but how do you measure the effectiveness of SMS campaigns? Here are five different ideas for you to try.

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