SMS campaigns are an important part of a business’s marketing strategy. For example, at every step of the “get keep growing funnel” strategy, which is used by many startups, sending SMS plays a key role in customer acquisition and customer retention.
However, one of the main challenges in running them is that SMS spam detection algorithms and blacklisting numbers can cause significant damage to the business.
Additionally, if the campaigns are not run properly—for instance, if messages are sent without the user’s consent or at inconvenient times—we face many complaints about SMS spam from users.
In this post, we will discuss the best practices for running spam-free SMS campaigns to prevent SMS spam and avoid SMS blacklists, in order to avert SMS spam complaints.
What Is a Spam SMS?
The widespread use of SMS by businesses and its popularity among users has unfortunately motivated fraudsters, in addition to legitimate businesses, to see it as a suitable way to carry out their fraudulent activities.
By sending SMS, they try to obtain information from individuals, such as bank account and identity information, and thus achieve their illegitimate goals.
Therefore, protecting the security of users and their privacy has become an important issue, prompting mobile carriers to take effective measures such as using SMS spam detection algorithms, and regulators to enact strict regulations for them.
Unfortunately, these algorithms and regulations don’t just affect scammers’ and fraudsters’ text messages; they can also impact businesses’ SMS campaigns.
If a business’s SMS content resembles a spam message and is identified as spam by the algorithms, it will not be received by the user and will fail to meet the business’s marketing goals.
Therefore, it is important to understand how these SMS spam detection algorithms work, be familiar with relevant laws such as GDPR in the EU and TCPA in the US, and know how to write non-spammy SMS content to avoid being flagged as spam.
What Are SMS Spam Detection Algorithms?
Mobile carriers take several steps to prevent SMS spam, one of the most important of which is the use of algorithms to identify them. These algorithms have become much more sophisticated today and use machine learning to perform their job with greater accuracy. For instance, the Naive Bayes algorithm is one of the most widely used.
The advantage of this is that these algorithms are constantly learning, making it harder for scammers to commit fraud and easier for legitimate businesses’ SMS messages to avoid being labeled as spam.
These algorithms analyze various aspects of a text message, such as the content, sender information, and the pattern of word distribution within a message. For example, they check whether a message contains words commonly used in spam, such as “free,” “make money,” or “get rich quick.”
They also evaluate the frequency and volume of messages sent from a particular number. If a number sends a high volume of messages in a short period, it may be flagged as suspicious.
In addition to analyzing the text message, these algorithms also take into account feedback from users. For example, if multiple recipients report messages from a specific number as spam, the algorithm will consider this feedback and may impose restrictions on the sender number in the future.
9 Best Practices to Keep Your SMS Campaigns Spam-Free
For your SMS campaigns to pass through the spam filters of detection algorithms without any problems, you must consider important factors and create the content of your SMS messages accordingly.
Register a 10-Digit Long Code Number
In the US and Canada, you must register and use a 10-digit long code number (10DLC) to send SMS. Additionally, it is mandatory to register your brand name and SMS campaigns that will use your 10DLC. Otherwise, your users cannot receive your messages.
Use Local Phone Numbers for SMS Campaigns
Usually, the first three digits of each number are related to the area code. It is better to use a number specific to your users’ region to send SMS to each group.
This way, you reduce the possibility of your SMS being flagged as spam, and users often pay more attention to local numbers. However, it should be noted that local numbers have a slower delivery speed than toll-free numbers, which may pose challenges with a very large number of contacts.
Various SMS services, such as the WP SMS Pro plugin, allow you to segment your users. This way, you can send personalized messages with dedicated numbers to each group.
Clean Your Subscriber List
Businesses sometimes mistakenly believe that the bigger their subscriber list, the better. However, cleaning the subscriber list is just as important as acquiring new subscribers. Here is why:
Firstly, having a clean list ensures compliance with SMS marketing regulations. Secondly, it helps you spend your marketing budget more efficiently. Finally, it makes it easier to personalize your SMS content in a way that is relevant to your users, which in turn will help you get better results from your SMS campaigns.
Use SMS Opt-In and Opt-Out Best Practices
Using appropriate and transparent SMS marketing opt-in and opt-out processes is not only a legal requirement but also essential for a better user experience and avoiding SMS blacklisting.
To better attract your subscribers, you must have a suitable and concise form for receiving users’ information. Additionally, if a user no longer wants to receive SMS messages from you, they should be able to remove themselves from your list easily. Otherwise, they can file a complaint against you, and their reports may even cause your number to be blacklisted.
Luckily, WP SMS Pro has a feature that allows you to easily manage your subscribers and opt-in and opt-out processes, enabling a better user experience.
Comply with Regulation
You should be sure to know the laws of the country you are in and adjust not only the text of your SMS messages but also the timing and execution method used in your campaign in accordance with the laws.
A major advantage of WP SMS Pro is that it is fully GDPR compliant and also has a message scheduling feature, allowing you to easily comply with SMS campaign laws.
Create Non-Spammy SMS Content
Creating non-spammy SMS content is crucial for ensuring your messages reach your audience effectively and maintain a positive user experience. Additionally, creating genuine content is the best way to avoid spam complaints.
Here are the most important factors you should consider when creating your SMS content.
Surround Your Links with Words
One of the best practices for using links is to place them in the middle of your text. This makes your message less likely to be flagged as spam because it appears more natural.
Additionally, the recipient is more likely to perceive the message as genuine communication rather than an automated or spammy SMS.
Avoid ALL CAPS
SMS Messages that are mostly capitalized are often detected as spam by algorithms. Contrary to popular belief, users are also less likely to take them seriously.
Personalize Your SMS Content
SMS campaigns that send personalized content are less likely to be detected as spam. This is because it appears that the sender actually knows their subscribers and isn’t just sending out mass messages. Personalization is also important for improving the user experience.
The subscriber grouping tool in WP SMS Pro allows you to send highly relevant messages to each group of users.
Avoid Spam Trigger Words
Some words are commonly used in spam SMS messages, and therefore, SMS spam detection algorithms are sensitive to them. These words include, but are not limited to:
- Earn Money
- 100% satisfied
- Free Gift
- Guaranteed
- Miracle
- Pure profit
How to Avoid Spam Complaints
Avoiding spam complaints is essential for maintaining your reputation. In addition to the techniques mentioned above, there are other effective strategies to consider.
Send a Welcome Message
Sending a welcome message has the advantage of familiarizing the subscriber with your number. As a result, the next time you send them an SMS, they are more likely to open the message.
Track Key Metrics
You should constantly analyze your SMS campaign, monitor important metrics, and identify and fix errors. This approach will lead to more successful campaigns and better rates in the future, tailoring your messages to the needs of users and, as a result, decreasing their complaint rate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, SMS campaigns are an important part of marketing strategies and are very effective in sales.
However, it should be noted that designing good SMS campaigns has many details that must be considered.
These details not only include the methods of performing the campaign and collecting users’ information but also the content of the SMS messages.
Tools like WP SMS Pro, with their practical features, can make designing SMS campaigns much easier, make them compliant with regulations, and enhance the user experience.
FAQs
How to prevent marketing messages from being identified as spam?
- Register your 10-digit long code number
- Use local phone numbers for your SMS campaigns
- Personalize your SMS message
- Avoid Spam trigger words. For example, “Free Gift”, “Earn Money”, and “Pure Profit”
- Avoid all-caps words
What happens when you report SMS as spam?
When you report an SMS as spam, the message is typically forwarded to your mobile carrier, allowing them to identify the sender as a potential spammer.
How do SMS spam detection algorithms work?
SMS spam detection algorithms typically use machine learning to analyze patterns in text messages, identifying key aspects like specific words and sender information to classify a message as spam or not spam.