"Mastering Business Communication: A Complete Guide to SMS Types and Categories"
- techtonetworks
- Sep 23, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 27
Understanding the different SMS types and categories available can empower businesses to engage their audience more effectively. From promotional messages aimed at boosting sales to transactional messages that provide essential information like order confirmations, each SMS category serves a unique purpose. Additionally, knowing how to utilize Service Explicit and Service Implicit SMS can enhance customer relationships by delivering relevant information tailored to user preferences. This complete guide will explore each type of SMS, offering insights on best practices, compliance, and how to leverage these messaging strategies to maximize engagement and drive results for your business. By mastering these SMS types and categories, you'll be equipped to streamline your communication and foster stronger connections with your audience.
Promotional SMS is meant for marketing purposes. It is usually used to send advertisements, offers, discounts, or promotions to potential customers. These are designed to promote sales, motivate individuals to participate in a campaign, or facilitate the launch of new products and services.
Key Features:
Header Type: Numeric headers are 6 digits, such as 565690, 787878.
Time Restriction: The messages can only be sent from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Consent: These messages must be solicited by the recipient of the message, to have him/her opted-in for receiving marketing messages.
Opt-Out Option: This feature should have an unsubscribe option in the message such as "Reply STOP to unsubscribe".
Examples
Flash sale promotions
Promotions and discount coupon codes
Holiday and festival campaigns
Transactional SMS is connected to the sending of information that you would like to pass to your customers. Transactional messages are not marketing messages but very important as they hold account updates, order confirmations, OTPs, or alerts. As transactional messages are very important, these messages are not classified based on any time period and they send those messages instantly so that the delivery will be within time.
Features:
Header Type: Alpha-numeric strings (e.g. TRUBLQ, KLMNOP).
Time of Day-Related Restrictions: It can send at any time without restrictions, 24/7
Consent: No, since it is needed for something related to a transaction
Template: Must be messages within a pre-approved template, especially on OTP's and alerts
Use Cases
Transaction alerts of banks
Order confirmations as well as shipping updates
OTPs for secure login or verification.
Service Implicit SMS are all business communications that result directly from a service undertaken by a customer or in conspiracy with the establishment. These messages do not have promotion-oriented content but are of relevance for service continuing to operate. Like transactional SMS, service implicit messages can be sent at any time.
Key Features
Header Type: Alphanumeric (e.g., ABCDEF, AFIOMA).
Time Restrictions: Can be sent 24/7Understanding the different SMS types and categories available can empower businesses to engage their audience more effectively. From promotional messages aimed at boosting sales to transactional messages that provide essential information like order confirmations, each SMS category serves a unique purpose. Additionally, knowing how to utilize Service Explicit and Service Implicit SMS can enhance customer relationships by delivering relevant information tailored to user preferences. This complete guide will explore each type of SMS, offering insights on best practices, compliance, and how to leverage these messaging strategies to maximize engagement and drive results for your business. By mastering these SMS types and categories, you'll be equipped to streamline your communication and foster stronger connections with your audience.
Promotional SMS is meant for marketing purposes. It is usually used to send advertisements, offers, discounts, or promotions to potential customers. These are designed to promote sales, motivate individuals to participate in a campaign, or facilitate the launch of new products and services.
Key Features:
Header Type: Numeric headers are 6 digits, such as 565690, 787878.
Time Restriction: The messages can only be sent from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Consent: These messages must be solicited by the recipient of the message, to have him/her opted-in for receiving marketing messages.
Opt-Out Option: This feature should have an unsubscribe option in the message such as "Reply STOP to unsubscribe".
Examples
Flash sale promotions
Promotions and discount coupon codes
Holiday and festival campaigns
Transactional SMS is connected to the sending of information that you would like to pass to your customers. Transactional messages are not marketing messages but very important as they hold account updates, order confirmations, OTPs, or alerts. As transactional messages are very important, these messages are not classified based on any time period and they send those messages instantly so that the delivery will be within time.
Features:
Header Type: Alpha-numeric strings (e.g. TRUBLQ, KLMNOP).
Time of Day-Related Restrictions: It can send at any time without restrictions, 24/7
Consent: No, since it is needed for something related to a transaction
Template: Must be messages within a pre-approved template, especially on OTP's and alerts
Use Cases
Transaction alerts of banks
Order confirmations as well as shipping updates
OTPs for secure login or verification.
Service Implicit SMS are all business communications that result directly from a service undertaken by a customer or in conspiracy with the establishment. These messages do not have promotion-oriented content but are of relevance for service continuing to operate. Like transactional SMS, service implicit messages can be sent at any time.
Key Features
Consent: Inferred consent will be acceptable since these messages relate to services continuing to operate.
Content: Not for advertising or promotional purposes.
Examples:
payment reminders
subscription renewals and status notifications
appointment/service booking appointment reminders
Service Obvious SMS are also not marketing messages but they require explicit consent from the customer. Generally, the messages are service-based where deals, offers, or announcements are applicable for selective customers who have subscribed for it. Since they are service-oriented, there is no time limitation for sending them like with marketing messages.
Key Features:
Type of Header: Alphanumeric e.g. NUTUKI, PRIZEM.
Time Barriers: May be sent 24/7
Consent: the consent needs to come explicitly from customers.
Opt-Out: Customers ought to be given the choice to opt-out from these communications.
Examples
Renewal of the loyalty program, with subscribers who are currently active
Promotions for services that are available to enrolled clients only
Announcing personalized services.
OTP SMS is a secure message type used in authenticating user identities. These sorts of messages are typically generated automatically as soon as a transaction has been made, during login into systems, or whenever resetting passwords. As one time passwords have a particular effective period, they are sent immediately without any restriction to time.
Key Features:
Header Type: Alphanumeric, for example, SECOTP, SAFEOT
Time Restrictions: Can be delivered 24/7
Security: Ensures high security for timely delivery of the content.
Content: Holds numeric or alpha-numeric passwords coupled with instructions
Use Cases:
Two-factor authentication.
Reset links for password.
Payment approval.
International SMS is used for communicating with customers overseas. Businesses that have their customers worldwide typically rely on international SMS to send them notifications or updates concerning the service or the website.
Key Features:
Header Type: Alphanumeric, and this will be customized depending on what is allowed in a country.
Time Limits: According to the country's SMS laws.
Consent: Based on regional laws, opt-in consent may be required.
Language: It can be altered according to the region.
Usage Example:
cross-border shipping
account verification
offers targeted marketing for foreign regions
Conclusion
Making the right choice of SMS for business communication is very important because it ensures all regulatory compliances while keeping marketing goals or transactional goals active. Category-specific guidelines, time restrictions, and consent restrictions apply to every category. DLT platform regulations also bind businesses. Exercise transparency so that customers are protected from spam.
Knowing these categories will help you communicate effectively and gain trust with your customers, even if you are only sending either a promotional campaign or critical OTP.
Here at Techto Networks, we can provide end-to-end SMS solutions to all businesses. The proper process of communication is ensured while staying at par with the regulatory standards. Contact us to make the best of your use of SMS communications!
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