You’ve read about short codes and you’re ready to start adding them to your messaging mix. Read on below for how to select, apply for and lease a short code. 

1. Know your options 

Short codes are textable five- or six-digit numbers that organizations use to communicate with people like customers, donors, voters, or members of a community, like students.

Before you start the application process, think about the type of short code that will best fit your budget and project:

Random vs. select: Short codes randomly assigned by the U.S. Short Code Directory and Common Short Code Administration (CSCA) are less expensive. But select, or “vanity,” short codes offer several advantages, including memorability and brand recognition. Think about the power of a six-digit numeric code like “007007” for a James Bond-themed short code marketing campaign, for example, or short code advertising where the letters spell out a catchy word or your organization’s name.

Dedicated vs. shared: You may also choose to use a dedicated short code. These are codes that organizations use exclusively for themselves or for a specific purpose or campaign. These also have the advantages of strengthening brand recognition and association

Shared short codes typically cost less. Here multiple—often thousands—of organizations run their campaigns on a single code. If one campaign on a given code violates the rules, all campaigns are taken down. Because of risks like these, some major carriers have banned the use of shared short codes.

A specialized short code partner can help you navigate this process as you plan your campaign.

2. Look up the short code you want to use

Now it’s time to select your short code.

The United States has a defined range of short codes: 20000-99999 for five-digit short codes and 200000-999999 for codes with six digits. You can see which ones are available in the U.S. Short Code Registry, which CTIA administers along with service provider iconectiv.

The code is taken. You can wait for the code’s current lease to become available. Some short codes partners will enable you to sign up for notifications when this happens. Or you can continue searching. 

The code is available. Now it’s time to get your application moving. Note that the application process can take several weeks, so plan your campaign and manage stakeholder expectations accordingly.

3. Submit your application

To protect consumers from unwanted messages, an organization has to successfully undergo a comprehensive application and vetting process to be able to use a short code.

The most important part of an application form is the use case: how you intend to use the short code in your organization’s messaging. To prepare this part of this response:

  • Review the CTIA Short Codes Monitoring Handbook for wireless carriers’ best practices
  • Also review any policies, guidelines, restrictions and exceptions by your short code partner
  • Carefully think through your messaging strategy for this short code

Your short code partner will guide you through the application process. Note that carriers require payment before reviewing your application. This means that you’ll need to determine the terms of your lease before you apply.

4. Lease your short code

In the United States, short codes are not bought and sold; they are leased for specific amounts of time: typically three, six, nine, or 12 months. A lease gives your organization the right—an exclusive right for dedicated short codes—to use the code for that period of time.

You’ll need to budget for:

  • The monthly lease
  • A one-time setup fee
  • Inbound and outbound usage at a per-message rate, so you’ll need to think about how many text messages are sent a day

Some short code partners will offer discounts, and most will let you lease multiple short codes with one order.

The organizations that bring short code campaigns to life aren’t household names in most circles, but they are vital to the running of the short codes ecosystem and the execution of your campaign. An overview follows of who short codes partners are, what they do, and how you can pick the right one for you.

Picking the right partner is vital for a seamless, successful short codes campaign.

Look for a proven track record

Choosing a short codes application provider is like evaluating any other potential partner or vendor for your organization. Ask about the company’s time and experience providing services. Research compliance with industry best practices, and talk to other customers if possible.

Determine the services and expertise you’ll need

Many organizations looking to administer a short code campaign lack the specialized technical resources for sending and receiving text messages in such a fashion. If this is your situation, look for a short codes partner that can handle campaign development and hosting for you.

If you’re new to short codes campaigns, you can benefit from a partner that provides hands-on assistance with campaign planning and execution, from crafting effective strategies to writing engaging messages.

Some short codes partners specialize in a certain type of campaign, like voting, polling, marketing or gaming. This can be particularly helpful for optimizing engagement and making sure your campaign follows applicable rules and regulations.

Evaluate and vet the contenders

Supplement your online research with targeted questions on pricing, performance (including throughput, volume and messages per second) and customer support if problems arise—for example:

  • How long does it typically take to get through the application process? While application preparation, review, and approval necessarily take some time, an experienced partner will know what wireless carriers want to see and how to reduce the chance of delays or having to resubmit an application.
  • Who typically controls the short code lease—and will you be able to change these terms in the future if you want to?
  • How will you be able to track campaign progress—e.g., through a dedicated web portal, regular reports, or other means?

Considering a short code campaign or ready to put your plans into action? Here’s a quick guide on what to ask, do and expect at every step. 

1. Define your goals

Organizations use short codes for many reasons, including:

Browse through a few relevant examples. Can you picture your organization implementing a similar campaign? 

Then think about your goals. What do you want to accomplish with your outreach? What kind of need, gap or challenge do you hope to address, and what will success look like?

More tactically speaking, what kind of budget are you looking to spend, and what’s your timeframe for implementation?

Short codes cost from $500-$1,000 per month to lease, with lease terms of three, six and 12 months. You’ll also have to factor in a one-time set-up fee and per-message costs for inbound and outbound usage of the code.

Short code campaigns are typically fast and seamless to set up, but you’ll need to apply for permission from wireless carriers to use a code first. By proactively working with an experienced application partner, you can ensure a smooth application process and the timely delivery of your short codes campaign.

2. Consider short codes

Now think about your audience and the messages you want to communicate.

First, the people you want to reach should have a mobile phone and use it for texting. But these devices don’t have to be smartphones. Short code campaigns work with any phone that can send and receive text messages. 

Short code campaigns are by their nature straightforward and intuitive to use, involving easy-to-remember five- or six-digital numbers and keywords. This makes them well-suited to wide-ranging levels of education and English fluency.

Do you want to reach many people at once? Short code campaigns are well-suited to this purpose, with throughput and reliability rates for message delivery.

How important is permission and trust to your audiences?

In many industries, spam and scams have infiltrated consumer interactions, negatively impacting response rates. With short codes, however, participants control the opt-in process for every campaign, and the wireless carriers who transmit messages on their networks monitor and regulate short code usage based on detailed guidelines.

This helps instill confidence in the people you want to reach. Because your organization has to apply to use a short code, recipients of your messages know these texts come from a source they can trust.

Finally, do you want to improve your response rates? A short code campaign may be the way to do so. Text messaging gets an open rate of 98% versus 22% for email.

3. Pick a partner

A broad ecosystem exists of short code specialists that can help you choose, apply for and lease a short code and administer your campaign. Read more about them, and the services they provide, here.

4. Lease your code(s)

Whether for a short code marketing campaign, a short code advertising campaign, or informational mobile messaging, picking the right five- or six-digit numeric code is key.

You can lease a short code that’s randomly assigned or shared with other organizations, but dedicated, “vanity” short codes offer several advantages.

A code used exclusively by your organization or campaign is a powerful tool for building brand recognition, loyalty and trust. And a short code whose letters spell out a catchy word or your organization’s name strengthens top-of-mind awareness every time a campaign participant types it into their phones.

Codes are governed by the Common Short Codes Administration (CSCA) and only leased through USShortCodes.com. You can authorize a partner to lease a code on your behalf. If you do so, it’s recommended that you and the partner first work out who retains ownership of the lease if the partnership ends.

5. Develop your content

Now craft the rest of the content, from keywords to text responses, that brings your campaign to life.

This process involves answering many questions. For example, how many text messages are sent a day? What response do you want to evoke or actions do you want your audience to take next?

During this step, make sure your content follows short code best practices and that the nature and substance of what you text encourages engagement and reinforces your brand.

6. Get the word out

Short codes don’t operate in a vacuum. How will you let people know about your short code and campaign? 

Possible tactics include:

  • Traditional print and broadcast advertising
  • Online and social media promotions. Text messaging integrates with websites, apps and other digital communications channels.
  • Ongoing brand communications, like newsletters and emails
  • Community partnerships
  • Word of mouth

7. Track results

A short code partner can help you track campaign response and results and expand or enhance your efforts.

Think about the one item people have with them at all times, on the go and throughout the day.

More and more this item is a phone. Among the many activities people carry out on their phones, talking and texting tops the list at 70%.

This means that short code campaigns can be a powerful vehicle for marketing, advertising, promotions, and building brand awareness.

Short Code Advantages

Short codes are five- and six-digit numeric codes organizations use to communicate directly with their audiences.

Organizations use them because:

  • They work with any phone that can send and receive text messages, not just smartphones.
  • Their brevity, straightforwardness, and ease of use makes them well-suited to wide-ranging levels of education and English fluency.
  • Engagement levels are high, with recipients trusting short code messages and opening them almost immediately.
  • Short codes operate in a protected community where codes are registered and complaints are monitored. 
  • Their brevity makes them easy to remember for consumers.

Short Code Advertising

Short codes enable two-way communications, making them more interactive than a static ad. This means you can use them for donations, fundraising, surveys, games, and polls. They support text, imagery, and video—opening up expansive possibilities for creative content.

You can integrate short code advertising and promotions with other social media efforts. For example, when a national retail burrito quick serve restaurant chain moved its Halloween giveaway to TikTok in 2020, a short code campaign gave customers a fun new way to redeem prizes in a virtual world.

Short Code Marketing

With an email campaign, 20% of recipients might open the message and 6% might respond. When people receive a text message, however, these percentages are notably different: open and response rates as high as 98% and 45%, respectively.

Because short code messages arrive to a receptive audience, this makes them an ideal vehicle for several common marketing objectives.

Marketing new products and services. A national discount retailer uses a short code campaign to introduce customers to its health and wellness offerings.

Building loyalty. A national fitness company’s members who opt in can use short codes to find a club location while traveling, manage payments, or redeem benefits for referrals.

Strengthening trust. When a retail bank notes suspicious activity on a customer account, the banking giant uses short codes to send alerts—an opt-in communications vehicle recipients know they can trust.

There is increasing crossover in the marketing techniques used for business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) communications. iconectiv, discusses the reasons behind this movement and look at some of the marketing techniques that are crossing over from B2C into the B2B space.

The key requirement for any great marketer is to know their target audience; that is a given whether in B2B or B2C. There are many similarities when designing and implementing a marketing campaign, but there are also specific and important differences in both the strategic and practical approaches to each discipline.

Read More

Connecting local governments and public safety agencies to the public via SMS/MMS text messaging 

According to Pew Research, nine-in-ten American adults (92 percent) own a mobile phone of some kind. That reach is undisputed and why more and more industries are working to develop consumer mobile engagement strategies. This includes public safety and local government agencies.

Currently, Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are the official government communication vehicle for distributing urgent public safety messages via the mobile channel, but is it possible these agencies could take mobile communication a step further by exploring the use of additional tools?

For instance, according to research conducted by Pew Research on smartphone usage, one of the most overlooked mobile features, yet most frequently used by consumers, is SMS/MMS text messaging. If utilized properly, this can provide a direct and ongoing line of engagement to local residents, which can become extremely important when trying to notify citizens of a major public safety incident. In order to do that, however, access and approval to message with local mobile numbers is needed. One way some agencies have been accomplishing this is through the use of common short codes. These five- to six-digit codes enable mobile users to opt-into receiving text message notifications from a particular agency. They are universally accessible on most networks and mobile devices.

Messaging options for local governments

Most agencies, especially local governments, in cities including Anaheim and Seattle, already have a messaging alert system in place that local residents can opt-into. Right now, that is possible only via a website, which can limit residents’ awareness of and engagement with these programs? In today’s mobile first world, local governments can employ common short codes to increase engagement and get more residents connected and informed. Residents can easily opt-in to alerts and announcements and government agencies can promote them via advertisements, brochures and other collateral.

Another advantage of utilizing SMS/MMS is that it is targeted to a mobile subscriber’s opted-in phone number, which may or may not physically be located in the geographic area where a person is currently located. For example, subscribers could sign up for weather alerts in the town where they have a vacation home or where a family member lives to monitor their safety. WEA alerts only target an area where the subscriber is currently physically located and where the phone is turned on and is receiving a signal.

Augmenting WEA efforts

How can local public safety and government agencies use common shorts codes to augment their current WEA efforts?

  1. Timely information on weather or other conditions – Weather conditions can escalate quickly putting safety at risk. Hot and dry summers can lead to brush fires; tornadoes or hurricanes can hit at any time; winter can bring frigid icy temperatures and heavy snow and that snow and heavy rain can eventually lead to flooding. By opting into a messaging service either with participating public safety agencies (fire department or police) or the local city government, residents could receive timely information about these conditions, including what area might be impacted the most by unsafe conditions, who should be contacted for more detailed information, safety reminders, etc.
  2. Shelter and Safety Refuge Center Locations – Displacement is what usually follows severe weather and natural disasters, such as earthquakes. Getting people who have lost their homes to safety can be a massive effort. If residents are already receiving messages before or immediately following one of these public safety incidents (depending on conditions of cell towers) the process can become a highly organized and collaborative effort. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) provides a great example of how this can be initiated using common short codes. FEMA uses them to provide updates and information, including where to find disaster relief shelters and recovery centers as well as important safety tips.
  3. School related public safety notifications – Public safety incidents can happen at any time. Enabling parents or students to opt-into a message service that provides timely updates about incidents, where to pick up children and other safety-related information can go a long way for public schools and universities trying to keep an open line of communication and ensure campus safety. Similar to local city governments, some colleges, such as Walsh College, already use text messaging programs but common short codes could be an option to make it easier for interested parties to access these programs and sign up.
  4. Suspect Photos – During terror attacks sending information and photos of a potential suspect can become difficult since emergency personal is primarily relying on WEA, which doesn’t support sending media files or clickable links. MMS texting supports rich content and could easily be used in this type of situation to compliment communications being sent out by WEA.
  5. Community Outreach – Setting up a texting program can also enable local agencies to increase transparency within their communities. They can be used to notify residents of community events or keep them aware of potential public safety risks, such as heightened criminal activities. Open dialogue with local residents and providing them with a chance to meet and understand their local police and fire departments can go a long way to improve public safety communication and collaboration.

Messaging via common short codes provides an added layer of ubiquity and the ability to push messages to mobile subscribers in mass makes them attractive to local government entities wanting to enhance their communication and engagement with residents.

Recognizing that any communication method could be compromised in emergency situations, it is best to have multiple options, such as common short codes, that can help alert, inform and engage residents in the moments that matter most.

Mapping Out Your Retail Strategy for the Future: 7 Trends to Consider

2019 and 2020 saw retailers exploring using text messaging in addition to their email marketing. 2021 is likely to see SMS messaging supersede email messaging as retail’s gold standard for messaging channels. Texts have a 98 percent open rate and a conversion rate of 45 percent. By comparison, only 22 percent of B2C emails are opened and read. Kiehl’s actually found that 73 percent of consumers who signed up for text messages purchased a product within 6 months.

Cliff Holsenbeck, Senior Director of Product Management at iconectiv, suggests that retailers who wish to utilize SMS messaging should “choose 5-and 6-digit numbers that map to their brand name. (For example, Target uses 827438, which spells “TARGET.”) Customers can send a text message to the short code to get information, make a purchase, and more.”

Read more

Keywords for Short Codes: Segment Marketing Campaigns for Higher Engagement

Text messages are opened and read around five times more than email, but with an average of 23 billion text messages sent daily, you want to make sure that your business’s text messages are being read and well-received by the intended audience. Short codes are the most universally trusted text messaging option that allows marketers unequalled opportunities to engage audiences through mobile messaging.

How can short code messages be both seen and engaged with by the right audience? In addition to customizing the five-or-six-digit short code to spell a company name or relevant word to maximize memorability and reinforce your message, short codes can easily help segment marketing campaigns with short codes’ keyword functionality.

Benefits of using keywords

There are numerous benefits to utilizing the keyword functionality, including:

  1. Reduce Opt-Out Rate. Keywords drive higher engagement by allowing you to deliver targeted messages based on a person’s interest. Customers receiving messages relevant to their interests are less likely to opt-out of your campaigns.
  2. Actionable Marketing Insights. Breaking down your messages into keywords allows you to determine why people are enrolling in different campaigns. For example, you can have customers’ text “SAVINGS” to your short code if they are interested in receiving coupons and sale alerts. You could also run a survey by asking your audience to text one of three keywords to select their favorite store in a retail center. These insights can show you the aspects of your business people are resonating with the most.
  3. Segment and Manage Contact Database. When you ask your customers to text a certain keyword based on their interests or location, you are able to easily sort and manage the contact database. This makes it easier to send targeted messages that the user wants and leads to increased engagement rates.

Short Codes have revolutionized the messaging universe. Not only do they put control into the hands of the consumer to opt-in and opt-out of the information they wish to receive, but the registry has created an extremely safe platform for businesses through vetting and confirming each account that applies for a code.
 
Despite this, fraudsters develop new techniques daily, and even though we do not yet have to deal with these attempts on our integrity, we are dedicated to the proactive fraud protection of consumers.  

Luckily, we have a short code for that! Number 7726, spelling out “SPAM,” is your go-to contact in the event of a suspicious text message from a short or 10-digit long code. By sending a suspicious message to this code, the necessary information is immediately brought to our attention and shut down for investigation, stopping the fraudsters in their tracks.

HOW TO REPORT SPAM

  1. Forward the spam text message to short code 7726, which will prompt the user to enter the sender’s number 
     
  2. Copy the sender’s number from the original message 
     
  3. Paste the copied number into the text message field in the 7726 conversation and send the message

Reporting suspicious messages is incredibly important to the continued protection of consumers. By doing your part, we can eliminate them and learn from them for the future, while continuously creating new features and adaptations to make messaging more secure.

For more information on this short code and identifying possibly suspicious messages, check out CTIA – Protecting Yourself From Spam Text Messages.

Today’s customers, fans, donors, constituents and community members have high expectations for information and communication.

If there’s an update in a service, program or schedule, they want to know right away. If they seek a status update or quick response to a question, they want a simple, immediate answer, even on the go. And if they want to participate in a poll, promotion or philanthropic campaign, they want the tools for doing so at their fingertips, and be easy to use.

How can you make sure your message cuts through the clutter? On the flip side, how can you ensure that the messages you send are trusted—not deleted, delegated to junk folders or reported as spam?

Chances are, your organization is already using many tools and channels to reach out: websites, emails, social media, and more. Here’s another one to consider adding to the mix, one that works with the smartphones people carry with them every day.

Enter short codes

Short codes are textable five- or six-digit numbers that organizations use to communicate with people like customers, donors, voters, or members of a community, like students. They use the text messaging capabilities native to every smartphone for notifications, promotions, two-way communications like surveys and polls, and more.

Here’s how they work: To get information, access a service, or start communications, a user texts a specific keyword to an easy-to-remember number, say a code with six digits like “333333”: “ALERT ” to track a package in the mail, “BAL” to check a bank account balance or “JOIN” to sign up for prescription refill alerts and other health information from a retail pharmacy.

Brief codes, big benefits

Why would an organization use a vanity short code to connect with key audiences, use a short code marketing campaign to promote a new product, or incorporate a short code advertising campaign into its communications mix?

For end users, short codes’ brevity—only five or six digits to remember, sometimes connected to letters that spell a catchy word—makes them easy to remember. But that’s not the only benefit.

Wireless carriers created short codes with reliability, deliverability, and trust in mind. They’re not easily spoofable like traditional 10-digit phone numbers, and they’re controlled and monitored at every step, with the Common Short Code Administration (CSCA) as the governing body. An organization has to successfully undergo a comprehensive application and vetting process to be able to use a short code. Furthermore, short code campaigns are carefully monitored against detailed codes of conduct.

These are all steps to protect smartphone users from unwanted messaging.

For organizations looking for new ways to reach out, short codes offer several advantages. They are easy to remember, support two-way communications and accommodate both text and multimedia (photos, video) messages.

How many text messages are sent a day? Short codes are not subject to the throughput constraints of 10-digit long codes, which means that organizations can send their messages out to more people. Furthermore, messaging speeds are faster.

Rules that build trust

The United States has a defined range of short codes: 20000-99999 (five-digit) and 200000-999999 (six-digit) outlined in the U.S. Short Code Registry, which CTIA administers along with service provider iconectiv. 

Organizations apply for, then lease these codes. Often they work with a partner like a short code aggregator who is knowledgeable in the processes and paperwork. 

Because wireless carriers are the conduits for these communications, short code campaigns must adhere to wireless carriers’ best practices outlined in the CTIA Short Codes Monitoring Handbook.

The Handbook’s code of conduct governs things like:

  • Opt-in/opt-out and unsolicited messages
  • Accuracy/deceptive content and other unacceptable content
  • Privacy terms
  • Special guidelines for sweepstakes, donation and political campaigns
  • Harmful code or bots

Ready to start adding short codes to your messaging mix? Read on for how to apply for and lease a short code, what to look for in a short codes partner and steps for setting up a campaign.