June 25, 2025 - 6 min read

Calls & SMS via 06 and 07 are forbidden to Companies.

Romain Didelot

Introduction

In 2023, Arcep published a new numbering project, reshuffling the cards in the telecommunications sector. From now on, 06 and 07 numbers will be dedicated to private individuals. This new orientation gives pride of place to new messaging services for all exchanges between a platform (brands) and the consumer.

The aim, which is still valid today, is to put an end to fraud, smishing and other unwanted telephone solicitations that blight the lives of mobile subscribers. This strategy has made it possible to drastically reduce smishing (even if some cases still exist on a smaller scale, through 07 "e-SIMs" obtained from virtual operators, Editor's note), notably by virtually eliminating brand usurpation (it has become almost impossible for fraudsters to obtain a personalized transmitter evoking a legitimate service or brand, Editor's note). Making 09 a dedicated number for business communications, whether by voice or SMS, has also opened up a new opportunity for professionals, who can fully enter the conversational era. enter the conversational era.

A new numbering plan to protect subscribers

The application of this framework is excellent news, as these measures respond to 2 concrete problems:

By reserving 06 and 07 for private individuals - and switching corporate communications to 09 - the general public will be able to identify corporate calls and messages more easily, and thus be more aware of the nature of the content they are receiving. This decision provides greater protection against the large volumes of calls and messages that can be a nuisance, but also against the increasing number of attempted scams.

In the same way, once this clear new legislation is in place, the regulator leaves the field open for operators to implement their ability to cut off mass shipments of smishing content via 06 and 07.

This action, coupled with the control of Sender IDs (personalized SMS senders), effectively combats smishing and offers the market a definite gain in credibility.

The regulator has also adopted measures to regain control over 06 and 07, and thus avoid a shortage in the future.

New numbers and uses available for businesses (Time2chat)

With the introduction of 09 telephone numbers dedicated to businesses, Arcep is regulating a usage that has seen an explosion! Brands and their customers want to converse, at all times and in an omnichannel way: by voice, by message, by short message.

As Arcep explains, 09 numbers will meet the "growing needs of French businesses" in this respect. Interested companies will be able to implement innovative communication solutions between themselves and a subscriber, with a dedicated and recognizable type of number, offering maximum performance for these new resources.

These long numbers can be used, for example, to establish message-based conversations between a retailer and its customer, or to set up ephemeral relationships with platforms (parcel delivery, VTC drivers, etc.).

GOING FURTHER

Find out more about Time2Chat

Features, benefits, uses and pricing.

From Virtual Mobile Number to Time2Chat

The announcement of the disappearance of 06 and 07 for companies coincides with the announcement of the af2m on the launch of the Time2chat. A new messaging service dedicated to exchanges between brands and their customers, intended to replace the Mobile Virtual Number.

The gradual shift from NVM (mobile virtual number 06 or 07) to Time2chat illustrates the evolution of consumer needs, towards greater immediacy and interactivity.

"Because it uses SMS and voice, Time2chat benefits from the universal nature of native technologies on cell phones. There's no need to install a specific application to use Time2chat. It's a guarantee of simplicity and fluidity. explained AF2M.

With the rise of instant messaging, users and businesses have gradually adopted real-time chat platforms for far more dynamic interactions.

This evolution is explained by the search for greater efficiency in exchanges and a better user experience, responding to modern expectations of speed and user-friendliness.

Democratizing conversational commerce

In recent years, brands and customers alike have seen a growing need for two-way communication. RCS and WhatsApp Business meet this need for conversation. This new use of 09 numbers could offer a universal alternative to these two channels, minus the multimedia aspect. This use of Time2chat could revolutionize customer relations, but also open the door to conversational commerce on all mobiles.

COMPARATIVE

Time2Chat, WhatsApp, RCS. Which conversational channel to choose?

Reasoning about a market with solid growth, but with unclear contours

Arcep(L'Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse) has decided. From January 1, 2023, telephone numbers beginning with 06 or 07 will be reserved exclusively for private individuals, for "interpersonal" use.

" The Authority reserves the use of numbers starting with 06 and 07 - permanently attached to a user in everyone's mind - exclusively for interpersonal communications services.

As indicated in Arcep's press release on this decision, " non-interpersonal use of mobile numbers will be switched to other categories, such as the new 09 category ".

Today, companies can still send short messages to their customers from short codes (with or without Sender ID), only numbers starting with 06 and 07 are forbidden.

Why this change in numbering?

The use of notification messages has exploded in recent years. By 2022, 60% of text messages sent in France will be notifications. This strong growth is accompanied by new uses linked to the immediacy of the customer/brand relationship. These include calls and short messages sent by companies, via 06 or 07 numbers , to confirm an appointment, a delivery, or to be able to make and receive a call on a temporary number.

However, these new uses have blurred the relationship between brand and customer, paving the way for the misuse of cold calling and, above all, for a surge in fraud.

Phishing by telephone, smishingA veritable epidemic of fraud has spread, forcing the regulator to take action to better protect subscribers.

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June 13, 2025 - 5 min read

CPaaS messaging: Communicate with your customers in 3 clicks

Elsa Paparone

Introduction

Your company needs to be able to send instant, personalized messages, whatever the channel: SMS, voicemail, WhatsApp, OTP (One Time Password)...That's where messaging CPaaS (Communication Platform as a Service) comes in: a flexible A2P (Application to Person) communication platform that lets you use these channels directly online, or easily integrate them with your applications, websites or CRM tools, via simple, powerful APIs.

In this article, find out how a mobile messaging CPaaS allows you to :

What is CPaaS?

A CPaaS (Communication Platform as a Service) is a cloud platform that lets you integrate communication functionalities (sending messages, voice calls, push notifications, etc.) directly into your environment. It requires no hardware or infrastructure, and adapts perfectly to your needs. All these solutions are hosted on the Internet, backed up by network connectivity, and packaged as Application Program Interfaces (APIs) and Software Development Kits (SDKs) for easy and immediate integration.

Thanks to the user interface, the APIs, plugins And SDKs provided by a CPaaS like smsmode^©companies can :

You choose the channel that's right for you!

Why use CPaaS for mobile messaging?

The CPaaS service offers simple, fast and cost-effective access to communication functionalities. Mobile messaging, especially SMS, is at the heart of exchanges between companies and their customers:

A CPaaS allows you to exploit the full potential of these channels, not through each dedicated channel, but via a single solution. Whether it's orchestrating mailings across multiple channels according to your users' preferences, or reducing time-to-market without complex developments. A messaging and/or SMS platform also enables you to control your costs thanks to pay-per-use billing, and to guarantee maximum reliability and scalability tailored to your needs.

CPaaS vs. other delivery solutions

Solution	Advantages	Limits
CPaaS platform (like smsmode^©)	- Omnichannel communicationSMS, TTS, WhatsApp, RCS) - Rapid integration via API/SDK - Scalability, flexibility, centralized supervision	- May require initial technical support - Requires business logic to intelligently automate paths
Simple SMS provider	- Easy to install - Low cost - Interface sometimes sufficient for small volumes	- SMS only - Little or no automation - No API or unified multi-channel interface
In-house development	- Total control over functionality - Tailor-made architecture	- High development and maintenance costs - Long implementation times - Complexity of managing multiple channels

Real-life use cases for mobile messaging CPaaS

An SMS CPaaS offers an agile and powerful response to the communication needs of businesses, whatever their sector. Here are a few examples of how smsmode CPaaS can be used in practice^© :

Health & well-being

💬 Real-life example:

"A company like Doctolib has integrated our solutions to communicate with patients and doctors according to their needs. The key to success is appointment reminders by SMS or TTS, which validate telephone numbers and thus reduce patient no-shows by almost 40%".

Fabien Andraud, Head of Sales smsmode^©

E-commerce & retail

Banking & insurance

Logistics & transport

Customer relations & support

Education & administration

The advantages of CPaaS :

All these use cases can be orchestrated from a single interface or integrated via API into your information system (CRM, ERP, business tools), with unified channel management, automated workflows and centralized reporting.

Why is it important to choose the right partner?

CPaaS providers make it easy for companies of all sizes to develop and integrate communication functionalities. A company offering its services worldwide guarantees a future for your development.

The security of your personal data

We strive to offer you the most secure CPaaS solution for your data. Preventive action is taken to stay ahead of current legislation. Their aim is to ensure the computer security of your personal data.

We are supported on a daily basis by our DPO from PINT AVOCATS, and have obtained ISO 27001 and 27701 certifications.

GOING FURTHER

smsmode security policy^©

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March 31, 2025 - 6 min read

How do you calculate the conversion rate of a SMS campaign?

Romain Didelot

Introduction

The conversion rate of your SMS campaignis perhaps the most important of all the SMS KPIs. It enables you to calculate the return on investment of your campaigns, the cost of your campaign per purchase/customer, and also to determine whether your marketing is in line with your objectives. In short, the conversion rate enables you to improve your communication, campaign after campaign, and to have a clear vision of the results of your marketing efforts.

What is the conversion rate?

Sometimes called the transformation rate, the SMS conversion rate corresponds to the number of actions/objectives achieved, divided by the number of contacts who received a message during your campaign. It is therefore expressed as a percentage (by multiplying the result by 100).

The objective is usually to sell, but downloading a PDF can also be a sale, as can filling in a contact form.

Let's take a concrete example: you've run an SMS marketing campaign to encourage your contact base to buy a product using a promotional code. You've sent 1,000 SMS and 100 of your contacts have bought the product using this promotional code: your campaign's conversion rate is 10%. (100/1000 = 0.10 then 0.10×100 = 10)

What is the average SMS conversion rate?

In general, the conversion rate of an SMS campaign is 12%, 2 to 3 times higher than that of an email campaign. As for the RCSSMS 2.0) rate, it beats all records (18% on average)!

Of course, there are as many conversion rates as there are types of objective to be achieved.
If your objective is to download a document, sign up for a newsletter or create an account, your conversion rate will inevitably be higher than that associated with a sales objective.

In the mailing world, 4% is considered a good average. For a white paper download, you can expect a double digit conversion rate. If your goal is to sell a product with a high price tag, a rate of around 1% may be quite satisfactory.

Why calculate the conversion rate?

It's an essential element in optimizing the cost of your communication. What's more, when combined with other key performance indicators (KPI's) such as click-through rateconversion rate can help you improve your communication, sharpen your hooks, refine the way you segment your contact base and, ultimately, boost your sales.

How do I know if my SMS campaign has generated conversions?

As a SaaS SMS sending platform, smsmode^©provides a large amount of data (reception rate, click rate on smsmode short links, etc.).^©The SMS can be used to track the number of messages sent (e.g. sending errors, responses, unsubscriptions, etc.). But unlike a website, SMS in itself doesn't allow you to track your prospects from message reception to purchase action. Calculating the conversion rate of an SMS campaign can therefore seem complicated.

However, there are a number of techniques you can use to find out whether your SMS campaign has been successful, and there's no need to track your customers' every move. Here are a few scenarios you can use to determine a campaign's conversion rate:

Evaluating the conversion rate of an SMS campaign: for an e-commerce site

Using a promotional code: include a code in your marketing message. If it's dedicated to your SMS campaign, you'll get instant feedback on the conversion attributed to your action: every purchase made with the code is a conversion triggered by your campaign.
Integration of a link to a dedicated page or a tracking URL: the link can lead to a landing page created for this purpose, or contain tracking options (source, support...). From this entry point, you can track your customers' behavior in the classic way, right up to a potential conversion.
Use RCS, the new conversion-accelerating channel : this new type of message offers a double advantage. Firstly, the addition of carousels, buttons and clickable images/links makes your offer more attractive, in terms of both aesthetics and customer experience, and these features also give you the possibility of tracking the customer journey like a tracking URL.

For a physical shop

Promo code : this method works equally well for e-commerce and offline retailers. Codes presented at checkout by your customers allow you to count the number of conversions achieved by your campaign.
Incentive text messages : based on the same principle as the promotional code, encourage your customers to present a SMS at the checkout to benefit from a discount. You can then compare the number of SMS sent with the number of discounts granted for this reason.
The landing-page solution This solution from smsmode^© allows you to benefit from the attributes of a website without having to create one. With the landing-page solution, you can integrate e-booking as well as maps, buttons and contact forms. Choose the objectives you want to achieve, then easily calculate your conversion rate at the end of the campaign.

SMS : the No. 1 channel for conversion

Marketing Charts has carried out a comparative study of the conversion rates of the different acquisition channels (note that clicking on a link can also be an objective, and this is surely one of the most achievable, with an average of 30%).

In this study, the average conversion rate for marketing via SMS is 29%.

Measured against similar objectives, the conversion rate of SMS is much higher than that of other digital marketing channels:

How to improve the conversion rate of your campaigns SMS

Personalise your message

You probably know that personalization is important. The Marketing Charts study revealed that visitors who viewed three pages of personalized content had a conversion rate twice as high (3.4%) as those who viewed two (1.7%).

While personalizing web content and landing pages can be complicated, sending a personalized SMS is child's play. You can address your customers by their first name, or by their title if you operate in B2B. With smsmode^© And the direct mail optioneverything is customizable!

Include a clear call to action (CTA)

Traditional SMS only offer 160 characters, so you need to communicate clearly with your prospects. The call to action must be immediately visible to your recipient. Remember that only the first few words of a text message are visible before the SMS is opened. So it's essential to communicate the subject of the text in the very first sentence. Otherwise, you run the risk of the message being deleted without being read.

Use A/B tests for SMS

This is a well-known technique for sales pages to determine which advertisement or text has generated the most responses.

You can replicate this technique on your SMS campaigns: test different catchphrases, different products, different targets...

You can then keep what works best, or even create marketing automation scenarios or a conversion tunnel, where the achievement of one objective leads to another, with the act of purchase as the ultimate goal. You can also test a small group/segment to detect any problems.

Conclusion

The days when advertising was limited to billboards, newspaper ads or TV commercials are long gone. Marketing has become a major budget item for most companies, and it's only natural to want to know exactly how much your marketing campaign has earned. Calculating the conversion rate of your SMS campaigns will enable you to know your return on investmentbut also to realize that SMS is one of the best channels for converting.

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March 28, 2025 - 9 min read

Protecting yourself from OTP fraud

Romain Didelot

Introduction

A new type of fraud is gaining ground for web services that use SMS OTP identity verification. It's called " SMS PUMPING" or "Artificially Inflated Traffic". Fraudsters generate large volumes of SMS from mobile applications or websites, by sending massive verification codes. According to a study by Mobilesquared, this fraud accounted for more than 20% of global business SMS traffic in 2022. Find out how you can protect yourself from this type of fraud and how smsmode^© can help.

How does SMS Pumping work?

Fraudsters use various methods, including bots, to generate false requests via SMS. For example, they create fake accounts on an application or website, request password updates, click on "forgot password", etc. They take advantage of the presence of a telephone number input field to receive a one-time access code (OTP ), a download link or any other type of content delivered by SMS. If this verification form is not monitored, fraudsters can exploit it to generate fraudulent SMS traffic from your account.

In the majority of cases, attackers use their bot to mass-fill a field or form to "validate" these fake accounts, which triggers the sending of an SMS.

The SMS are sent to numbers over which the fraudsters have "control", enabling them to obtain a share of the revenues generated by this Artificially Inflated Traffic ( SMS ).

If you suffer such an attack, as the owner of the application, you will probably be forced to pay the bill for message delivery. The aim of this fraud is to make money, not to steal information.

There are two ways to make a profit with this type of fraud:

Case n°1

Fraudsters benefit from a partner operator/aggregator, with whom they have concluded a revenue-sharing agreement. They generate massive shipments of SMS to these operators, and divide the revenues among themselves.

Case n°2

An operator/aggregator is unknowingly exploited by the fraudsters.

In the second case, small operators or aggregators are paid by larger players for the volume of traffic they can allow to pass through. A fraudster can therefore create a fake company and promise a large amount of traffic (which he will make himself). The small operator/aggregator may not seek to know the source of the traffic and ends up supporting the fraud.

As you can see, in both cases, this type of fraud is more likely to occur among smaller operators. It's also common for these traffic anomalies to originate from far-flung destinations , as some international destinations have higher delivery costs and are therefore more profitable for fraudsters (and more costly for victim companies).

But businesses aren't the only losers in this story. OTP authentication fraud is a problem for the entire messaging ecosystem.

Operators and aggregators can hardly take action without the validation of their customers, which reduces the scope of action against this fraud and leads to a loss of credibility as well as a legitimate frustration for their impacted customers.

How to determine if you are a victim of an attack?

This fraud can go completely undetected, only becoming apparent after comparing the volume of messages delivered with the number of actual authentications.

However, there are a number of things that can tip you off:

What actions can be taken to protect yourself?

Although there is no miracle protection against this new type of fraud, companies can implement a few good prevention and detection practices that can significantly reduce these attacks. Involving customers is key to effectively combating fraudNo vendor-side solution can guarantee 100% effectiveness against these attacks. smsmode^© can support you in implementing these best practices, and also provide a range of features to drastically limit fraud.

GUIDE

2FA best practices by SMS

Two-factor authentication (2FA) via SMS has become a widespread way of improving security. However, these SMS 2FA must be optimized, and your supplier must guarantee a high level of security.

IP control

Add additional checks on IP, user or device identifiers when a new user creates an account (ISP/proxy/TOR/cloud provider, etc.). This allows you to identify suspicious behavior and take action before the fraudster requests that a message be sent.

You can also limit the number of SMS request attempts from the same IP address or device and include a latency in the requests, e.g. one password reset per hour, etc.

VPN monitoring and detection

While there are legitimate use cases for VPNs, attackers will surely use one, if only to circumvent an IP address block. There are many solutions for VPN detection.

Detecting bots

Fraudsters are likely to use bots to generate large volumes of SMS. Using a feature like CAPTCHA can help detect and prevent bots from repeating requests.

Set up a "pre-audit" system

Avoid making SMS your first and only authentication device. This type of process certainly adds a step to creation and therefore a little friction for legitimate users, but can deter automated scripts and bots. For example, you can ensure that your users confirm their e-mail address before their telephone number.

Set server limits and service rates

Ensure that your application will not send more than one message every X seconds to the same mobile number range or prefix. Set up throughput limits per user, IP or device ID.

You can set up rules that restrict the number of requests allowed from a specific IP address or user over a given period by implementing modules in your web server such as Nginx and Apache to limit the rate or frequency of requests to your server.

Set sending limits

You can set several types of limits in collaboration with your smsmode^© account manager:

Establish exponential delays between audit attempts

Setting exponential delays between requests made with the same phone number is an effective way of preventing mass mailing. They may not prevent fraud, but they can slow attackers down enough for them to decide it's not worth attacking your application.

Implement geographic permissions to restrict destination countries

Review the geographical zones in which authentication on your application is possible, and disable all destinations not eligible for your services (most cases occur in countries where brands are not present).

You can also create a list of automatic authorizations or blocks based on the phone number's country code.

Check phone number before sending with smsmode^©

Use our API Lookup to obtain all information on the phone number used for authentication (country code, type of number, network, etc.).

You can also automate this API request. Lookup can help you identify the operator(s) responsible for excessive traffic (knowingly or unknowingly), so you can block them.

Monitor unique access code (OTP) conversion rates and create alerts

Create an alert in your internal monitoring tool for the authentication conversion rate (i.e., number of OTP validated by end users / number of OTP sent). If you notice that this rate starts to drop abnormally, especially if the OTP requests come from an unexpected country, trigger an alert for a manual review.

An analysis of the DLRs received from ^smsmode© may enable you to block the service if you suspect one or more numbers.

What should you do if you suspect fraud on your smsmode account?

Send an e-mail to smsmode
with the following details:

Account ID:

Channel(s) concerned:

Date and time range:

Destination countries SMS :

Business Description:

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March 18, 2025 - 8 min read

SMS vs Push Notifications

Romain Didelot

Introduction

82.8% of people under 60 have a smartphone (Insee), and we spend an average of 3.6 hours a day using mobile applications. So, to reach your customers at the right time and in the right place, you can't do without the two most important mobile information channels: SMS and push notification.

But what type of message is best suited to your business? What messaging should be used for different purposes? On what data should you base your decision?

The following guide is here to help you compare push notifications to SMS and understand which best meets your business challenges and your customers' needs. Whether it's to get a message across quickly, boost engagement, sales or loyalty; explore the distinctions between SMS and push notifications, their respective strengths, KPIs, and use cases to choose the right communication channel for your business.

SMS and Push notifications. What's the difference?

There are important distinctions between these two channels, and they can have an impact on the effectiveness of your messaging strategy.

SMS (Short Message Service) lets you send text messages of up to 160 characters to your customers (longer messages can be sent, but several SMS are then counted). They appear in the device's native messaging application, unlike push notifications, which by their very nature require the installation of an application. What's more, SMS notifications can be sent to any cell phone.

Push notifications, on the other hand, are brief alerts triggered by an application that the customer has already downloaded. The user's phone must therefore be a smartphone. It's not necessarily necessary for the application to be active for the alert to appear, in the form of banners, alerts or pop-ups.

Benefits comparison: SMS vs. push notification

Opt-in

On both channels, it is necessary for users to have opted-in to receive messages. Until recently, it was still possible to start sending push notifications without recipients having to provide explicit written consent, but on IOS and Android from Android 13 onwards, consent is now mandatory.

In the case of SMS notifications, explicit consent generally implies that customers give their consent by providing their telephone number or by subscribing to a mailing list.

However, in terms of subscription rates, SMS and push notification are not the same! Subscription rates for push notifications vary from 0.5% to 15%, depending on the device and industry, while those for SMS approach 70%. (source: Mobile Services)

Visibility & Commitment

In a classic configuration, the SMS is visible on a locked screen and triggers a ringtone or vibration when received. This ensures maximum visibility. On receiving an SMS, users can read, click on a link or reply.

Push notifications can appear as a banner, on the lock screen or on unlocking. They can appear in a list, individually, or stacked with other notifications. Their display depends on your users' preferences. This means you have very little control over visibility, and it's easy to miss a push notification that's only visible for a few seconds.

In terms of engagement, push notifications still have some advantages over SMS. It can include action buttons, deep links and allows users to perform actions directly within the application. All without changing environment, for a seamless experience.

Memorization

Push notifications can easily be ignored or deleted without being read, whereas SMS are often opened and read immediately upon receipt (90% are read within 4 minutes). For important or urgent messages, SMS is therefore preferable.

User experience

SMS are familiar to most cell phone users. They are integrated into every phone's standard messaging application. On the other hand, recipients have less control over their preferences regarding your communications, and usually only have the option of subscribing or unsubscribing.

With push notifications, the user is king. They have a great deal of control over the type of notification they receive, how they receive them, and how the messages appear on their device.

Personalization

In both cases, companies can segment the user base to send targeted, personalized messages based on user preferences, behaviors or demographics. This makes it possible to deliver relevant, tailored messages, which in turn improves engagement.

When it comes to personalizing the messages themselves, SMS can include variables such as $name, $first name, $mail, $product... The text and potential links in the message can therefore be personalized according to these variables. SMS 's sender can also be personalized .

Push notifications, meanwhile, offer a more visual and interactive way of engaging with users. They can include rich media, such as images or videos, and can be personalized with brand elements to create an immersive experience.

Scope and accessibility

Notifications via SMS have a much wider reach than push notifications, as they can be received on any cell phone. If you want to target a wide audience, or customers who may not have installed your application, SMS is the ideal channel.

Push notifications, on the other hand, are limited to users who have installed the application and opted to receive notifications. Although push notifications offer a more targeted approach, they may not reach as many users as notifications via SMS.

It's also worth noting that SMS don't require an internet connection to be received, unlike push notifications, which do. This means that SMS can be used even with limited or unavailable internet connectivity, making it a more reliable option for reaching recipients in all situations.

Compatibility

SMS is compatible with all cell phones, from smartphones to basic laptops. Unlike push notifications, which often require specific applications or operating systems, SMS can reach a wider audience and ensure that all recipients can receive them.

IN BRIEF

Push notification or SMS ? The ultimate comparison

Push notification vs. SMS : The KPIs match-up

Open rate

SMS

98%

Push notification

7,8%

On this indicator, the figures speak for themselves. And since 90% of SMS are read within the first three minutes of being sent, you're almost certain to attract customers' attention to your message this way.

Please note, however, that it is possible to view and/or read a push notification without opening it, which inevitably has an impact on the rate. Moreover, opening the notification opens the application, even if the action was not desired by the user, which may give a reason for not wanting to open the notification.

Click-through rate

SMS

6,16% à 36%

Push notification

7,8%

(4.9% on iOS and 10.7% on Android)

As you've probably guessed, for notification purposes, click-through rate and open rate are the same thing, since clicking leads to opening. However, click-through rate, like conversion rate (29%), is a KPI where SMS comes out on top.

→ Read our article on SMS click-through rates

Delivery time

SMS

< 4 secondes

Push notification

instant

The delivery time of SMS depends on the channel used, the traffic at the time of sending and your recipient's operator.

As push notifications pass through the Internet data stream, the delay should be counted in milliseconds. Be careful, however, as Apple's push notification service (APNS) does not provide information on the delivery of your notification. Unlike your SMS service provider, who can tell you exactly which messages have been delivered.

Use cases for these two channels

It's the #1 decision factor for companies. Push and SMS notifications are not necessarily mutually exclusive, depending on the type of message and objective, the profile and preferences of the target audience, and the budget and resources available.

Push notifications

Visit SMS

* One Time Password. For security reasons, SMS is preferred for connections, transactions and sensitive information. Indeed, SMS ensures a deliverability rate of over 95%. Sending one-time passwords is more secure via SMS than via push notification.

Best practices for using each channel

Push Notifications

Avoid spam and excessive messaging (customers bothered by notifications may uninstall your application).
Added value in every notification
Segment users for optimal personalization

SMS

Respect the appropriate dispatch times
Keep messages short and clear
Include clear instructions for calls to action

GOING FURTHER

Discover the 10 keys to effective, profitable SMS campaigns.

Conclusion

SMS notifications and push notifications are both valuable tools for companies to reach their customers on mobile devices. While SMS notifications offer wider reach and immediate engagement, push notifications offer more interactive and personalized experiences within an app.

By understanding the differences between these communication channels, and taking into account your company's specific needs, you can now choose the right channel to effectively engage your customers and drive your business forward.

Whether you opt for SMS notifications, push notifications or a combination of both, maintaining a customer-centric approach and delivering relevant messages will be the key to success on mobile. It's up to you! 😉

SOURCES :

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February 06, 2025 - 5 min read

drive-to-store: the marketing strategy for stores

Romain Didelot

TL;DR

(summary)

SMS drive-to-store is an effective strategy for generating traffic at the point of sale, thanks to the power of SMS marketing: 95% read rate, easy personalization and rapid deployment.
By combining geo-targeting, incentive offers (promos, coupons, competitions) and follow-up, brands create a direct link between digital and physical stores. Simple, measurable, effective.

Introduction

The Internet has become a privileged point of contact between retailers and their potential customers. But in-store sales are not dead. It is evolving and benefiting from digital technology, particularly for its marketing and, more specifically, for bringing web users into physical stores. This practice is known as drive-to-store. Find out how to generate qualified traffic in-store with SMS marketing, and how this technique can boost your sales.

What is drive-to-store?

Drive-to-store refers to all the marketing actions implemented to generate in-store traffic. It brings together a variety of communication strategies, all converging on the same objective: to use prospects'/customers' geographical data to drive them to a physical store near them.

And drive-to-store isn't just an acquisition technique, it also (and above all) concerns loyal customers, about whom you already have useful information for running a targeted campaign in a geographical area. What's more, you already know their interest in your brand and your products.

Why conduct drive-to-store actions?

The consumer 's in-store experience, the physical interaction with the product and the expert advice offered by the sales assistant all mean that in-store sales still have a clear advantage over digital. However, digital is king in other areas: acquisition, targeting and interactivity. Drive-to-store lets you combine the strengths of both businesses to boost your sales.

Retailers who succeed in the ever-changing digital landscape are those who anticipate and adapt to marketing trends. This makes drive-to-store an essential investment. In fact, it accounts for 66% of French retail advertising budgets, or nearly 74 billion euros a year (source: hub institute).

Many consumers have a ROBO (Research Online Buy Offline) approach, and drive-to-store allows you to be the store where customers finally come to buy.

SUCCESS STORY

How to boost local business with SMS campaigns?

The drive-to-store benefits of SMS

The first advantage is control. SMS gives you cost control, agility and total independence in managing your campaign. In fact, it's possible to set up drive-to-store SMS campaigns whatever the size of your contact base and your business. SMS marketing can also be used for many other purposes, such as click and collect, e-booking, couponing, competitions, promotional codes or loyalty rewards...

Another important competitive advantage is that SMS is distinguished from other advertising channels by a number of KPIs:

STUDY

SMS marketing trends and key performances under the microscope

Discover our major study based on 745 million SMS sent.

How to run a successful drive-to-store SMS campaign

Good targeting

The first step is to qualify your database. To maximize your chances of success, you need to segment your contacts according to their geographical location (city, department, postal code of your customers/prospects). You can also further segment your database by selecting consumers according to purchasing habits, inactivity time, loyalty points, etc.

An offer adapted to your objective

Choose your strategy according to your sector of activity, the size of your company and the objectives you wish to achieve:

Highlight an exceptional discount that encourages people to go to sales or private sales.
Send an Enriched SMS with a geolocation link to announce a store (re)opening.
Use purchasing habits and the direct mail option (variable messages) to promote a specific product that has just (re)appeared on your shelves.
Send an SMS with a link to a competition or an exclusive promo code giving access to discounts to boost your visits.
Communicate a special offer for loyal customers to pamper them.
Redirect your targets to a mobile landing page for Click and Collect or e-booking, to drive additional in-store visits and sales.
Include a countdown timer on your landing page to create a sense of urgency.

GOING FURTHER

Documentation on SMS enriched

Extend the mobile experience with rich SMS , for interactive, multimedia exchanges

The different drive-to-store strategies

Even if the goal is the same, there are different approaches to drive-to-store (and different results 😉 ). Some methods are search-oriented, such as :

Other techniques on display :

Unfortunately, most of these techniques have their drawbacks. First of all, there's the lack of information about the target. For most of these actions, we know nothing about the consumer, his intentions, his relationship with the brand...

Then there's the cost. Whether it's a product that needs to be installed on your website (like the product locator), developing your presence in search results or running large-scale advertising campaigns, a lot of investment in time and/or money will be required, with conversion not always forthcoming.

To overcome these problems, you need to be able to aggregate data on your prospects (zip code, town, telephone number, e-mail) and use a channel where your advertising cannot be missed, without the cost being prohibitive.

You can collect information in a number of ways: tracking browsers, filling in forms, creating online or in-store customer accounts...

The most effective channel for distributing your advertising is SMS !

How to measure the impact of my drive-to-store campaign

Of course, the aim is to generate in-store traffic, but you also need to be able to measure the impact of your campaign. Performance analysis will need to combine online and offline information. The best way to do this is to integrate a specific element into your promotional offer. This can take the form of a barcode, a QR code or a special visual. When your customer visits the store, he'll present this code to benefit from a promotion. For your part, you can collect the relevant data to measure the impact of your campaign and learn more about purchasing behavior: sales generated by the campaign, purchase times, conversion rate, product type, number of units per ticket...

All this data will allow you to know if your campaign was a success, but also to determine the type of customers who are sensitive to drive-to-store, the most attractive items or the most appropriate type of message.

The incremental visit

The incremental visit is an increasingly popular type of analysis for calculating the impact of a drive-to-store strategy. It compares the behavior of two groups of users segmented according to their exposure to the advertising campaign (control group or NON-exposed group VS exposed group). The analysis carried out over a given time interval is used to determine theuplift, i.e. the variation in the number of visits attributed to the drive-to-store campaign.

Drive-to-store: a numerical success

3 out of 4 consumers say they complete their orders in shop. (Samsung smart Retail study)
8 out of 10 French people have the "digital reflex" to prepare their purchases online before going to the point of sale. (arcep)
76% of smartphone users who have received a communication from SMS have already visited a point of sale following this communication. (MMAF)
Drive-to-store accounts for 58% of total retail advertising spend (The State of Drive-to-Store Advertising 2019″ conducted by IHS Markit)

What about drive-to-web?

If drive-to-store uses different channels to generate in-store visits, drive-to-web works on the same principle, with the aim of generating traffic to your website.

Although certain techniques differ, advertising via SMS remains highly effective for drive-to-web. For example, it's possible to direct consumers to your products by sending them a Rich SMS containing a link to your website.

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

January 14, 2025 - 5 min read

The click-through rate of SMS

Romain Didelot

Introduction

Inserting a link in a SMS ad generates traffic to your website and encourages your customers to make a purchase. The click-through rate is therefore one of the most important performance indicators of a communication campaign. And as with many other KPIs and statistics (conversion, ROI...), SMS is the n°1 channel for mobile marketing..

Find out what click-through rate you can expect with a marketing SMS but also how to calculate, analyze and optimize this key indicator.

What is the click-through rate?

The "click-through rate" or "CTR" (Click Through Rate) is the percentage of people who clicked on a link after seeing it (clicks/impressions). For SMS, this statistic is derived from the number of recipients who clicked on the link contained in SMS, divided by the number of people who opened SMS.

For example, if 10 customers receive your brand's SMS and 2 of them click on the URL, the click-through rate is 20%.

How to calculate a campaign's click-through rate SMS

The formula is quite simple.

Let's say you sent 500 SMS to 500 different telephone numbers. Of these recipients, 50 actually clicked on the link in your SMS. This means your click-through rate is 10%. 50 divided by 500 equals 10%.

To obtain this statistic, the challenge lies rather in your ability to know the number of clicks on the URL. While this data is often available within a sponsored links, emailing or social ads campaign, few SMS providers give you access to these statistics.

At smsmode^©, we enable you to calculate click-through rates natively with the URL shortener function smsmode^©.

How does it work? Instead of using a classic URL in your SMS, you first shorten the link with the "URL shortener" function smsmode^©. Once the link has been shortened, you can place it in your message.

Thanks to this function, not only do you save characters, but after sending your SMS, you'll be able to see in real time how many customers clicked on the link.

The Rich SMS function, including a Landing-Page editor and URL shortener available by subscription, goes even further.

It allows you to :

TO FIND OUT MORE

The power of a mobile web page for your SMS campaigns

If you don't use the short link generator smsmode^©The tracking of link data from your SMS messages can only be done using analysis software such as Google Analytics, in order to be able to analyze the results and performance of each campaign. In this case, be sure to set up filters on your links to ensure that clicks come from your campaigns SMS.

Unfortunately, adding UTMs will make your URLs endless, which lengthens and confuses your communication, not to mention the sense of mistrust that the link may cause.

What is a good click-through rate for a SMS campaign?

There is no hard and fast rule for what constitutes a good CTR. A satisfactory CTR depends mainly on the objectives set by the company. Each campaign has its own requirements.

A single click that leads to a conversion and therefore a sale can sometimes be enough, as this sale can cover your costs and match the expectations of your marketing campaign SMS. Other customers may need a CTR of more than 10% to generate a sufficient number of leads that would lead to an appropriate amount of new business being generated subsequently.

What is the average click-through rate on SMS ?

Statistics on this point vary greatly depending on the source:

According to a 2012 study by Signal, the average click-through rate for marketing via SMS is 6.16%. The data came from 20 SMS marketing campaigns ranging in size from 5,000 to 2.5 million recipients.
In 2013, Dymark published a report on mobile marketing click-through rates. In this analysis of nearly a billion SMS across 1,500 mobile networks and a multitude of countries, the click-through rate for retail was 8% and for entertainment 14%.
According to MessageDesk, for a SMS containing a link, the average click-through rate is around 36%.

From what smsmode^© has observed in various campaigns in France, the click-through rate for SMS marketing is between 6% and 16%..

STUDY

SMS trends and key performances under the microscope

Discover our major study based on 745 million SMS sent.

One thing is certain: whatever the data used, click-through rate, like conversion and ROIis yet another KPI where SMS comes out on top. Even 6% seems huge compared to email marketing (2.80%), sponsored links (1.98%) and social network advertising (0.05%) (source: tatango.com).

And it's up to you to make these averages your minimum 😉.

How can you optimize the click-through rate of your SMS ?

Let's start by sweeping aside the obvious: including links in SMS is the best way to get clicks. Without links, the recipient of your messages has nothing to click on and nowhere to go.

Assert your brand identity

A low click-through rate is often due to mistrust on the part of the recipient. To reassure them, remember to correctly identify yourself as the sender of the message. The best way to do this is to personalize your Sender ID. Otherwise, at the very least, mention your brand name in the body of the SMS message.

Another good practice is to preserve your brand in the link. Unknown URLs can be perceived as spam. This can affect your performance.

Watch the number of characters in your message

A SMS is limited to 160 characters. If your link or message is too long, you risk incurring additional charges, or even sending a truncated SMS if you're using an API and there's a configuration or query fault (nbr_message=1 for example).

Also take into account the mandatory presence of the STOP sign SMS.

Use line breaks

The line break costs you only one character, but it saves you structure. These line breaks make your communication clearer, more professional and allow you to present your link as a real CTA.

Personalise your message

The more personalized a message is to your consumers, the higher the click-through rate.

Some ideas for personalization:

GOING FURTHER

Discover the 10 keys to effective, profitable SMS campaigns.

View link preview images and optimize your statistics with RCS

Have you ever heard of RCS? This new messaging protocol is a revolution in mobile marketing. It enables many things, including personalized previews. To benefit from this preview, all you have to do is set a title, description and image when you create your link, and then insert it into your SMS messages.

Statistics soar with RCS! We've seen clicks and conversions 3X higher on RCS campaigns.

The next KPI

You now have all the keys you need to calculate and optimize the click-through rate of your campaigns. The next KPI to optimize is conversion rate SMSThis will enable you to calculate the conversion rate of each campaign, giving you a clear view of the return on investment of your SMS marketing campaigns.

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

January 13, 2025 - 7 min read

The KPIs of SMS

Romain Didelot

Introduction

Measuring marketing performance is fundamental to understanding the effectiveness of your actions and maximizing your ROI. In this respect campaigns SMS are no exception, and include specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as delivery rate, open rate and click-through rate (CTR), which need to be known and analyzed. Not only do they enable you to measure the effectiveness of your communications, they also enable you to identify optimization opportunities to ensure that your messages reach the target audience and provoke the desired engagement.

Defining a KPI

A KPI, or key performance indicator, is a quantified figure that reflects the extent to which an objective has been achieved. These KPIs can vary according to what you want to measure: the growth of your contact list, the sales generated by your campaigns, customer engagement, etc. KPIs must be SMART, i.e. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. For example, a SMART KPI might be: increase the conversion rate of my SMS campaigns by 10% in 6 months.

The importance of KPIs in campaigns SMS

SMS marketing is a highly effective lever for companies. It's short (160 characters), instantaneous (average reading time 90 seconds) and personal (perceived as a private message). SMS has an opening rate of 98%, a response rate of 45% and a conversion rate of 29% on average. These figures are well above those of other channels such as e-mail, which has an average open rate of 20%, a response rate of 6% and a conversion rate of 3%.

These specificities mean that the choice of indicators must take into account the nature of SMS and its impact on the customer. Properly determining the indicators to track enables you to evaluate the performance of a campaign and optimize future ones based on customer feedback. They also enable you to improve the benchmark KPI: return on investment (ROI), by comparing the cost of sending SMS to the sales generated by the campaign.

Which indicator should you choose for SMS Marketing?

To determine which indicators to track, you first need to define your marketing objectives. What is the aim of your campaign? Building customer loyalty, encouraging them to buy, informing them, getting them to take part in a competition, etc.? Next, you need to identify the indicators that will enable you to measure the effectiveness of your strategy. For example, if your objective is to build customer loyalty, you can use the retention rate, the reactivity rate or the churn rate.

GOING FURTHER

SMS or email? The ultimate comparison

The 6 main KPIs of the SMS

What are the main KPIs to track for your campaigns SMS ? How do you calculate and interpret them? What factors influence these indicators?

Discover the 6 essential KPIs of SMS.

Delivery rate: 1st performance indicator

The delivery rate is the first indicator to take into account. It corresponds to the number of SMS received in relation to the number of SMS sent. It is calculated as follows:

Delivery rate (%) = (Number of SMS delivered / Number of SMS sent) x 100

The delivery rate is essential, as it reflects the quality of your contact base, the routing capacity of your SMS platform and the availability of the network. If your deliverability is low, it means you're losing part of your audience and wasting resources. A good delivery rate is over 98%.

To improve your delivery rate, you need to :

Open rate: a measure of initial commitment

The open rate is the percentage of SMS opened by recipients in relation to the number of SMS delivered:

Open rate (%) = (Number of SMS opened / Number of SMS delivered) x 100

The open rate is a measure of your contacts' initial engagement. It indicates whether your message has aroused interest and curiosity. It is influenced by the relevance of your message, the time and day it was sent, and the sender's name. A good open rate is over 95%.

To improve it, you can :

The click-through rate (CTR): evaluating the effectiveness of Call-to-Actions

The click-through rate (CTR) represents the proportion of messages that have generated a click on a link, in relation to the number of SMS opened:

Click-through rate (%) = (Number of clicks / Number of SMS opened) x 100

The click-through rate is an evaluation of the effectiveness of your Call-to-Action (CTA). It indicates whether your enriched message has prompted your recipients to take action, by directing them to your website, application, product sheet, form, etc. It depends on the quality of your offer, the clarity of your call-to-action and the trust placed in your message. It depends on the quality of your offer, the clarity of your call to action and the trust placed in your message and URL. A good click-through rate is above 10%.

There are several factors to take into account to improve this rate:

GOING FURTHER

Discover the 10 keys to effective SMS campaigns

Conversion rate: the culmination of marketing efforts

The conversion rate measures the percentage of SMS that have resulted in the achievement of the desired objective, such as a purchase, registration, download, etc. It's the culmination of your marketing strategy. It indicates whether your SMS campaign has achieved its objectives and generated sales for your company.

Its calculation is as follows: Next :

Conversion rate (%) = (Number of conversions / Number of SMS delivered) x 100

Many factors influence it, such as the added value of your proposition, the ease of the buying process and the recipient's trust in your brand. A good conversion rate is above 5%. With SMS it can be very high.

Here are some tips on how to improve it:

Churn: understanding audience loss

The unsubscribe rate corresponds to the number of SMS s that triggered an unsubscribe request in relation to the number of SMS s delivered:

Churn rate (%) = (Number of churns / Number of SMS delivered) x 100

It's an indicator of customer satisfaction with your marketing. If your mailings are perceived as useful and interesting, it will remain close to zero. On the contrary, if your communications are perceived as intrusive, inappropriate or undesirable, it could soar. A good churn rate is less than 1%.

Some best practices to reduce your churn rate :

R.O.I.: the king of KPIs

ROI (for Return On Investment) is a way of assessing the profitability of an investment, taking into account the money invested in a campaign and the money earned as a result. It's the most interesting KPI for an entrepreneur, because it lets you know whether an action is profitable, which is the basis for commercial success.

The R.O.I. formula

R.O.I = (revenues - costs) / costs x 100.

The ROI of SMS is influenced by a number of parameters, such as the place of SMS in your strategy, the quality of your mailing list, the message, the offer and your user experience. The average ROI for SMS is over 3000%.

To optimize the ROI of your campaigns SMS :

GOING FURTHER

Find inspiration at SMS .

60 original examples for high-ROI campaigns.

Analyze and optimize your campaigns using the KPIs of the SMS

Using data is the key to getting better at mobile marketing. To do this effectively, you need to follow a rigorous, iterative process, which breaks down into four steps:

This process needs to be repeated regularly, to ensure continuous improvement of your campaigns, and to adapt to changes in the market and your customers' needs.

Analyze and optimize your campaigns using the KPIs of the SMS

Pitfalls to avoid in interpretation

Interpreting KPIs is not an exact science, and can be subject to error, bias and misunderstanding. To avoid these pitfalls, adopt a critical and objective approach, respecting a few basic principles:

Don't focus on a single KPI: take into account all the indicators to get a global and coherent vision.
Compare comparable data: make sure you use the same criteria, methods and sources to avoid distortions and inconsistencies (A/B testing).
Don't confuse correlation with causation : check whether the observed links between variables are really significant.
Avoid hasty conclusions: rely on sufficient, reliable and representative data to avoid generalizations and approximations.
Take into account the context: such as seasonality, competition, or events that can influence the results of your campaigns.

By adhering to these principles, you'll be able to interpret your results more accurately and avoid analysis errors that could harm your performance.

GOING FURTHER

Boost your mass mailings. 4 effective actions.

Discover all the communication possibilities offered by mobile mass marketing campaigns.

Conclusion

SMS KPIs are important to your success, as they enable you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your SMS campaign. They enable you to test and validate hypotheses through data-controlled experiments, as well as learn about your customers' journeys, profiles and behavior. With them, you have all the keys you need for effective, relevant communication. Now all you have to do is exploit their findings for your future campaigns SMS.

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

January 12, 2025 - 6 min read

Return on investment : SMS is ROI

Romain Didelot

Introduction

There are two essential questions for any company: How much do you make? How much does it cost? ROI (Return On Investment) is the indicator that provides a precise answer to these two questions. Among KPIs SMSROI is the benchmark, as it is in all sectors. And when it comes to R.O.I., SMS comes out on top. Follow the guide.

Discover the benefits, options, parameters, creation and follow-up of surveys via SMS to optimize participation rates and the reliability of the data collected, while improving the customer experience.

What is the ROI of SMS ?

On average, €1 spent on SMS generates €50 in sales. The return on investment for SMS is therefore 4900%.

It has to be said, however, that this figure is an average. The profitability of this mobile marketing strategy depends on many variable factors:

High response rate

This is the major advantage of SMS surveys: the opening rate of SMS (98%), ensuring almost guaranteed visibility. This high open rate translates into a very significant customer response rate (often around 45%), far superior to that of e-mail or other more traditional survey methods. This efficiency favors the acquisition of a large number of quality responses. And the uniqueness of the telephone number improves the reliability of the data collected and the results obtained.

Generally speaking, SMS is the most cost-effective communication medium.

Why is the ROI of SMS so high?

There are several reasons why SMS is a particularly ROI-producing channel. Firstly, the costs associated with mailings are relatively low compared with most marketing channels (the unit cost of SMS is between 3 and 7 cents). Secondly, a number of KPIs work in SMS 's favor:

With SMS 's low cost and high engagement, it's only logical that its performance is second to none.

How can I accurately calculate the R.O.I. of my shipments?

Calculating the return on investment of SMS is similar to all ROI calculations. You need to determine how much you have spent (on marketing actions, advertising, etc.), so that you can prioritize the most profitable investments in the future.

To do this, subtract the money invested from the profits, then divide the resulting amount by the cost of the investment. The result is then multiplied by 100 to express the ratio as a percentage.

ROI formula: R.O.I = (revenues - costs) / costs x 100.

It's a good idea to monitor the performance of your SMS campaigns using analysis and measurement tools to know how profitable your actions are.

For example, determine the costs associated with your SMS communication, including mailing costs, mailing list management, content creation, etc.

Then track conversions and sales generated. This can be done using tools such as Google Analytics, which track link clicks and conversions.

For your marketing strategy SMS, you need at least the following data to calculate your R.O.I:

(The price per SMS multiplied by the number of messages sent gives you the cost of the investment, the sales figure gives you the associated revenue)

Simulate your return on investment in 3 clicks

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Calculation examples

My SMS campaign costs 1,000 euros and generates 10,000 euros in sales.

(10 000 € - 1 000 €) / 1 000 € x 100 = 900 %

This means that every euro invested in campaign generated 9 euros in revenue.

It's important to note that ROI should not be considered an absolute measure of the success of a marketing initiative. Other factors such as the reach of your communication, information gathered on the quality of the mailing list, impact on user experience and customer satisfaction must also be taken into account when assessing the overall success of an action.

Customer case study: the R.O.I of a "Panda Tea" SMS campaign

Our customer Panda Tea decided to launch a marketing campaign at SMS. The campaign targeted 20,000 recipients, at a total cost of around €1,000. At the end of this operation, 2926 customers made one or more purchases, bringing the profit from this marketing campaign to €64,372.

(64372 - 1000) / 1000 x 100 = 6337,2%

Every euro spent by Panda Tea on the SMS campaign generated €63.37.

SUCCESS STORY

Panda Tea triples its R.O.I with RCS, the new-generation SMS

Calculating ROI for a physical store

For a store, the ROI calculation doesn't change. The biggest difference with the web lies in the way you discover the revenue generated by your mailings.

You'll need to be clever, for example, by adding a promo code specific to your action in your text, or by indicating that you need to show the SMS received at the checkout to benefit from your offer.

How can I optimize the ROI of my campaigns?

To improve the profitability of your SMS campaigns, you will need to review the various performance indicators at your disposal in detail, in order to determine what can be optimized:

- Delivery rate: The percentage of your shipments delivered successfully. It informs you about the quality of the telephone number database used. If it's not satisfactory, clean up your your mailing list.

- Open rate: The percentage of delivered messages that have been opened. It gives you an idea of the effectiveness of your Sender ID and first line of text. If your openings aren't up to standard, you can choose a more impactful tagline for your next action.

- Click-through rate: The percentage of SMS opened messages that have generated a click on a link included in the message. It indicates the effectiveness of your content. To optimize it, aim to write content that engages your customers and an optimal URL or button to generate actions.

- Conversion rate: The percentage of recipients who have carried out the desired action (purchase, registration, contact request, etc.). This is the ultimate indicator of the effectiveness of your communication in generating commercial results.

- Cost per conversion: The average cost of each conversion, calculated by dividing the total cost of the campaign by the number of conversions generated. It is useful for observing the profitability of your actions in relation to your margin.

By using these key performance indicators, you can make decisions based on accurate data and really improve results in the future.

smsmode^© the ideal partner to boost your ROI

Calculating ROI isn't difficult. Getting all the information you need to make an accurate calculation, however, can be time-consuming. With smsmode©, your enriched campaigns (SMS + URL link with or without landing page) can be precisely monitored!

In your customer area, you have access to all essential data in real time. The number of SMS received, their status, but above all: the number of clicks on each link(s). This information is vital for calculating, for example, your average basket, conversions, clicks... In order to know precisely all the elements that have an impact on ROI.

This integrated solution allows you to calculate your ROI in a simple way, without having to dig through a multitude of different tools to find the data you need to calculate your profitability.

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

January 10, 2025 - 6 min read

Send surveys by SMS

Romain Didelot

Introduction

Surveys via SMS are a powerful tool for conducting surveys and collecting votes or feedback from your customers or employees with unrivalled efficiency and speed. With over 95% open rates and up to 40% response rates, these messages outperform traditional methods, enabling instant, confidential feedback for surveys or customer satisfaction assessment. Unlike e-mail, which is often ignored or turned into spam, SMS messages guarantee easy reading and instant interaction, whether it's a link sent via mobile message or the use of text messages to send questions to respondents.

The advantages of SMS

Fast, easy access

SMS messages are read within 4 minutes of being received on the customer's phone in 95% of cases. This instantaneous aspect enables real-time information gathering, which is essential for a company that needs to survey an up-to-date database quickly. The ease with which participants can access the vote and complete surveys via SMS, either by clicking on a link or by replying directly to the message, increases the participation rate and the quality of the customer experience.

High response rate

Accessibility on various mobile devices

The high accessibility of SMS surveys, available without an app and compatible with all cell phone models, eliminates technological barriers and makes it possible to reach a vast audience. Whether your target audience is a student, professional or senior citizen, SMS is an effective way of gathering opinions, information and feedback.

GOING FURTHER

SMS or email? The ultimate comparison

How to create your survey: SMS

1- Define the survey objective

The first essential step before launching your survey at SMS is to clearly define its purpose. Whether the aim is to assess customer satisfaction, collect opinions on a product or service, or conduct an analysis of your audience's expectations and preferences, a precise definition of this objective will enable you to formulate appropriate questions and interpret the responses effectively.

Identifying this objective also helps to select the target audience and adapt the message to optimize the participation rate, analysis and customer experience.

2- Designing effective questions

No survey is complete without questions. For questions to encourage people to vote, they need to be simple, brief and to the point, to avoid ambiguity and ensure that respondents understand them. Opt for closed questions (yes/no, multiple choice) for simplified data analysis, or open questions for more in-depth feedback.

Limit the number of questions as much as possible to keep participants' interest and prevent the lassitude that can result from an excessively long questionnaire.

3- Choosing the right SMS management platform

The success of your SMS survey also depends on the choice of method, tools and platform for sending SMS. It's essential to choose a tool that offers functionalities adapted to your company, such as contact import, personalization, mass mailing of SMS, the possibility for respondents to reply to messages, and response analysis.

smsmode^© allows you, for example, to design and distribute your surveys and benefit from automation features to facilitate sending and follow-up. Our platform integrates with your existing systems through API Yes plugins SMSto become one with your CRM or ERP tool, for simple, total data management.

smsmode^©

4- SMS campaign configuration

This is where the technical part begins.

Prepare your contact list
Make sure you have recipients' consent to send them SMS. Import your contact database in XLS or CSV format onto our SMS platform. Depending on your objectives, you can include all your contacts or target a specific segment.

Check contact list
Check that phone numbers are valid and eliminate duplicates in your database to prevent multiple mailings and maximize the effectiveness of your campaign. With smsmode^©this operation is performed automatically.

Scheduling your dispatch
Scheduling your SMS dispatch is also essential. You have the freedom to send messages immediately or to schedule a specific date and time for optimum impact, in line with your recipients' habits.

5- Sending the survey and managing responses

There are several techniques, with varying degrees of integration, for carrying out a survey via SMS. The choice depends on your preferences and technical environment.

External method

This is the technique that comes first. Once your campaign is ready, you distribute your SMS with the survey link inside. This is called a Rich SMS. Several platforms, free, freemium or paid, allow you to edit a survey. Make sure that the survey (web) page is responsive, so that respondents can fill in the survey without difficulty.

Some online survey tools :

SMS response method

Making it easier to answer increases the participation rate, so why not carry out the entire survey via SMS ? smsmode^© enables recipients to respond directly via SMS , making it easier to collect feedback and boosting participation.

By using keywords or short codes for your SMS responsesyou make the process intuitive and fast for users, reducing friction and increasing the likelihood of participation. Analyzing responses is easy from our platform, where you can export the messages received to give you a clear and intuitive overview of the results. You can also set up an API call to filter votes from your URL callback destination.

Time2chat method (virtual number)

The use of a virtual send and receive number (Time2chat) works in a similar way to SMS . The number allows you to receive responses in real time and to segment reactions systematically to centralize responses, making it easier to interact with your audience and organize data.

What's more, a virtual number can be used to personalize automatic responses, sending out personalized confirmations or thank-yous, which can boost engagement and satisfaction among participants.

To set this up, you need access to a virtual number management platform (such as smsmode^© 😉) and a stable API connection to integrate the service with your existing systems and aggregate the responses to your survey. You'll need to set up your API call with a differentiating ID to be able to aggregate the responses brought up by the URL callback.

TO FIND OUT MORE

Find out more about Time2Chat

Features, benefits, uses and pricing.

6- Analyze results

Once you've sent the message to your contact list via the chosen method, it's time to collect and analyze the responses. Responses should be automatically collected by the platform, so all you have to do is analyze them to finalize your survey and draw conclusions.

7- Follow and thank

Send a thank-you message to participants. Share any results or planned actions based on responses.

A few more tips

Write a clear invitation message

Include the purpose of the survey, instructions on how to complete it, and an estimate of the time required.

Example:

36037

Hello, take part in our quick survey by answering this question: Are you satisfied with our service? Answer YES or NO.

Optimize your timing

Send SMS at a time when recipients are likely to be reading it. Use your own experience or best practices in your sector as a guide.

Test before sending

Test the survey with a small group to detect any problems.

Don't share participants' personal information without their consent and ensure that the survey and each partner comply with the RGPD.

GOING FURTHER

Discover the 10 keys to effective, profitable SMS campaigns.

Conclusion

As we've seen, conducting an SMS survey is an effective way of gathering opinions quickly. With an impressive open rate and response rate, SMS is a great way to gather data. The ease and speed of access to SMS surveys, coupled with the compatibility of this channel, makes it perfectly suited to reaching a wide audience.

All that's left to do is choose a trusted SMS management platform and create your own surveys to benefit from a new, fast and efficient way of collecting opinions and gaining valuable insights. It's up to you!

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

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We look forward to hearing from you.

January 09, 2025 - 3 min read

Delivery applications and SMS

Elsa Paparone

Introduction

Meal delivery apps such as Uber Eats and Deliveroo have revolutionized the way we order and consume. Among the communication tools used by these platforms, the SMS pro plays a strategic role. This message is often underestimated in its impact on the user experience, but by informing customers of the status of their order, confirming delivery times or sharing personalized promotions, the SMS is an essential vector of customer satisfaction. The digital revolution in this sector is driven by the use of smartphones, but it's good old SMS that's doing the job.

Let's find out how these short, simple, yet powerful messages help to streamline the delivery process and strengthen user/customer loyalty.

The rise of "food delivery" players

Between 2019 and 2023, e-commerce in the food sector grew by almost 89% (NielsenIQ). This new mode of consumption has truly become part of our eating habits. Whether alone at home, with friends in the evening or at the office between lunch and dinner, the speed and quality of this service has not taken long to win over its customers.

Among the players in the sector, we find first of all the aggregators, which appeared almost 20 years ago, managing online order-taking, transfer to partner restaurants and delivery (JustEat, UberEats, deliveroo...). Then there are the pureplayers (Frichti, Foodchéri...), in other words those who prepare their own dishes and deliver them to the customer, followed by the major chains who deliver their own products (sushi shop, Domino's Pizza...).

All players in the delivery market have 2 things in common: food, of course, but also the sending of SMS. Let's find out how they use these messages.

What are the communication strategies for delivery?

SMS/Push notification

Notification by SMSpush notification lets you inform, warn and remind. It's a highly effective organizational and loyalty-building tool that you can quickly program via our API SMS or one of our plugins SMS for CRM.

Authentication by SMS

Validating a user's identity by SMS OTP is a widespread practice in e-commerce, particularly among food delivery operators. This message ensures the validity of the number, associates the number with an identified physical person, and extends the user experience on the smartphone used to place the order.

DELIVEROO

Outside the application or in addition to push notifications, customers are informed by SMS of the progress of their order and their delivery driver:

A highly satisfying customer experience. Customers are kept up to date with every stage of their delivery by message, making for a stress-free experience.

JUST EAT

For added security, each order is validated by SMS . However, between this order and its arrival at the customer's premises, "no news, good news" - in other words, no SMS is sent.

A minimalist multi-channel customer experience, but one in which SMS is nonetheless present.

UBER EATS

Uber already manages its cab fleet well, so it seems only natural that Uber eats should offer a more than satisfactory food delivery experience to its customers.

GOING FURTHER

Discover the 10 keys to effective, profitable SMS campaigns.

SMS marketing

SMS marketing is long-term, designed to attract customers' attention, encourage them to place orders, and reinforce their commitment to the application via various "highlights" and "special offers" notifications. Unlike notifications and SMS OTP, SMS marketing can be integrated into your communications without any special technical knowledge or automation.

Examples:

Limited-time promotion

[SenderID]

Fancy a feast tonight? 🍔 Get 20% off your order with code SAVORY20. Offer valid until midnight!

User reactivation

[SenderID]

Long time no see!
Come back and get €10 off your next order with the code WELCOME10. We'll be waiting for you!

Launch of a new restaurant

[SenderID]

New to discover! 🍣 Restaurant [Restaurant Name] is now on UberEats. Order today and receive €5 off with code NEWFLAVOR.

Incentive to order for a sporting event

[SenderID]

The match starts soon! 🏀 Order now and receive 2 free drinks with your meal. Use code GAMETIME at checkout.

Encouraging grouped orders

[SenderID]

Get your friends together for a pizza party! 🍕 Save 25% on orders over €50. Use code PIZZANIGHT.

Loyalty

[SenderID]

Thank you for your loyalty! 🎁 As a thank you, here's 10% off your next order. Use code THANKYOU10.

These SMS are designed to attract users' attention, encourage them to place an order, and reinforce their commitment to your application.

NEED MORE EXAMPLES?

All our examples of promotion, sale, private sale, welcome messages...

Why choose smsmode^© for your SMS mailing strategy?

Most of our customers come from the start-up world. This commercial orientation reflects our vision: to support our customers right from the start in using mobile messaging solutions that are agile, scalable and adapted to their needs.

Our teams put their expertise to work for your success, helping you to establish your mobile strategies for your SMS marketing campaigns and for your notification/reminder communications for appointments, order confirmations, etc..,

smsmode^© for many years players in the FoodTech sector who continue to forge our expertise and know-how every day. These close relationships enable us to know which solutions are best suited to each need (online platform, SMS plugins, APIs), and which ones are best suited to your needs. the keys to implementing an effective strategy.

Find out how we can help you grow.

Conclusion

The integration of SMS by food delivery apps represents a doubly beneficial strategy. As we demonstrated above when we looked at the customer journey offered by Deliveroo and Uber Eats, push notifications via SMS enhance the user experience by providing instant, universal updates that reinforce customer trust and satisfaction. SMS marketing, meanwhile, establishes a direct link with users by offering targeted promotions, special offers and reminders that can boost engagement and encourage loyalty.

For these tools to remain effective, it's important to use them in a balanced and strategic way. An overload of messages can lead to user fatigue and disengagement. Precise segmentation and personalization are therefore essential to maximize impact while respecting the user experience. When judiciously combined, SMS push notifications and SMS marketing become powerful levers for this type of application, promoting both customer satisfaction and commercial growth.

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

SMS PUSH NOTIFICATION

COMPARATIVE
SMS or push notification? A comparison to help you choose

- PDF AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH -

Push or SMS notifications: which instant messaging system is best? Which performance? What are the specific features of each?

In this guide, discover the ultimate comparison of "SMS versus push notifications"?

Download the comparison

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

SMS MAIL

COMPARATIVE
SMS or email? The ultimate comparison

- PDF AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH -

SMS or email campaign? These two direct marketing channels can be used to win over new customers or relaunch an existing contact base. But which channel is more effective? Which will give you the best engagement with your target audience?

smsmode^© reveals the secrets of these two tools and the comparison between SMS and email.

Download the comparison

A marketing strategy always involves sending messages. Whether you use email only, SMS or both channels, you need to ask yourself these questions: which campaigns are best suited to my communication? Will switching to SMS improve engagement? Are my email campaigns getting the open rate they deserve? How are other companies in my sector doing? Etc. etc. 🤪.

All these questions are on the minds of marketing managers in every company. Everyone wants to send their customers the right content, the right text, at the right time, with the right type of message. While there's no magic formula, it's certain that the KPIs of SMS and emailmessages are a great help in fine-tuning your marketing strategy and determining the communication to adopt, the campaigns to send or even the email message best suited to your customers. That's what our SMS vs email comparison is all about 🙂 . Find out whether email or SMS is ideal for your communications, thanks to the trends observed by companies in their marketing messages.

Open rate

95% for SMS versus 20% for email

SMS is the channel of engagement. With an open rate of 95%, it far outstrips emailing (which, moreover, only enjoys a read rate of around 15%). Emails often go unnoticed and get lost in the mailbox, among the mass of emails (144 on average for an employee) received by your customers every day. 60% of the population claim to spend at least 2 hours a day on their phone: SMS benefits from this mobile presence of the public.

Reading times

4 minutes for SMS versus 90 minutes for email

90% of SMS messages are read within 4 minutes of being sent, whereas email has a response time of 90 minutes (when there is a reply). Only SMS guarantees immediate communication and instantaneous response from your recipient. Unlike e-mail, SMS ensures that your customers and contacts will be aware of your message very quickly.

Mobility

91% for SMS versus 72% for email

91% of people always have their mobile within reach, wherever they are and whatever the time of day. The chance of receiving SMS is therefore greater. For emailing, the experience is different. E-mail is more often consulted from a computer. 35% of emails are first opened on a computer and 59% on smartphones (source: mindbaz - 2020). SMS is the mobile channel with the best reach on phones, as it requires no Internet connection, no tools and no application download. Notification is important, when receiving an email rarely provokes more than a banner on a locked screen. So, for critical service or unmissable marketing communications, it's best to opt for SMS rather than email.

SPAM

0% for SMS versus 80% for email

8 out of 10 emails land directly in the "spam" or "junk" folder of the electronic mailbox. This is not the case for SMS , where this option simply didn't exist until 2017. Since then, the rate of SMS classified as SPAM has been stable at 10% (source: findstack). The simplicity of SMS technology (a simple text message with no formatting and limited to 160 characters) is also its strength compared to emails: a punchy, readable and easily memorable message in which it's less obvious to propose "spammy" content.

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December 03, 2024 - 7 min read

SMS Automation: Boost your workflows and customer engagement

Romain Didelot

Introduction

An automation strategy meets the No. 1 challenge for many companies: capturing consumers' attention. Whether it's marketing automation or customer relationship workflows, an automation strategy enables you to reach your customers instantly at the most opportune moment, after an action on their part or when they're waiting for an event.

And SMS, as the #1 channel for customer engagement, is a must for automation. Are you looking for a solution or software that enables you to adopt an integrated, automated approach to customer relations? A platform, API or plugin to combine push notification, SMS and email channels within a marketing automation strategy?

smsmode^© explains everything you need to know about integrating SMS into an automation strategy, the different testing and dispatch tools available to you, and the best practices you need to know to make your automated campaigns a success.

Definition of SMS automation

SMS automation, also known as SMS automation, refers to the automatic sending of text messages to targeted individuals or groups with limited human intervention. This text message, written and programmed in advance, is sent by a platform at a strategic moment to establish timely, personalized communication with the company's customers.

The benefits of SMS for companies

A platform SMS that integrates with an automation strategy can deliver numerous benefits, 3 of which clearly stand out:

Our commitment

SMS enjoys exceptional engagement, with an open rate of 98%. The direct nature of SMS encourages customers to pay more attention to a SMS than to an email or push notification, making the SMS channel an effective communication tool for both marketing and customer relations in the broadest sense.

Instantaneous

SMS is read quickly (within 4 minutes of receipt in 95% of cases). With it, companies can quickly transmit communications that are considered unmissable. It's ideal for announcing flash sales, reminding people of appointments or informing them of the status of an order.

Customization

Another major benefit of SMS automation. Thanks to customer data and variables that can be integrated into messages, it's possible to send customized content, tailored to customers, their preferences and their consumer behavior. From specific offers based on previous purchases, to personalized reminders and abandoned basket recalls, a wide range of ultra-personalized uses can be envisaged.

STUDY

SMS trends and key performances under the microscope

Find out more about our major study based on 745 million mailings SMS.

SMS VS email: who wins the KPI match?

As mentioned above, the open rate for SMS is 98%, well above the usual 20% for emails. But this isn't the only KPI where SMS comes out on top :

This is due to the nature of SMS. Most users receive an audible notification or a vibration when the message is received. What's more, it's only read on the cell phone, a device constantly in use by all consumers. On the other hand, emails can be drowned out in a saturated inbox or arrive as spam, diminishing their impact as soon as they are received.

GOING FURTHER

SMS or email.
The ultimate comparison for the right choice

The main use cases forSMS Automation

Marketing and promotions

Promotional campaigns are a frequent use case for automation. These messages can contain discount codes, announce new products, or inform about sales. They contribute to increasing sales throughout the year in a variety of ways:

Promotional campaigns: special offers, discounts or promo codes, sent to customer lists segmented according to interests and purchases.

Abandoned cart reminders A SMS reminder that can include a promo code to encourage customers to complete their purchases.

Product launches: automatically inform customers of new products or events.

Anniversary dates: a message at the right time, on the customer's birthday or account creation date, is not only a sales factor, but also a way of building loyalty.

Customer service

SMS is also used to optimize customer service based on previous customer interactions:

Order confirmation: Inform customers of the receipt and status of their orders.

Delivery tracking: Provide real-time updates on shipping and delivery.

Satisfaction surveys: Gathering feedback after an interaction or purchase.

Reservation confirmation

It's part of customer service, but deserves its own section for its usefulness. Sending an immediate confirmation by SMS after a reservation or order is a highly effective practice (4X fewer missed appointments when reminders are set up) whose power is multiplied tenfold when automated.

These confirmation messages can detail the date and time of the reservation, an order number, or instructions for rescheduling an appointment.

Automatic reminders Automatic reminders: automatically notify patients or customers of upcoming appointments (health, beauty, services).

Confirmation or cancellation: Offer the possibility of confirming or rescheduling an appointment via a link or a simple SMS.

Queue management: Send alerts when it's a customer's turn.

Re-engaging inactive customers

Reviving your inactive customers is essential to keeping your database engaged. Send personalized messages that remind customers of previous interactions, offer incentives to encourage new purchases, or provide relevant content to effectively reactivate them. Here are a few case studies:

Revival of expired subscriptions or services: relevant for SaaS, clubs or online services

Restart after a specific period of inactivity: define a period of inactivity in a workflow and restart with simple, clear content.

Personalized suggestions: send recommendations based on purchase or browsing history.

Reminder of loyalty points or accumulated benefits: encourage customers to return by reminding them of the benefits they could lose.

Many sectors can benefit from SMS automation

As you may have read, the vast majority of automation use cases are marketing-oriented, and seem to be calibrated for e-commerce (often referred to as Marketing Automation). But in truth, all industries with a need to notify their customers can benefit from the implementation of SMS automated. Here's a non-exhaustive list.

GOING FURTHER

SMS plugins for CRM: the key to automation

Integrate and automate SMS from your CRM. Benefit from centralized access to customer data, synchronize information and automatically trigger the sending of messages from your workflows.

Human resources

Recruitment : Transmit targeted offers, inform candidates of the status of their application or schedule interviews.

Internal communication Disseminate important or urgent information to employees.

Training : Remind people of session dates or share resources.

Education sector

Notifications to students and parents: Send exam reminders, report card access links, late payment alerts or information on school events.

Absence follow-up: Inform parents of their children's absences.

Finance and administration

Payment reminders: Notify customers of due dates or late payments.

Identity verification: Use authentication codes (2FA) to secure connections or transactions.

Events

Invitations and confirmations: Send reminders to registered event participants.

Real-time updates: Inform participants of any changes, unforeseen events or delays.

Logistics and Safety

Critical alerts Warning of incidents, natural disasters or organizational emergencies.

Safety messages: Broadcast safety tips or instructions, confirm status updates.

Best practices for SMS automation

Compliance with regulations (opt-in and unsubscribe options)

It is imperative to obtain clear, formal consent from customers before any communication. This ensures compliance with legislation and confirms that your audience is engaged and consenting. Customers should be able to opt out of SMS campaigns by sending responses such as "STOP" or "Unsubscribe". This respect for your customers' preferences plays a key role in preserving their trust and minimizing complaints.

What's more, this topic is crucial, as message automation often involves processing and storing large quantities of customer data. Companies therefore need to put in place robust measures to protect this sensitive information against cyber-attacks, data leaks and unauthorized access.

It's best to make sure your partner has mastered these few points:

Data security is a major issue for companies using automation SMS, as a breach could have serious consequences for customer confidence and the company's reputation.

Contact segmentation

Contact segmentation lets you divide customers into segments based on defined criteria such as purchasing habits, preferences, or previous interactions. This approach makes messages more personalized and relevant, enabling you to improve customer engagement and conversion rates right from the start.

The right frequency

Determining the right marketing pressure is essential to avoid recipient fatigue and keep customers engaged. Find the right balance to be present in your customers' minds without overwhelming them. A rhythm of around one message a week is generally a good compromise, but your own rhythm may vary according to your industry and your customers' preferences.

Personalized content

9 out of 10 consumers say that personalization influences their purchases (source: BDC.ca). So it's quite clear that you'll benefit from playing this card. Personalizing your messages obviously involves the use of variables in your SMS ($first name, $last name, $product...), but also by segmenting your audience through workflows according to their interests, demographic characteristics and purchasing behaviors to adjust your messages accordingly.

Choosing the right time to send

Automated triggers and workflows form the basis of automation. They enable messages to be programmed according to specific events, such as registrations, purchases, cart abandonments or visits to the website.

Choosing the right time to send SMS is therefore essential for optimizing open and response rates. Plan your SMS campaigns in advance and coordinate them with your other marketing channels, such as email and social networks, for a coherent and effective communication strategy.

A/B tests

There can be no automation without data. That's why it's essential to go through an A/B testing stage when setting up your automations. It's a powerful strategy for optimizing SMS campaigns and increasing their effectiveness.

Testing allows you to experiment with different elements, such as message content, timing, and calls to action (CTAs)... to discover which options are most effective for your target audience. You could, for example, compare the effectiveness of short messages with slightly longer ones, or test several CTAs to see which generates the most engagement.

By implementing these tests, you gain precise information on your customers' preferences and behavior. This enables you to fine-tune your marketing strategies and improve their performance.

Performance analysis and reporting

This is the final stage of every campaign, indeed of every project: analyzing data, tracking performance, to evaluate the effectiveness of automation campaigns SMS. Open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, ROI, A/B test results... all this data helps companies track the effectiveness of their campaigns, identify areas for improvement and adjust their strategies accordingly. All you have to do is keep what works and iterate 🙂.

GOING FURTHER

Discover the 10 keys to effective, profitable SMS campaigns.

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

COMPARATIVE
Time2Chat vs SMS, RCS, WhatsApp. Which one to choose?

- PDF AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH -

Discover our comprehensive comparison of Time2Chat, SMS, RCS and WhatsApp features. Compare the strengths of each mobile channel at a glance to find the one that's perfect for your needs.

Download the comparison

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

The SMS template to simplify your your campaigns

If you regularly send the same message to your customers, you can use your customer area to edit your own SMS templates, predefining the message. When you send out your various campaigns, you can now fill in the message with a single click!

The " SMStemplate" function to simplify the writing of regular messages

Create as many SMS templates as you like

Simply manage, modify or delete your message templates at any time, with a single click. When creating your SMS campaign, simply choose the predefined SMS template from the drop-down menu in the "template" field.

The SMS templates are suitable for all types of SMS (SMS ProUnicode SMS or Voice SMS ). You can also consult our list of SMS examples for inspiration.

Managing SMS models on your account

How do I access my SMS templates?

First, go to My templates ( 1).

In the summary table, you'll find all the templates you've already created. From this page, you can create, modify or delete your templates.

How do I create a new SMS template?

Click on the Create template button (2). On the new page that appears, simply fill in the various fields (3): the template name (title), the sender chosen for this type of message and finally the text; then validate by clicking on the Save button.

How do I modify an existing SMS template?

Click on the pencil button (4) from the template page to modify your template parameters.

How do I apply an SMS template when creating a new campaign?

When you create a new campaignRegardless of the type of SMS you choose, a drop-down menu to the right of the Sender field lets you select the SMS model(5).

Once the template has been selected, the message and sender fields are automatically filled in.

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

smsmode^© has developed over the years a complete range of products, offers, tools and mail pluginsto meet a wide range of customer needs for mobile messaging operations:

smsmode^© needs the contact information you provide to contact you about our products and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. Visit our Privacy Policy to find out more. You may also, for legitimate reasons, object to the processing of your personal data. To exercise this right, please send an e-mail to dpo(at)smsmode.com.

Available information

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Webhook SMS Klaviyo

Leverage the power of mobile messaging for your promotion, loyalty and retention strategies, directly integrated into your platform Klaviyo.

smsmode^© needs the contact information you provide to contact you about our products and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. Visit our Privacy Policy to find out more. You may also, for legitimate reasons, object to the processing of your personal data. Send an e-mail to dpo(atsmsmode.com to exercise these rights.

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Installation tutorial: Hubspot SMS plugin

smsmode^© needs your contact details to contact you about our products and services. You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. Visit our Privacy Policy to find out more. You may also, for legitimate reasons, object to the processing of your personal data. Send an e-mail to dpo(atsmsmode.com to exercise these rights.

Boost your Hubspot workflows with SMS

See our guide to successful SMS integration with HubSpot.

Find out how to integrate the SMS sending platform step by step smsmode^© in HubSpotthe leading CRM for inbound marketing. This practical guide takes you through every step of the way to efficiently connect your smsmode account.^© and take full advantage of SMS functionality within your workflows. Diversify your communication channels, send personalized SMS - in bulk or individually - and optimize your marketing, sales and customer service strategies thanks to a plugin that's 100% integrated with HubSpot.

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

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November 15, 2024 - 7 min read

Take advantage of SMS for your drive to web strategy

Romain Didelot

Introduction

A company simply can't exist online if it doesn't generate traffic to its website. It is therefore imperative for e-tailers to find traffic channels, especially during marketing events when classic channels (SEO, Social Ads, Google Ads...) are saturated. It's in this context that SMS, as a direct and personal communication tool, is effective (and often underestimated) for drive to web.

The advantage of SMS lies in its reach: exceptional open, click and conversion rates, with 95% of messages read within three minutes Next receipt. This speed guarantees a message that reaches the audience immediately, making SMS a powerful lever for increasing not only traffic, but also sales on your online store.

Follow our guide to integrating SMS into your drive-to-web strategy, maximizing the effectiveness of your campaigns and understanding the elements that will make your marketing efforts a success.

Drive to web & SMS

What is drive to web?

Drive to web is a marketing technique that exploits the reach of an acquisition channel to generate traffic to a website. It's a technique very similar to drive to store, the only difference being that in drive to store, traffic corresponds to the number of consumers attracted to a physical store, and not to the number of visits to the website.

If we take the example of drive-to-web by SMS, the strategy takes advantage of the ubiquity of cell phones, to offer companies an instant communication channel with consumers (the SMS 😉 ).

The benefits of SMS as a traffic-generating channel

SMS is an excellent channel for redirects to websites for many reasons:

High open rates: Often in excess of 95%, the open rate of SMS virtually guarantees a message read, whereas emails or push notifications plateau at around 30%.
Instant delivery: Messages are delivered in seconds, enabling real-time interaction ideal for time-limited offers or important announcements.
Personalized communication: Thanks to the use of variables, SMS enables a high degree of personalization, strengthening customer relations, commitment and loyalty.
High profitability: The low cost of SMS (with flexible formulas ranging from prepaid to subscription, depending on business needs) coupled with a very high conversion rate mean a record return on investment.

STUDY

SMS marketing's key performances under the microscope

Find out more about our major study based on 745 million mailings SMS.

7 best practices for a successful drive to web by SMS

As you can see, SMS has a lot to offer when it comes to digital acquisition. But how do you ensure that a campaign generates traffic?

We have compiled 7 points to check to make your campaign a success:

Target your audience by objective

This database of campaigns SMS also applies to drive-to-web campaigns. First, you'll need to clearly define your target profile. Loyal buyer? Online consumer? Follow-up lead? You decide.

Segment your database using these and other criteria such as geographic location, purchasing habits, length of inactivity, loyalty points... This approach allows you to personalize your mailings for each customer segment and optimize your ROI.

For example, send specific promotional messages to customers interested in certain categories of products or services, or spoil your loyal customers with exclusive offers.

Write powerful messages

Catchy text is essential to maximize the impact of the SMS campaign. It should be short (preferably within the 160-character limit), engaging and include a clear call to action.

Adopt a simple structure: company name, customer name, details of the offer or promotion, conditions, call to action (CTA) and STOP SMS.

Customize text with variables to include the customer's name or details of purchasing preferences.

Offer exclusive deals or incentives to create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, motivating customers to visit your website.

See concrete examples below(section 4) 👇

Manage the timing and frequency of mailings

The aim is simple: avoid pestering customers and maximize efficiency.

Timing: send your SMS at times identified as strategic. Sales, Black Friday and private sales are the obvious highlights, but other one-off events can also be considered, such as anniversaries, product arrivals or new store openings.

Frequency : Dose your mailings to avoid appearing intrusive. Excessive repetition of marketing messages can be perceived as spam and lead to numerous unsubscribes. Your campaigns need to be received at the right time to maintain customer interest without saturating them.

Integrate SMS into a multi-channel (and automated) strategy

By synchronizing SMS with other channels such as email, push notifications or social networks, you can create a consistent user experience that ultimately increases engagement and conversions.

You can also consolidate user data and analyze the entire customer journey.

For example, a user who receives a SMS may be redirected to a conversion page and then receive a follow-up email, a cart abandonment email...

This enables us to multiply contact channels, better understand the customer journey and optimize all marketing actions to generate longer-lasting interactions and more frequent conversions.

Of course, the more you can automate this process, the more efficient you'll be. What's more, automation also enables you to segment audiences, personalize messages according to user behavior, and schedule messages to reach customers at the most opportune moment.

Optimize the mobile experience around the message

To maximize the effectiveness of a SMS drive to web campaign, it's essential that recipients land on a mobile-optimized page. The user experience must be fluid and immediate, as any friction risks losing the visitor's attention. A good mobile landing page creation tool enables you to quickly design attractive, simple pages adapted to small screens. These pages can include a clearly visible CTA, concise and relevant content, and reassurance elements (customer reviews, similar products, etc.).

What's more, some landing page designers (such as smsmode^© 😉) make it possible to customize URLs and measure the performance of each campaign. This facilitates click tracking and ongoing optimization by identifying the most engaging pages for users. These tools help reinforce the impact of the SMS campaign by aligning the mobile experience with the expectations of the target audience.

Measure the performance of your campaigns

Tracking the impact of your SMS campaigns is essential for knowing their return on investment and adjusting your strategies accordingly.

There's no "drive-to-web" without links, so you need to exploit their presence. You can use tracking tools (Google Analytics, Matomo, Plausible...) to analyze clicks on direct links to your website, or you can use link shortening services (like the smsmode^© 😉), which will allow you to optimize the length of your messages and track clicks directly from your SMS sending tool.

Measuring the impact of your SMS campaigns enables you to see which strategies are working best and make adjustments accordingly. Use the data collected, analyze open rates, click-through rates and conversion rates... you'll know your strengths and weaknesses, and be able to continually improve your results.

Comply with regulations and best practices

To ensure the legitimacy (and therefore the success) of your campaigns SMS, it is essential to comply with data protection regulations and follow good practice in SMS marketing.

Consent and Opt-in: Make sure you obtain your customers' consent to receive SMS by adopting a legitimate opt-in (online registrations, in-store registrations, keyword subscriptions...). This guarantees respect for preferences and ensures compliance with the RGPD and data and consumer protection laws.

Transparency and clarity: SMS messages must be clear and transparent. Avoid ambiguous or misleading terms, and make sure that customers can easily understand the content and purpose of the message.

Also include an unsubscribe option (STOP SMS) to allow customers to unsubscribe from the mailing list if necessary.

GOING FURTHER

Discover the 10 keys to effective, profitable SMS campaigns.

Examples of messages optimized for drive to web

SMS direct marketing

[SenderID]

Web exclusive!
🎉 Take advantage of -20% on the whole store with the code WEB20.
Click here to access ➡️ [short link].
Offer valid for 24H !

SMS personalized invitation

[36037]

Hello [First name]!
A new product you might like is available!
Get a sneak preview here ➡️ [URL].
Let us surprise you! 🌟

SMS event

[Sender ID]

Today's the big day!
Join us now for our exclusive online launch.
Click here to access ➡️ [short link].
Early birds get special gifts 🎁.

SMS reactivation

My website

Long time no see, [First name]!

Save 15% on your next online purchase
here: [ URL].
We're delighted to see you again!

SMS with limited offer

[Sender ID]

End of season!
Last day to get 30% off your favorite items!
Click here ➡️ [short link].
Limited quantities, don't delay! 🕒

SMS competition

Store

🎁 Enter our competition and win a voucher!
Click here to play ➡️ [URL].
One winner a day, try your luck now! 🍀

NEED MORE EXAMPLES?

All our examples of promotion, sale, private sale, welcome messages...

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many advantages to integrating SMS into a drive-to-web strategy, but the key to success lies in accurately targeting the audience and creating high-impact messages. Ensure compliance with regulations, carefully manage the timing and frequency of mailings, and you'll have all the weapons you need to boost your web traffic, solidify your customer relationships and increase your sales. Now it's up to you!

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

Need more info?

We look forward to hearing from you.

DIGITAL AGENCY

Boost CRM performance with SMS automation

Download the use case

Novadial supports its customers in creating and optimizing multi-channel strategies, combining email and SMS to maximize the impact of their communications.

To effectively deploy these campaigns and workflows within their CRMs - Marigold Engage and Hubspot - their challenge was toidentify an intuitive, customizable, high-performance, reliable, RGPD-compliant and cost-effective SMS sending solution.

Click-through rate

20%

Satisfaction rate

75 à 90%

Multi-channel campaigns

The SMS workflow is simplified and coordinated with other channels. Optimal management of multi-channel campaigns.

Inserting short links

This feature can be used to create interactive scenarios, such as appointment scheduling, online assistance requests, etc.

Easy to install and use

Intuitive and easy to install and use (even for beginners), this turnkey solution is based on drag-and-drop and no-code.

Find out in detail how Novadial offers CRM strategies for more direct, personalized and effective interactions.

Download the use case

Create your free account

Try out our SMS platform and benefit from 20 free test credits, with no obligation.

Calls & SMS via 06 and 07 are forbidden to Companies.

Introduction

A new numbering plan to protect subscribers

New numbers and uses available for businesses (Time2chat)

From Virtual Mobile Number to Time2Chat

Democratizing conversational commerce

Reasoning about a market with solid growth, but with unclear contours

Why this change in numbering?

Our team advises you

Create your free account

CPaaS messaging: Communicate with your customers in 3 clicks

Introduction

What is CPaaS?

Why use CPaaS for mobile messaging?

CPaaS vs. other delivery solutions

Real-life use cases for mobile messaging CPaaS

Health & well-being

E-commerce & retail

Banking & insurance

Logistics & transport

Customer relations & support

Education & administration

Why is it important to choose the right partner?

The security of your personal data

How do you calculate the conversion rate of a SMS campaign?

Introduction

What is the conversion rate?

What is the average SMS conversion rate?

Why calculate the conversion rate?

How do I know if my SMS campaign has generated conversions?

Evaluating the conversion rate of an SMS campaign: for an e-commerce site

For a physical shop

SMS : the No. 1 channel for conversion

How to improve the conversion rate of your campaigns SMS

Personalise your message

Include a clear call to action (CTA)

Use A/B tests for SMS

Conclusion

Protecting yourself from OTP fraud

Introduction

How does SMS Pumping work?

How to determine if you are a victim of an attack?

What actions can be taken to protect yourself?

IP control

VPN monitoring and detection

Detecting bots

Set up a "pre-audit" system

Set server limits and service rates

Set sending limits

Establish exponential delays between audit attempts

Implement geographic permissions to restrict destination countries

Check phone number before sending with smsmode©

Monitor unique access code (OTP) conversion rates and create alerts

What should you do if you suspect fraud on your smsmode account?

SMS vs Push Notifications

Introduction

SMS and Push notifications. What's the difference?

Benefits comparison: SMS vs. push notification

Opt-in

Visibility & Commitment

Memorization

User experience

Personalization

Scope and accessibility

Compatibility

Push notification vs. SMS : The KPIs match-up

Open rate

SMS

Push notification

Click-through rate

SMS

Push notification

Delivery time

SMS

Push notification

Use cases for these two channels

Push notifications

Visit SMS

Best practices for using each channel

Push Notifications

Check phone number before sending with smsmode^©

smsmode^© the ideal partner to boost your ROI