SMS Short Code Texting Service

There are two short codes for sending mass text messages: random and vanity. While they perform the same function, they differ in number and cost. Learn more below.

Random Short Codes

As the name suggests, random short codes give you no control over the number. When purchasing a random short code, you are assigned a randomized five or six-digit number. Businesses typically use random codes for short code texting because they are the cheapest of the two options.

Vanity Short Codes

A dedicated vanity short makes your number extra memorable, especially if you make it spell something out on a cell phone’s keypads. For example, 32623 spells out the word DANCE.

Some businesses prefer using vanity numbers because they are easier to remember and simplify functions like text-to-join.

Short codes are an affordable way to expand your brand recognition and boost the performance of your marketing campaigns. Learn more about the benefits below.

• Brand Recognition: By using the same number every time, your subscribers will quickly remember where your messages are coming from. Customers will keep a watchful eye out for deals, promotions, and updates from your company.
• Dedicated Throughput: Supportive and scalable, you can send large text message blasts with dedicated short codes.
• No Keyword Limits: You can use any keyword you’d like, as few or as many as you need for your mobile marketing program.
• Avoid Message Filtering: Toll-free and 10DLC numbers are subject to filtering, while short codes are not. Every short code and its sender is subject to a manual review process with wireless carriers, meaning you can reach more customers without worrying about filtering.

SmileDirectClub wanted to create a compelling and interactive experience to capture the attention of nearly 380,000 daily pedestrians in Times Square. They got help from Tiger Party New York, known for their creative marketing campaigns for major brands like Disney and Pepsi, to develop a unique solution. 

The innovative answer was to text-enable a Times Square billboard, a move that would instantly engage viewers with their advertisement.

The strategy involved using an SMS keyword — a word or phrase that, when texted, subscribes the user to receive messages. People who texted the keyword were invited to send their own messages, designed to make people smile, to display on the big screen. 

Tiger Party used an API that automated sending user-submitted messages to the billboard, giving them total control over all content to maintain the positivity of the campaign.

The campaign was a great success, using a short code that customers could easily text to engage with the advertisement. In just 10 hours, over 1,580 people participated, and nearly 300 smiles were collected and displayed on the billboard. 

The text-enabled billboard, with its easily accessible short code, not only facilitated user interaction but also resonated with thousands of additional people who passed by, reflecting on their own smiles.

This SmileDirectClub’s creative approach, using SimpleTexting for their Times Square debut, highlights the power of interactive elements in marketing campaigns. By integrating texting, they transformed a conventional advertisement into a dynamic and engaging experience, demonstrating that SMS marketing can be a perfect fit for brands looking to capture audience attention in novel ways.

Compliance is crucial when it comes to using short codes for text messaging. Playing by the rules and following best practices can safeguard your business, and it’s not hard to do so. The governing framework for short code text messaging includes two major components: the CTIA’s guidelines and the rules under the TCPA.

CTIA Short Code Compliance Guidelines

The CTIA operates as a nonprofit trade organization that works on behalf of wireless companies, creating and upholding the highest standards for short code texting. The CTIA routinely inspects all SMS short code initiatives within the U.S. to ensure that companies comply with regulations and protect the consumer’s best interests. This involves ensuring that:

• Recipients of texts have willingly subscribed through opting in
• The proper compliance language is used in SMS marketing initiatives
• No content is transmitted that breaches their established guidelines.

Regulations under TCPA Short Code Compliance

TCPA, or the “Telephone Consumer Protection Act,” constitutes the legal framework that oversees all text messaging in the United States, including but not limited to SMS short codes. The primary aim of the TCPA is to shield consumers from undesirable texts and unsolicited phone calls. There are significant legal fines for sending texts to individuals without giving them the option to opt in, so your short code texts must be directed exclusively to those who have openly agreed to receive them.