What is the best keyword to use with a 5 digit short code number?

There are no hard and fast rules here, although we suggest following these simple guidelines.

Choose a keyword between 3 and 7 characters. Anything longer and people will start to make typing errors. The longer the keyword is, the more likely people are to make typos.

Choose an actual word rather than an abbreviation or slang word. If you use anything but a real word, the person’s mobile will attempt to correct it. 

Avoid using digits in the keyword for the same reasons as the point above.

Make the keyword relevant to the campaign. Choose a keyword that matches the context of the campaign. For example, If your advertising is about a gym membership, choose, GYM or FITNESS.

What is the best way to display instructions for a text response campaign?

There are some pitfalls to avoid in how you instruct responders to text a keyword into a 5 digit short code.

Avoid using quote marks around the keyword.

Text “INFO” to 88802

In the example above, some people will text in the quote punctuation marks and your message will not be picked up.

Make your instructions clear and simple and importantly, bold enough to be picked up easily by your audience. If you’re running a poster campaign with a text response option think about how far away people will be and choose a font size that’s appropriate.

Do not bury your instructions in lengthy terms and conditions like the example below.

The best strategy is to keep the instructions simple and bold, allowing no scope for misinterpretation like the example below.

Text INFO to 88440

What terms and conditions am I required to include in my text response instructions?

You need to let people know how much it is going to cost them to text the keyword to the short code.

The cost is one text at their normal network rate which is normally between 8 and 12 pence. (Note that texts to short codes are not included in free monthly text bundles.)

The simplest format for stating text costs  is as follows.

‘Texts are charged at your standard network rate’

Should you have an automated response on a text response campaign?

Whenever you text a short code you expect some kind of response. If nothing happens, then you’d probably think that you’ve made a mistake and text in again.

It’s important to always include an automated text response.

The purpose is to give the responder a clear understanding of what will happen next. Will they expect a call or a further text? Where else can they go for more information.
Bear in mind that the automated response has a maximum of 160 characters including spaces.

Here’s a typical automated text response.

Thanks for your text. We will give you a call shortly. For more details visit abcde.co.uk or call us on 0123456789

Dedicated Shortcodes - Can I have my own shortcode?

Having your own dedicated short code means that you don’t need to use keywords. Whatever the person texts in will be captured.

The serious downside is the cost. Dedicated shorts cost about £800 to set up and about £850 per month. There is also a minimum 12 month term.

Faced with these costs, everyone sensibly opts for the shared short code route which is just £14.00 a month, no setup fee and a minimum period of 3 months.

People are also used to the idea of texting in a keyword so keywords don’t present any sort of barrier to usability.

Is the keyword case sensitive?

Keywords on a 5 digit short code are not case sensitive. You can use either upper or lower case or a combination of both.

What happens if someone texts in the wrong keyword to the short code?

If someone texts in the wrong keyword or makes a typo, we’re unable to retrieve the text response and the text will be lost.

Make sure that your instructions are clear and that the keyword itself is an actual word.

How can I view the incoming SMS messages to the short code?

There are 3 ways that you can view messages sent to the short code using your keyword

1.View and download directly from your account
2. Forward incoming text to an email address
3. Forward incoming text to a URL

1 View and download directly from your account

All incoming and outgoing texts are stored for 3 months in your account.
To access them login to your account and go to Delivery Reports.

Here you will see SMS activity for all your incoming and outgoing texts.
By clicking on the ‘Recipient’ column header, all the incoming messages sent to 88440 will be grouped together.

The Sender ID column header is the mobile number of the person who texted the keyword to the short code.

 

You can also download all the incoming texts to an Excel file.
To do this, click Custom Export

In the ‘Recipient mobile #’ window, enter the short code 88440.
Enter an email address to which you want the report link to be emailed. Then click the Export button.

You’ll then be sent an email with a link to the file download.

 

Please note that the link remains active for 30 minutes.

 

Clicking on the link downloads an Excel sheet containing all the text response data.

2. Forward  incoming SMS messages to email

You can opt to forward all incoming texts to an email address as soon as the responder texts the keyword to the short code.

To set the forwarding email address, login to your account and go to Account tab.

Scroll down to the keywords section where you will see your keyword. Click Edit.

You’ll then be able to enter the email address to which you wish all incoming text to be instantly sent.

Please check your spam filters and whitelist our domains if emails are not arriving.
Our domains are,

@thesmsworks.net
@thesmsworks.co.uk

3. Forward incoming texts to a set URL

You can also choose to send all incoming texts to a set URL.

Login to your account and click on the Account tab.
Scroll down to the keyword section and click Edit next to your keyword.
Here you can enter the URL to which you want al incoming texts to be sent.

Get more response from your marketing. Start your Short code and keyword today

If you give people the option to respond to ads by text, around half of all responders will choose the SMS route.

It's a low cost, efficient way of getting more from your marketing spend.

There's no set up fee, contract or shifty small print to worry about. (Minimum term is 3 months.)

Get started by setting up an a free SMS Works account.