Today, for a bulk SMS campaign to be effective, it is very important to create a sender that builds trust in the recipient to open the text message and read the received notification. Let's not forget that identifying who sends the SMS guarantees a higher opening rate.
In any case, it is necessary to point out that there are currently different types of senders that can be used depending on the needs of the brand and the local restrictions of each country. Indeed, although the personalized sender is the one that has the most benefits for a company, it cannot be implemented in all countries.
That is why we decided to write this article where you will discover what types of senders exist, how they can be customized and what the restrictions are by country.
What is the sender?
The sender is the first field of an SMS that identifies the sender of the text message. In this sense, it is important to underline that, when an SMS is created and sent, the sender must be identified so that the recipient can know who the sender is.
By default, the sender of an SMS is the telephone number from which the text message is distributed, the length of which varies depending on the country where the message is sent. However, thanks to new technologies, this first field of a text message can be modified and personalized, thus offering customers the possibility of choosing the name.
Thus, today, the sender can have a maximum of 11 characters that can be letters or numbers depending on the need of the brand or the company. The important thing is to create a sender that identifies the company and makes it easy for the reader to identify it.
However, there is not only the custom sender , but also other types that use only numbers or are assigned randomly. Selecting which sender to use varies depending on the requirements of the company and current local regulations.
Types of senders by composition
Now, so that you can learn more about the senders, we are going to present below what types exist according to their composition and then show you what the senders are by policy.
alphanumeric sender
As we have mentioned before, nowadays, with SMS marketing management platforms like Afilnet's, it is possible to customize the sender that originally consists of a phone number. In this way, a company can say how to identify itself each time it sends a text message to a database.
The important thing is to know that you cannot exceed 11 characters that include standard numbers and letters. Even so, we have to emphasize that, although the personalization of the SMS sender has many advantages, it is a type of personalization that may suffer restrictions in different countries. In general, it is the telephone operators that limit or establish the regulations regarding alphanumeric senders in order to prevent fraud and guarantee a higher level of security.
numeric sender
The numeric sender is made up of a set of numbers that can represent a mobile number or a fixed number that corresponds to the prefix and numbering of the recipient country. This type of sender can always be the same or can be randomly assigned.
Shortcode or short code
Another type of sender is the numeric Shortcode or short code. It is a text message sender that is characterized by having a short code of 4 to 6 digits . In general, it is widely used in those countries where there is B2C traffic, that is, corporate traffic.
That being said, you are surely wondering why. The answer is very simple: the number is so short that it allows you to send a large number of text messages in a short time, making it ideal for mass SMS campaigns. In fact, unique code is often deployed for application-to-person (A2P) messaging, two-factor authentication (2FA), and the marketing industry.
Also, we have to point out that, by default, a shared shortcode number is assigned to all accounts of a client.
Sender Types by Policy
That said, now that you know what type of sender exists according to its composition, you also need to know that there are different senders depending on the current policy in each country that local operators usually establish with the aim of reducing cases of fraud.
custom sender
Today, thanks to interactive and intuitive platforms such as Afilnet, it is possible to customize the sender of an SMS . Its advantages are many, however, the most important has to do with immediate identification. In fact, the personalization of the issuer allows the recipient to identify you from the beginning, thus avoiding the appearance of an unknown number that generates mistrust.
This increases the opening rate , since a bond of greater trust with the reader is generated from the beginning, further enhancing the image of the brand. Likewise, cases of insecurity and cyberattack are reduced, at a time when smishing and fraud happen every day.
In most cases, customizing the sender is pretty straightforward. You must enter the platform selected for the management of the SMS marketing campaign , to then enter the sender section and thus create the sender using an alphanumeric label.
Dynamically assigned sender
Another sender option that can be used is the dynamically assigned sender. What does it mean? The sender of the text message to be sent can be made up of standard letters and numbers that are randomly assigned by the platform used to manage the distribution of the SMS.
It differs from other types of senders not only because it is assigned randomly but also because it can vary with each shipment.
registered sender
Finally, the last type of sender by policy that we want to present to you is the registered one. It is an alphanumeric or numeric sender that must be implemented in case the local regulations of the country require it.
In fact, it is a type of issuer that, before being used, implies that the identity of the issuing entity must be validated and verified to register a sender. Once the sender registration and validation process has been completed, it is possible to start sending text messages.
This type of SMS issuer is usually implemented in countries where restrictions apply , such as in some countries in Africa and Asia.
Restrictions on the sender by country
As we told you before, each country has its regulations regarding the use of the sender in SMS, especially in order to prevent cases of fraud and cyberattacks. That is why, before creating a sender, you must know the general terms .
To help you, below, we are going to present what types of senders you will be able to use in the world. Even so, in case of doubt, it is possible to verify the restrictions by country using the platform offered by Afilnet where you can select the State of interest and corroborate the current local regulations.
Europe
In Europe you will be able to use dynamic senders, numbers and alphanumeric. Such is the case of Spain, Portugal, Greece, France and Italy.
United States and Canada
Unlike Europe, in the United States and Canada the implementation of Longcode senders is very common, whether they are toll-free/fixed or dedicated with a virtual number. However, you can also choose a ShortCode transmitter. Also, the registration of the sender is mandatory.
Latin America
The case of Latin America is a bit particular because each Nation has a specific regulation. It all depends on the chosen SMS route and national limitations and local operators.
In this sense, although in some countries such as Chile, Mexico and Guatemala it is possible to implement shared or dedicated Longcodes, in the vast majority of States (Argentina, Colombia, Peru, among others) shared Shortcodes are used.
Asia and Africa
As in the case of Latin America, the type of sender that can be used in these countries varies depending on local legislation, although it is necessary to highlight that there are many restrictions with respect to the rest of the world and on many occasions pre-payment is required. sender record.
This is the case of Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Senegal.
Conclution
Choosing the correct sender is key for the SMS sending service to be effective. Although the personalized sender is very useful because it generates a feeling of greater security, in some cases it is better to prefer a corporate Shortcode for faster mass sending and in other cases local regulations require prior registration of the sender. Therefore, before starting with the distribution of text messages, it is essential to know what type of sender can be implemented in each country and which is the most convenient for each company.