SMS has an advantage no other channel has here: it reaches everybody, without depending on internet access, an installed app or a modern phone. And it is read within minutes. In exchange, it is the most regulated of the three channels - and the rules are local.
The Sender ID: the name that appears on the phone
It is the first thing to sort out and what most distinguishes a company from an anonymous number. Instead of the message arriving from +258 84..., it arrives with your brand name in the sender's place.
| What changes |
Detail |
| Immediate recognition |
The recipient knows who it is before opening. The difference in readership is large. |
| You cannot reply to a Sender ID |
Brand-name messages are one-way. If you want a reply, the text has to say how. |
| It has to be registered |
It is not chosen at send time: it is requested and approved beforehand, and approval takes time. |
The rules change with the destination country
There is no global rule. Each national regulator defines what may be sent, to whom and from which sender - and the operator blocks whatever does not comply, without warning.
| Country |
The essentials |
| Mozambique (INCM) |
Promotional messages may only be delivered to people who have previously authorised that category with their operator. Operators must offer a simple, free global block. |
| Angola (INACOM) |
The alphanumeric Sender ID must contain the brand name. Generic ones such as INFO, SMS or NOTICE are prohibited. Marketing requires prior consent, and some content is barred: politics, religion, unsolicited promotion and gambling. |
| Other countries |
Each has its own rules, and some require the sender to be registered in advance. Tell us where you want to send before planning the campaign. |
Writing an SMS that works
SMS does not forgive padding: it is 160 characters per message, and going over splits it in two - and charges for two. Accented characters drop the limit to 70, which catches many people out in a Portuguese message.
Bad (2 messages):
Dear customer, it is with great satisfaction that our company hereby
informs you that a special promotion is currently taking place
Good (1 message):
[BRAND] Sale until Saturday: 20% off all phones.
Downtown store. Opt out: call [PHONE]
| 1 |
Start with the brand name, even with a Sender ID. It is what stops the message being read as a scam.
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| 2 |
One idea per message. One offer, one deadline, one place.
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| 3 |
Say what to do next, and make it fit: a number, an address, or a short link on your own domain.
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| 4 |
Say how to opt out. A Sender ID cannot receive replies, so give a phone number or a link for anyone who wants to stop receiving messages. It is not just good manners - in practice it is what prevents complaints.
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| 5 |
Write without accents if you want to fit 160 characters. Plain text fits; accented text may not.
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The hour you send is not a detail. An SMS at 10.30pm wakes people and generates complaints - and complaints are what make the operator cut off the sender. Weekdays, business hours, and never in the middle of the night. It is the simplest rule to follow and among the most ignored.
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When SMS beats the other channels
| Use SMS for |
Use another channel for |
| Confirmations and notices |
Order ready, appointment tomorrow, invoice due. This is where SMS is unbeatable. |
| Codes and urgent alerts |
They arrive in seconds and do not depend on mobile data. |
| Long campaigns or ones with images |
That is e-mail - see e-mail marketing |
| Conversation and support |
That is WhatsApp - see which WhatsApp suits your business |
Need to send SMS?
You can send on your own, from My MozOut, to Mozambique and Angola. Buy the credits you need, with no bundles, from 1,000 upwards: 1 SMS of up to 160 characters uses 1 credit, and the price drops with quantity, from $0.0167 to $0.0092 per credit. Credits never expire, and numbers can be written without the country code.
You can start right away with the free NETMSG sender, or request a Sender ID with your brand name for a one-time payment of $50. We handle the registration with the operator; if the name is refused, the amount comes back as credit on your account. You can also schedule messages and cancel them before they go out, send campaigns to contact lists and connect your own system through the API. See prices and how to start.
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Sort the Sender ID out early. Registering the name is not immediate and some names are refused - generic ones especially. If the campaign has a fixed date, start here rather than with the copy. While you wait, you can send with NETMSG.
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The legal part, in three lines
| 1 |
Send only to people who consented, and the consent has to be demonstrable - when, where and for what.
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| 2 |
The opt-out has to actually work. Asking to leave and still receiving is the shortest route to a complaint to the regulator.
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