Carriers (think AT&T, Verizon, etc) have strict policies about what types of content can be sent via text.

They have precautions and automatic filters in place that can block spammy messages from being sent - clearly something you want to avoid!

On top of that, once carriers start filtering messages from your phone number... often ALL messages sent from that phone start getting filtered.

The best way to avoid issues is to make sure to follow all the compliance guidelines, rules, and best practices.

As we watch millions of messages go out, we've noted some best practices to help increase deliverability. 

Here's what we suggest for every text you send.

Let's go:

1) Always Identify The Sender

This is a requirement - each message must identify the sender.

For example, you can say:

Hey %FIRST_NAME%, This is Clayton from Roezan.

2) Customize Texts With Dynamic First Names

This small tweak is immensely helpful!

When you use the dynamic first name (%FIRST_NAME%) in the text, Roezan creates each text message dynamically and customizes it for each recipient.

Example:

Hey %FIRST_NAME%, This is Clayton from Roezan.

This helps with deliverability because carriers see each message as unique, as opposed to a blast to everyone.

3) Avoid Using Popular Link Shorteners

Common link shorteners like bit.ly, etc often get abused by spammers, and so carriers can identify these as spam and filter your messages.

Instead, use your normal full link, or create a custom link shorter. Bit.ly has a custom domain option that allows you to do this.

You can also use Roezan's built-in link shortener!

4) Avoid Spammy Or Aggressively Promotional Language

Some keywords may trigger filtering, so avoid obvious spammy words, phrases, or pricing like:

Money

Make money

Save money

$

Free

Pay

Profit

Cash

Make cash

Payment due

Sale

 

$ Symbol:

Including a $ in your message will likely lead to about a 5-10% decrease in deliverability, so we recommend avoiding it.

You can alternatively talk about the % savings. 

Avoid Banned / Prohibited Subjects:

Also avoid banned / prohibited subjects:

  • Cypto, cryptocurrency & related
  • Firearms
  • Tobacco
  • Alcohol
  • Marijuana / Cannabis / CBD
  • Vape

Avoid Claims

  • When in doubt, opt to make your messages benign.
  • Avoid aggressive marketing claims.
  • Avoid overpromising or exaggerating.

Usually short messages work best, and you can do most of the the selling on the sales page. 

Don't try to sell aggressively in the text, just try to get the click in a natural way.

It's better to have a slightly more benign text and have them all get delivered, than to have an aggressive marketing text that gets 100% blocked by carriers and leads to future filtering. 

5) Always Include Opt-Out Instructions On Broadcasts

It's always good to include opt-out instructions, and some carriers actively say that they look to increase filtering on messages that do not contain opt-out instructions.

We suggest including opt-out instructions on all broadcast messages. 

Here's an example line to include at the bottom:

Reply STOP to stop.

Without this, contacts don't know how to unsubscribe, so they just hit the "report junk" button (a manual spam report). This report goes to carriers, who then start filtering all your messages.

Having opt-out instructions decreases the likelihood of being reported as spam. 

6) Do Not Put Links At The End Of The Message

Avoid putting links at the end of the message, and instead add a sign-off. You can also finish your messages with opt-out text as a best practice.

Hey, Thanks for subscribing. 

Check out this link: roezan.com

Cheers!
Reply stop to stop

Spammy texts often end with a link, so it's good to have something AFTER the link.

7) Avoid Irregular Capitalization (No All Caps Words)

Avoid messages with irregular capitalization.

For example, avoid messages like this:

NEW WEBINAR ALERT!!!

Also, avoid all-caps words - this also can increase the chances of filtering:

Hey Clayton, check out our NEW Webinar!

8) Avoid Emojis

It's best to avoid emojis to maximize deliverability. Since emoji's aren't universal, it can decrease deliverability.

Additionally, they can often change the encoding of your message, therefore increasing the segments your messages use. By using emojis you could potentially double the cost of your messages! 

9) Spell Check & Grammar Check

Make sure all spelling and grammar are correct and try to avoid any slang or strange phrasing.

10) Important: Test Your Messages Before Broadcasting

We've experimented quite a bit to nail down what actually triggers filtering, and sometimes there is no obvious specific reason.

One way to help ensure your messages get delivered is to test by sending yourself the same message before sending the broadcast.

In the conversations tab, find your phone number and send yourself the message.

If the message turns green, that means it was sent successfully.

If the message turns red, that means it was not sent successfully. Try changing up the message until you're able to get it to go through.