Are you considering using a toll-free number for mass text messaging? While toll-free numbers have their uses, a 5-digit short code offers unparalleled advantages for high-volume, reliable communication.
Most importantly, you need to know that short codes are your best option for your texting goal: connecting with your audience. Why would you use an inferior communication pathway, i.e., a toll-free number, that will decrease your engagement rates when you aim to increase them?
Let’s dive into why short codes are the pathway you should use when broadcast texting.
Why Short Codes Outshine Toll-Free Numbers
Deliverability
Toll-free numbers have many issues, the first and foremost being their capped message rates. When brands want to send a message to a large number of subscribers, toll-free numbers will take 40x the time of a short code. With Powered By Text software on a short code, you can send messages instantly and reliably. Simply put, toll-free numbers will not be able to deliver messages for large brands at the rate they need.
❌ Toll-free number throughput: 10msg/sec
✅ Short code throughput with Powered By Text: 400msg/sec
Trusted by Authorities
Short codes are the preferred channel for organizational broadcast texting and are trusted by governing bodies and carriers. In fact, short codes were created for broadcast texting by said organizations. You avoid the risk of your toll-free messages being flagged as SPAM and ensure your communications get delivered to your audience. Simply put: toll-free numbers can be flagged as SPAM. Short codes messages NEVER will.
❌ Toll-free numbers: created for peer-to-peer communication
✅ Short codes: created for broadcast texting
Brand Recognition
All of the big brands you know and trust exclusively use short codes. Why do you think that is? Many reasons, the first of which is short codes build trust and recognition with a professional, memorable 5-digit number. People don’t remember 10-digit numbers. But they do remember five digits. Secondly, they’re the preferred texting pathway created by governing bodies to broadcast text, as previously stated. Lastly, perception matters. When you receive a spam text message, have you ever seen it come from a short code? We didn’t think so. Because SPAM text messages exclusively come from 10-digit numbers.
❌ Toll-free numbers: long, not memorable, and perceived as SPAM
✅ Short codes: short, easy to remember, increasing brand trust
Fast Setup
Contrary to information spread by other providers, acquiring a short code is easy. Another reason your provider matters. Where it may be difficult and take an excessive amount of time for some providers, our streamlined short code acquisition process takes only 45-60 days. This is due to our long-standing relationship and premier status with the US Short Code Registry and our expert implementation team. Not everyone can deliver short codes in a truncated timeline. Our team knows exactly how to get any number needed in the fastest timeline possible.
Cost-Effective Solution
Be wary of outdated information! Short codes are typically reported as too expensive to sell “cheap” plans. However, with the right provider, you can find short code texting plans at reasonable cost, as with our Starter Plan. We acknowledge that short codes come with an added cost of the lease fee to use a 5-digit number. However, the massive amount of benefits far outweigh that price tag! When you implement a short code, and your people engage at a higher rate with your texting campaigns, you will see more interaction, fundraising, participation, and so on. These benefits will more than pay for our short code plans. “Cheap” plans will end up costing you in the long run and damaging your actual goal of texting: to connect with people!
Don’t Settle For Less
While toll-free numbers might seem tempting, they can’t compete with a short code’s power, speed, trust, and reliability. And most importantly, short codes allow you to connect with the highest percentage of your audience instantly and simply.
Powered By Text is your partner in elevating your broadcast texting strategy. Contact us today to learn how a short code can transform your communication.
