Learn all about 10DLC and why it is important for Shopify SMS marketing.
One of the most important elements of running an eCommerce business is communication. To run a business successfully, you need to communicate with your customers consistently.
Today’s customers expect all sorts of updates and information from brands. Moreover, they expect these updates in real-time. And one of the best ways to facilitate such communication is through SMS.
Apart from updates about products and purchases, brands often need to send bulk messages – think promotions and marketing messages. To send all these text messages, they require a good SMS platform. That’s where 10DLC comes in.
What is 10DLC?
10-Digit Long Code (10DLC) are long code numbers that are approved by network operators for A2P SMS. A2P SMS stands for Application To Person messaging. It allows businesses to send SMS directly to their customer lists. 10DLC helps customers receive lesser spam messages and provide brands a better way to communicate with their customers.
How does 10DLC work?
Originally, it wasn’t easy to send or receive bulk texts to phone numbers. Network providers, too, had a responsibility towards their customers. They couldn’t allow people or businesses to freely send or receive bulk messages.
So how did brands send bulk texts before 10DLC? They had to go through a long, cumbersome process. They had to choose between an SMS short code (5 or 6-digit code), a toll-free number, or a long code (9-digit code).
All the above options had some challenges. These methods involved lengthy registration processes, had limited sending capabilities, and were highly expensive. This is where 10DLC gets more points over these methods.
10DLC lets brands to register a local long-code number. This whitelists the brand’s long-code number with mobile carriers and customers.
To understand how 10DLC works, it’s a must to understand how it’s different from short code, toll-free number and local long code.
Local long code: These are designed for person-to-person communication. They aren’t useful for A2P. They have limitations on sending marketing and promotional messages. Moreover, local long code numbers can send a limited number of messages per second. Hence, they aren’t suitable for businesses with large SMS lists.
Short code: Short SMS codes are five or six digit numbers/ codes that are assigned to brands or campaigns. They are designed to send high volume messages. However, they do not allow two-way communication. They are also not cost effective.
Toll-free numbers: Toll-free numbers are designed for high volume texting. These numbers require vetting before they can be used for campaigns. Toll-free numbers don’t support marketing and promotional messaging.
Also Read: Best End of Year and New Years SMS Campaigns, Templates and Examples for you to copy
Benefits of 10DLC
Improves deliverability
Consider this scenario – you receive one text message from a short-code number and one from a local phone number. Which message are you likely to trust more and click to read? 80% of people would prefer to click open the local phone number text. They might ignore the other number thinking it’s spam.
10DLC uses local phone numbers to send texts to customers. This means that customers are less likely to consider these messages as spam. This way, by using 10DLC, you can build trust and improve customer engagement.
If you’re a local business with a large number of your clients that are based locally, 10DLC is one of the best options for your business for sending text messages.
Another advantage is that your messages are less likely to be delayed. Since your 10DLC number would be registered and verified by mobile carriers, they would get delivered fast.
Mobile carriers follow the practice of vetting A2P message senders. If your business 10DLC is pre-vetted, you’d be pre-approved. Mobile carriers will easily know that you’re a trusted business. This ensures your messages are delivered faster.
Increases cost efficiency
Compared to other codes, and toll-free numbers, 10DLC is less expensive. Moreover, unlike other regular long codes, it is not restricted in volume. This can help reduce costs considerably. It also helps to reduce manual labor cost that is usually incurred in marketing campaigns. This can have a positive effect on the overall marketing costs as they would be reduced.
Offers higher bandwidth
10DLC numbers get access to mobile carriers’ higher-bandwidth services because they are pre-vetted. Text messages sent via 10DLC are delivered on mobile carriers’ dedicated routes, unlike short codes or toll-free numbers that have to wait and are sent through any available routes.
This also means that 10DLC messages get delivered to customers faster. There is a higher assurance and low risk of the messages getting delayed due to traffic.
10DLC numbers offer more flexibility
10DLC has many more advantages. It is more flexible compared to other codes and toll-free numbers. It supports both voice and text. It also supports two-way communication. For brands, this means they can register just one number and utilize all these features. This helps them give a better experience to their customers.
Why should you use 10DLC for your Shopify business
To send promotional text messages
If you’re a brand that’s active in marketing, you’d create marketing campaigns to promote it. One of the most vibrant and successful platforms for marketing is SMS. Texting is an essential part of today’s marketing campaigns. Instead of the regular methods of texting, you can use 10DLC.
10DLC numbers help brands grow their customer base. Toll-free numbers can only be used for transactional texts. Since 10DLC numbers are pre-vetted they have an improved efficiency in delivering text messages.
They can help you increase opt-ins to your SMSes with the help of ads and pop-ups. Moreover, customers who receive text messages from you brand through 10DLC are more likely to trust your brand more as they’ll notice a local number.
To send bulk alerts and confirmations
Whether you want to send an order confirmation, payment confirmation, or a thank you message, SMS has become the most preferred mode for brands to send and customers to receive texts. Well, text message has a 98% open rate – the highest among all marketing platforms.
Customers prefer fast, real-time updates, for which, SMS is the best option. It is personal, fast, short and convenient.
When you send bulk messages, it’s important to ensure that your messages get delivered in a fast, speedy, and reliable way. This is where 10DLC comes in. Being a highly reliable and fast method, it can take care of your bulk messages for sure.
To refer customers to support teams
When shoppers and customers have questions, they get in touch with brands over different channels – website, email, SMS, social media. Most businesses tend to forward customers’ queries to the different concerned departments.
When you use a two-way 10DLC method to communicate to your different departments, you can make sure the queries are filtered correctly. Instead of sending automated responses to customers and leaving them unhappy, 10DLC number can provide the advantage of two-way communication.
To reply to customers
SMS has become the most preferred method of communication between businesses and customers. Gone are the days when brands sent text messages to customers to share announcements, promotional and marketing messages, and customers were not allowed to reply back.
Today, the most preferred way to use SMS is to enable two-way communication. When brands send text messages to customers, the customers are allowed to reply.
Most businesses want to provide excellent customer support and provide a good customer experience. 10DLC enables that. Customers can respond to the text messages. They do not have to reach out to brands via another mode.
To improve engagement and trust
Every communication that a brand has with its customers is an opportunity to build trust and loyalty. Sending marketing messages and responding to customers’ queries are just two ways of improving engagement.
There are many other aspects of sending text messages that contribute to strengthening trust. For example, when you are responsive to customers and respond in a timely, quick manner, customers feel more confident in your brand.
Similarly, when you allow customers to reply to your text messages and engage in a conversation with them, it helps build a strong sense of trust. Your customers feel relaxed and less anxious because they know you are approachable.
This is where 10DLC can be an immense support resource for your business. It offers all the essential features such as a two-way communication channel, reliable delivery of messages, on time messaging, etc.
Do you want 10DLC for your Shopify store?
To make your Shopify marketing a success, you definitely need to include SMS in your marketing plan. However, only setting up an SMS marketing plan is not enough. You’ll need to make sure it has all the essential elements. It should allow two-way communication, support high volume texting, be fast, reliable, affordable, and integrate well with your Shopify store and other apps.
Explore the TxtCart marketing app for your Shopify store today!
