What are short codes?
Short codes like 45984 are designed to be easier to memorise than telephone or mobile numbers. By providing customers with these five-digit short codes that are easy to remember you in turn supply them with a simple way to contact your company. When customers make contact, you allow for the generation of new leads, problem resolution via SMS and more.
What are short codes used for?
Short codes are widely used as value-added services such as charity donation lines, voting lines, buying ringtones, buying movies from service providers (e.g. DSTV), information capturing, competition lines and more. With the vast experience Connect Mobile has acquired from running multiple short code campaigns, we are able to customise all campaigns. Validation can be added to content that is received, for example, users can send in barcodes on products purchased for a certain competition, valid barcodes can receive a separate response to invalid entries.
Messages sent to a short code may be billed or charged at a higher rate than standard SMS rates referred to as premium short codes (e.g. charity campaigns). The use of short codes as part of your mobile marketing campaign is an excellent way to boost brand awareness through competitions. Printing unique promotional codes on product items and encouraging users to then SMS the unique promotional code to your dedicated short code to stand a chance to win is one of many ways to encourage engagement with your brand. With our unique platform you will have live access to view the progress of your campaign.
Types of short codes
Standard – The cost for the customer to submit a message to a standard rated code is the same cost as a standard SMS.
Premium – Rate bands up to R1.50 are available for clients that wish to run a competition and earn revenue share to either cover the costs of running the promo or to fund the prize.
Reverse Billed – By making use of a reverse billed short code you ensure that even those without a positive airtime balance can engage with your brand or enter your competition free of charge. Most educational institutions prefer this option as a means for students to communicate at no cost to them.
Connect to get Connected. Visit our website to explore more information about our service offerings – USSD, Genius SMS, Short Codes and Bulk SMS or send an email to sales@connect-mobile.co.za.
