Deliverability of your messages can vary due to a variety of factors, including audience preferences, message content, and the relevance and timeliness of your campaign.
What is “good deliverability”?
We generally see “good” deliverability ranging from 90-99%. If you have deliverability lower than that, it can be for a variety of reasons, some of which are listed below.
High Opt-outs
In general, you should aim to keep your opt-out rate below 6%. This ensures that you are texting people who want to be texted, and it also signals to carriers that your messages are not spam.
One of the best ways to lower your opt-out rate is through the use of affirmative opt-ins. Essentially, after uploading a person to your Daisychain account, you should text them to see if they actually want to be texted. You can also setup clear guidelines about just how often you plan on texting them. An example of that might be something like the message below:
[Campaign name]: Hi ! You’ve been added to our texting list. You can expect to receive messages from us at a frequency of [frequency]. You can opt-out at any time by replying “stop”. Let us know if you have any questions, and thank you for supporting our campaign!
Spam Filtering
There are two separate types of spam filtering you may encounter when texting: platform filtering and carrier filtering.
Platform filtering occurs when our upstream provider flags your message content. This type of filtering is rare and can result in 0% of your messages being delivered. If you encounter platform filtering (error code 4470), please contact us and we will work to lift any potential blocks.
Carrier filtering (error code 4750) is much more common, and is the result of carriers (like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) not allowing your messages through to recipient handsets. This error code can also appear if the recipient number is deactivated or out of funds.
Other Error Messages
If you received an error code 4720, it could mean a number of things:
- This could mean the number isn't currently enabled for text messaging.
- For toll-free messages to T-Mobile, this could also mean the user has opted to block all toll-free and short-code traffic.
Should I use 10DLC or Toll-Free?
We tend to see high deliverability on both types of numbers, though their are a few key differences.
Advantages of Toll-Free
- For 501(c) nonprofits and private entities, toll-free offers the benefit of being an uncapped messaging channel, unlike 10DLC, which has daily T-Mobile limits.
- The process to become 10DLC verified is also typically lengthier than Toll-Free, so if you need to get up and running very quickly, we recommend Toll-Free.
Advantages of 10DLC
- You can use a local area code.
- You don't need to use the number regularly (once a month or so) to ensure your number isn't marked as "dormant" -- which can cause future messages to be marked as spam and filtered accordingly.