SMS remains one of the most effective communication channels available to businesses today. It is immediate, highly visible and delivers exceptional cut-through compared to email and many other digital channels. 

 Successful SMS campaigns combine technology with good communication.

Remember to:

✓ Keep messages concise

✓ Personalise where possible

✓ Include a clear call to action

✓ Use appropriate timing

✓ Check for Unicode characters

✓ Choose the right sender option

✓ Follow ACMA requirements

✓ Respect unsubscribe requests

✓ Leverage automation and integrations

✓ Explore AI-powered communication opportunities

With the right approach, SMS can become one of the most effective communication channels in your organisation.

An SMS message is designed to be concise. While modern SMS platforms can send longer messages, shorter messages generally perform better.

Aim to:

• Communicate one key message
• Use simple language
• Include a clear call to action
• Avoid unnecessary words

Remember: A standard SMS message segment in Australia is 160 characters (including spaces) every extra character can increase message length and cost. If you type longer messages, use emoji's or non-GSM characters the rules change and your message is automatically split into multi part messages.

Note: If you go over 160 characters the limit becomes 153 characters per SMS segment because 7 characters are absorbed in the truncation process.

One of the most common SMS mistakes occurs when content is copied from Microsoft Word, websites, social media platforms or AI tools.

Special characters such as:

• Curly quotation marks (“ ”)
• Em dashes (—)
• Smart apostrophes (’)
• Certain emojis
• Foreign language characters

All can trigger Unicode encoding. This significantly reduces the number of characters available in a single SMS to 70 and can increase costs.

Before sending large campaigns, always check your message content and encoding.

Long URLs can quickly consume valuable characters.

Instead of sending:

https://www.myorganisation.com.au/events/annual-fundraising-dinner-registration-page

Use a shortened link:

https://txto.au/example

Benefits include:

• Reduced character count
• Lower SMS costs
• Cleaner presentation
• Better user experience
• Improved tracking and reporting

Texto's link shortening capability helps maximise available message space while maintaining a professional appearance.

One of the most common questions businesses ask is whether they should send SMS messages from a dedicated mobile number or a branded Sender ID.

A Sender ID (sometimes called an Alpha Tag) is the branded name displayed in the "From" field of an SMS message. The maximum length is 11 characters made up of standard letters, numbers and spaces

For example:

From: TEXTO

instead of:

From: 0412 345 678

Note:  Customers generally cannot reply directly to a Sender ID message and two-way conversations are not supported in most scenarios

Benefits:

• Stronger brand recognition
• Builds trust and credibility
• Customers instantly recognise your organisation
• Excellent for alerts, notifications and marketing campaigns

A dedicated mobile number looks like a standard Australian mobile number. A benefit is that recipients can reply directly and it supports two-way conversations.

Benefits

• Ideal for customer service and engagement
• Creates a personal communication experience

Best for:

• Customer support
• Appointment reminders
• Staff communications
• Interactive campaigns

Australia is introducing a mandatory SMS Sender ID Register to help combat SMS impersonation and scam activity.

From 1 July 2026, businesses and organisations using branded Sender IDs must have those Sender IDs registered through participating providers such as Texto. Unregistered Sender IDs may be disrupted or blocked.

These reforms are designed to:

• Reduce SMS fraud
• Prevent sender ID spoofing
• Improve trust in branded SMS communications
• Protect consumers from scams

If you send marketing SMS messages in Australia, you must comply with the Spam Act and ACMA requirements.

Businesses sending commercial SMS messages must:

• Obtain consent
• Clearly identify themselves
• Provide contact information
• Include an easy way to unsubscribe or opt out

Customers should be able to stop receiving marketing messages quickly and easily.

Common examples include:

• Reply STOP
• Reply UNSUBSCRIBE
• Clicking an unsubscribe link

The process should be simple for the recipient.

People respond better when messages feel relevant to them.

Adding a first name or other personalised information can significantly improve engagement.

Example:

"Hi Sarah, your appointment with Dr Jones is tomorrow at 10:00am. Reply YES to confirm."

Personalisation helps your message feel more human and increases trust.

Sending the right message at the wrong time can reduce engagement.

Consider:

• Business hours
• Customer preferences
• Time zones
• Urgency of the message

Texto's scheduling functionality allows you to prepare messages in advance and have them delivered at the most appropriate time.

Every SMS should have a purpose.

Tell recipients exactly what you want them to do next.

Examples:

• Reply YES to confirm
• Click the link to register
• Call us today
• Complete the survey
• Donate now

A clear call to action increases response rates and campaign effectiveness.

Quickly upload and manage customer contact databases. Benefits include:

• Faster campaign creation
• Better audience segmentation
• Easier contact management
• More targeted communications

Prepare campaigns in advance and send them at the optimal time. Benefits include:

• Improved engagement
• Better customer experience
• Reduced manual workload
• Consistent communication

Need to send a text without logging into a platform? Texto allows authorised users to send SMS directly from their email inbox. Simply compose an email and have it delivered as a text message. This is ideal for operational alerts, staff notifications and urgent communications. Benefits include:

• No additional software required
• Faster workflows
• Easy staff adoption
• Perfect for alerting and notifications

Texto integrates with a wide range of business systems.

Common integration categories include:

• CRM platforms
• Fundraising systems
• Membership platforms
• Booking software
• Accounting systems
• Help desk solutions
• E-commerce platforms

Benefits include:

• Reduced double handling
• Automated workflows
• Better data accuracy
• Faster communication