How many characters may I include in a text message?
- 160 characters per individual text message
How long does it take to deliver a text message?
- Generally a text message is sent within 60 seconds of a contact dropping into the SMS application, but this is dependent on the API's on the back of the automation platform being utilized
What is a short code, long code, vanity short code
- a short code is a 5 or 6 digit number used to send mass volumes of SMS messages without carrier limitations on daily messages (to individual numbers)
- a long code is a regular 10 digit number - there is a 250 message limit per long code per day
- vanity short code - you can choose your 5 or 6 digit number from the list of available numbers
- random short code - you will receive a random 5 or 6 digit number
Can you guarantee delivery of every text message that I send?
- our application will write a status update to your Custom Data Object for each individual message sent and received - saying whether the message was successfully delivered or not
Can I change the number or set a name that you send my text messages from?
- you're unable to change a phone number in your account, but we will add/remove numbers upon request
- Alphanumeric Sender ID is an available feature in our application for applicable countries (NOTE: using Sender ID will not allow you to receive messages back)
Do I pay SureShot or Twilio?
- clients will pay Sureshot, we handle the relationship with Twilio
Can I send an image and text together in one message?
- Yes
Does an inbound message count towards the number of messages sent in a 12 month period?
- Yes, both sent and received messages will count towards usage
What if my company already works with Twilio can we still work with them directly as well as SureShot?
- Yes
In which countries can I send MMS messages?
- At this time, MMS messaging can only be sent within US and Canada. International MMS messaging outside these two countries is not yet supported, however MMS messages sent internationally will be converted to SMS text messages with a URL link to the media. MMS messages sent in the US or Canada to unsupported carriers will also be sent via SMS.
Can I tell if someone has opened the message I have sent?
- The technology currently does not exist for determining whether someone opened a message
What do I need to do before starting a SMS program at my company?
- Supported marketing automation platform (Eloqua)
- That's it?
How do I plan for my SMS marketing campaign?
- Outline in detail each step of the campaign including:
- Which contacts you're sending messages to
- Volume of contacts you'll be sending to
- Do you want to receive messages or just send?
- The content of each individual message
- The content for important keywords (STOP, HELP, CANCEL, etc.)
- The timing between each step in the campaign
Can I schedule re-curing messages?
- Currently you can use Eloqua logic to send messages during a specific time
Can I schedule messages to be sent in advance?
- Currently you can use Eloqua logic to send messages during a specific time
What kind of metrics can I track (i.e. reporting)?
- We write all of the transactional data (message content, to/from number, timestamp, status, etc. for each individual message) to a Custom Data Object already setup in your Eloqua account - you're then able to use Eloqua's reporting tool for specific reports
- Sure Shot does not provide reporting or analytics on delivery rates, etc.
Where do my inbound messages go?
- Inbound messages are captured by the application and written as a record in the already setup Message CDO
Can my messages be seen coming from my companies name?
- Alphanumeric Sender ID is an available feature in our application for applicable countries (NOTE: using Sender ID will not allow you to receive messages back)
What happens if the message is undeliverable?
- If a message is undelivered, we will write the transactional data for the message to the Message CDO
How secure?
- Sure Shot is SOC2 certified
What kind of support do you have?
- Sure Shot has a support portal you can log tickets into when/if you run into issues - you will also have contact information from a member of our Client Services team
Do you have a user guide?
- Yes, a current user guide is available here
Can I check the number of messages left in my account? How will I know I am almost up?
- Being that the cost of messages is dependent on the countries you're sending to, clients will pre-purchase a specific dollar amount of usage that Sure Shot will bill against
- We are able to provide the amount of pre-purchased usage available upon request
Do we have to setup an account with Twilio directly?
- No, Sure Shot will completely manage the Twilio relationship and setup
Any new upcoming features to the app?
- We are always adding new, important features to the application to enhance your SMS campaigns - feel free to submit a feature request in our Support Portal
Do you offer a trial version of the app?
- We do not have a trial version of the application but are able to provide a live demo of the app upon request
When someone texts to a phone number listed in your account, this is the hierarchy the app will go through to send a response:
- If the contact has received a text from a configuration in a campaign and has sent a keyword in the configuration, it will send that Keyword Auto Response
- If the contact has not received a text from a configuration, the app will check for keywords in the configuration mapped to the phone number from the Edit Phone Number screen
- The app will then check for Global Keyword Autoresponses in the 'Global Configuration' screen
- If there are no Global Keyword matches, the app will check to see if there is a Default Auto Response from a configuration to send
- If the configuration doesn't have an active Default Auto Response then the app will reply with the Default Auto Response found within the Edit Phone Number screen