The Termii Blog

Understanding Invalid Numbers and the Effect on Your Messaging ROI

Written by Dami Adegoke | Feb 7, 2024 8:21:35 AM

Termii provides cutting-edge SMS messaging solutions tailored to meet your communication needs. Over time, we've been able to help thousands of businesses reach their customers in several countries via SMS. 

SMS has its unique advantage, boasting an exceptional open rate of up to 98%, SMS surpasses the average of around 20% in email marketing. With Termii as your reliable partner, you're equipped for impactful and effective communication.

However, your SMS marketing efforts may not yield the desired results if you're not careful about invalid numbers. Invalid numbers can hurt your messaging ROI. So if you want your messaging campaigns to be effective, make sure to understand and address this issue.

Understanding Invalid Numbers

Invalid numbers in SMS messaging can take different forms – they are either incorrect, inactive, or non-existent. Incorrect numbers usually result from typos or input errors, while inactive numbers were once valid but are no longer in use. Non-existent numbers were either never assigned or did not follow the designated numbering plan.

Managing Invalid Numbers

1. Update your Contact List Regularly

Regularly check and update recipient phone numbers, removing invalid or inactive ones.

2. Verify Phone Numbers
Use number verification services to identify and remove invalid or non-functioning phone numbers from your database.

3. Request Updated Contact Information

Encourage recipients to update their contact information. Include a call to action in your messages, urging them to provide current details.

The Negative Impacts of Invalid Numbers

1. Increased Bounce Rates and Lower Deliverability:

Messages sent to invalid numbers are rejected by operators, leading to blocked or marked-as-spam messages, reducing deliverability rates.

2. Wasted Resources and Decreased ROI:

Targeting invalid numbers wastes resources on unreachable recipients, thereby, reducing the ROI of marketing efforts and hindering effective resource allocation.

Conclusion
It's important to double-check that your contact list is in the correct format before sending messages on the Termii Platform. Keep in mind that uploading invalid numbers can lead to charges, regardless of whether your messages are delivered. Take a moment to ensure your recipients' numbers are accurate to avoid unnecessary expenses.

See the approved phone number format below. Please be aware that these are not the actual support numbers; they are provided here for illustrative purposes.

Ensure that the numbers in your file start with the second digit as seen above. This is because when using the Termii dashboard, you'll need to choose the destination country. Once you make the selection, the system will automatically add the correct country code to the numbers. So, when uploading, there's no need for the numbers to include the country code, as it will be added during the process.

About Termii
Termii stands out as a leading provider of business messaging solutions in Africa, going beyond the conventional bulk SMS service that businesses utilize to send messages to their customers. Following evolving trends, we've identified a growing need for an omnichannel messaging solution. To that end, we've helped thousands of businesses successfully connect with and verify their customers seamlessly across various channels such as SMS, voice, email, and WhatsApp.

Looking to launch your first campaign on Termii? This video is your go-to guide. While the dashboard might have undergone a few changes, this video provides a comprehensive and fundamental understanding of how to initiate your first campaign on Termii.

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