10 DLC: What it is and Why it Matters

SMS messaging has become the most popular means of communication among people of all ages. In the last ten years, SMS messaging has grown from a simple way to send messages to friends and family to a powerful marketing tool for businesses.

SMS messaging is an effective way to reach customers and prospects because it is a direct and personal form of communication. Unlike email or social media, SMS messages are not easily ignored or forgotten. When customers opt-in to receive SMS messages from a business, they are indicating that they want to hear from the business and are more likely to read and respond to texts.

Businesses can use SMS messaging for various purposes, such as sending appointment reminders, promoting sales and discounts, conducting customer surveys, sending shipping notifications, and much more. SMS messages can also keep customers updated on new products and services. Companies are using A2P (Application-to-Person) messaging to connect with their customers in creative ways.

What is 10DLC?

10DLC, also known as 10-digit long code, is a crucial component of Text Message Marketing. It relates to A2P messaging (Application-to-Person messaging), enabling applications like Textdrip to send mobile messages to users.

The purpose of 10DLC is to replace shared shortcodes, which are no longer supported by major phone carriers. With 10DLC, businesses can send text messages from a local phone number rather than a personal mobile device, allowing for improved professionalism.

These long codes are registered with carriers to support high-volume clusters, ensuring smooth delivery of large quantities of text messages.

This feature makes 10DLC ideal for both advertising and transactional messages, offering the flexibility to display any chosen area code. Compared to costly shortcodes, 10DLC provides a more affordable option while still allowing for personalization.

What Do Businesses Need to Do?

10DLC registration is now mandatory for any business using long codes for A2P Texting. There are several potential penalties for not registering 10DLC numbers, which can include surcharges, fines, increased filtering, decreased throughput, and deliverability, as well as the potential to be blocked from sending SMS messages. Penalties vary depending on the carrier.

With Textdrip, we make it easy and convenient for you to successfully register with 10DLC. 

1. Brand Registration: Businesses must complete Brand Registration by registering their business with a valid EIN number to identify who they are to the carrier networks.

2. Campaign Registration: Businesses must register with the Campaign Registry to identify what types of messages they are sending.  

There is no need to go directly to The Campaign Registry or any other website to complete registration. Registration can be completed in its entirety from the Textdrip platform for Textdrip users. We make registration and compliance easy.

We have integrated with The Campaign Registry to meet the requirements of carriers and facilitate registration for our customers, making it easy for you to establish compliance.

Once you complete your Brand Registration, Textdrip shares your company’s information with The Campaign Registry, a third party that approves or rejects your registration based on the information provided. Once successfully registered, your brand will gain credibility with mobile carriers and will be recognized as an approved brand. 

Why Was 10DLC Created?

10DLC is being implemented Nationwide by all the major US mobile carriers. The messaging industry has decided to create 10DLC SMS for a number of reasons.

Mobile carriers found that requiring businesses to register their long codes as 10DLC numbers better protects the consumer and ensures the authenticity of the business while allowing a higher level of security and privacy for the messages that are being sent out.

This is important for businesses that need to ensure the confidentiality of their communications.

Benefits of 10 DLC Registration

There are several benefits for businesses which include:

Message Volume and Deliverability

10DLC is designed specifically for text messaging and therefore enables businesses to send high-priority messages that are more likely to be delivered promptly and without issues. With 10DLC, you will have the capability to send out a much higher volume of mass SMS messages than traditional messaging.

10DLC greatly reduces the likeliness of experiencing the issues that plague traditional SMS messaging such as dropped messages and undelivered texts. This is especially important for time-sensitive or mission-critical communications. 10DLC also provides greater control over the timing and delivery of messages.

This can help businesses avoid potential customer service issues or disruptions to their operations. By operating with 10DLC, your customers are more likely to receive the messages you're sending, and they're more likely to actually read them.

Reliability

10DLC is more reliable than traditional SMS messaging. This means that businesses can rely on it for critical communications that need to be delivered without fail. 10DLC also allows businesses to see when their SMS messages have been delivered to the recipients.  

Affordability

10DLC is more affordable than traditional SMS. Because you're mostly paying SMS messaging and not so many voice minutes, you can save a significant amount of money on your monthly bill.

This can help businesses save money on their messaging costs. In fact, 10DLC is so cost-effective that it's often included as part of a business's marketing budget.

Consistency

10DLC numbers are consistent. This means that your customers can always reach you on the same number, regardless of where you are or what device you're using.

Traditional phone numbers can be difficult to remember, especially if they're constantly changing. With 10DLC, you can choose a single, easy-to-remember number for your business and use it across all of your marketing channels.

Conclusion

Overall, the decision to create 10DLC SMS was driven by the need to provide businesses with a more reliable, secure, and affordable way to communicate while ensuring the privacy of consumers and protection from spam. This new standard will help businesses improve their operations and better serve their customers.

If you're looking for a more reliable, affordable, and easy-to-use way to communicate with your customers and prospects, sign up with Textdrip and get your exclusive 10DLC local number today. Textdrip will walk you through the process of registering your brand and getting you set up to start reaching out to thousands of customers in no time. Sign-up only takes a couple of minutes.

Book a demo today and see why 10DLC is becoming the number one preferred choice for businesses of all sizes. Book your free demo here  https://calendly.com/textdrip/demo