Do Messaging Speeds Matter in SMS Marketing?

In the video above, Tatango CEO Derek Johnson answers the question, “Do messaging speeds matter in text message marketing?” Prefer to read instead? No problem, please see the post below. You can also find answers to all of your SMS marketing questions in our Q&A video library; click here to browse.

What is “Messages per Second”?

First, it’s important to understand how messaging speeds are described in SMS marketing. In text message marketing, there’s a common term called “messages per second”. This term is defined as the message throughput speed capability of a software provider to the wireless carriers. It’s how many messages a software provider can send per second.

Do Messaging Speeds Matter in SMS Marketing?

Let’s take a look at two situations to understand better whether or not messaging speeds matter in SMS marketing.

Situation 1: A local independent pizza restaurant with 200 mobile subscribers is using an SMS software provider offering 50 messages per second. If the restaurant wanted to send a message to all of its subscribers, it would take 4-seconds. (200 subscribers/50mps = 4 seconds)

Situation 2: A pizza restaurant chain with 2 million mobile subscribers is using an SMS software provider offering 50 messages per second. If the restaurant wanted to send a message to all of its subscribers, it would take over 11 hours to send. (2,000,000 subscribers/50mps = 40,000 seconds / 60 = 666 mins / 60 = 11 hours)

While 50 messages per second seem fast, once brands and organizations build mobile subscriber lists consisting of millions, the message throughput speed capability of a software provider begins to matter.

How Do Messaging Speeds Impact Text Message Marketing Campaigns?

Messaging speeds can impact time-sensitive text message marketing campaigns in a significant way. If a brand or organization wants to send a “timely” message to all of its subscribers, it needs to be conscious about how long it will take for the messages to deliver.

For example, a quick-service restaurant with 5 million mobile subscribers wants to send all of its mobile subscribers a “noon lunch special”. If it’s using an SMS provider offering 50 messages per second, sending the message to its subscribers at 11 a.m. would result in only maybe 10% of the subscribers receiving the special.

To work around the messaging speed, brands can seek software providers that have faster-messaging throughput speeds such as Tatango, or time their text messaging campaigns so that the first and last person receives the message within the time frame of the lunch special. Instead of sending the message at 11 a.m., a brand might have to start sending the messages at 2 or 3 a.m., but this isn’t a viable option.

Tatango’s messaging capabilities enable brands and organizations send up to 7 million messages per hour or about 2,000 per second.

About Tatango

Tatango is comprised of a team of seasoned text message marketing experts located in Seattle. Our passion is to help brands and organizations solve their text message marketing challenges, build their SMS marketing campaigns, and increase revenue with the channel that consumers engage with most.

Need help solving your text message marketing needs? Contact us today!