What does an SMS campaign really cost?

The price per SMS is the easy part. The real cost sits in three things people forget.

1. The length of your message

Above 160 characters you pay for two messages, above 306 for three. One emoji pushes the limit down to 70 characters. A campaign to 5,000 recipients that accidentally consists of two parts therefore costs double.

2. The quality of your list

For a number that no longer exists, you pay all the same. On a list a few years old, five to ten per cent is typically dead. Cleaning a list costs less than sending to it.

3. The destination

Belgium is cheap, some destinations cost a multiple. If you send internationally, check the rate per country before you schedule the campaign.

What you set against it

Do not think in cost per message but in cost per result. An appointment reminder of a few cents that prevents one no-show pays for itself many times over. So measure what happened after the message, not how many messages you sent.