What are Alphanumeric Sender IDs?

You’re in the middle of something, and your phone pings. Which message are you most likely to read? One from an unspecified number or one from an easily identified business that you know and engage with.

This is possible when sending SMS with alphanumeric sender IDs which might have you wondering what they are? Alphanumeric sender IDs combine letters and numbers, that your business can use in place of a phone number when sending SMS messages. Instead of receiving a message from an unknown number, your customers will instantly recognise your brand name as the sender. This makes communication feel more personal and trustworthy. In alphanumeric sender ID marketing, it’s all about creating a connection with your audience right from the moment they receive your message.

Kudosity offers a number of options when it comes to making your business name known. You can use a custom sender ID with your business number, a shared virtual number, or a dedicated virtual number.

Benefits of using Alphanumeric Sender IDs

There are a number of advantages to alphanumeric sender IDs, but the biggest is that it creates a branded experience for your marketing campaigns.

With a total of eleven characters to represent your brand, use them wisely. Whether you let your recipient know who the SMS is from or the subject of your communication, your message will be more memorable.

As soon as your message is received, your customers know who it’s from and what it’s regarding. This helps them feel in control, and they can choose whether to look at it now or later.

An alphanumeric sender ID is also handy in the operational space. When it comes to SMS two-factor authentication (2FA), adding a custom sender ID boosts authenticity and a sense of security around using your service. This is important for banks and businesses dealing with sensitive data.

Custom sender IDs also help create urgency and immediacy around customer service contact. For example, by sending a delivery notification using a custom sender ID, your customer is immediately aware of the message and is more likely to act on it.

When you’re crafting campaigns, using a custom sender ID is helpful because it lets recipients know if your contact is promotional, service-based or general communication. This kind of transparency increases engagement and builds trust.

See the difference for yourself…

Limitations of Alphanumeric Sender IDs

Using a customised SMS sender name is a flexible and personalisable option, however, there are some traits associated with Alphanumeric Sender IDs that you need to know.

Firstly, it’s not free. Kudosity needs to enable this feature, but once this is done, you’re ready to send.

The most significant characteristic is that your customers can’t reply to your custom sender ID (remember, it’s not a number). Instead, they have to text your number directly. This is why it's most suited for one-way communication. And without the option of direct replies, Alphanumeric Sender IDs are inconvenient for opt-outs.

The next consideration is geography. If you’re sending your message internationally, bear in mind that Alphanumeric Sender IDs aren’t supported in all countries, and throughput will vary from country to country. Make sure you confirm the country you’re messaging is on our global SMS delivery list.

Speaking of character count, you’ve only got eleven characters to work with, so you may need to use abbreviations to make your custom sender ID work. Remember, there’s a fine between abbreviation and it not making sense to the customer.

Lastly – within Australia, you can only use letters, numbers, spaces and underscores withing the Sender ID. Having said that – iPhones shows Sender IDs as one word, which means your hyphens or underscores will be removed.

Setting up your Custom Sender ID

Getting your custom sender ID is easy with Kudosity. Here’s how to do it.

1. Purchase your dedicated number

2. Click on ‘Senders’ in the left hand navigation

   

3. Click ‘Add Sender ID’ at the top of the page

   

4. Enter your Business Name and click on ‘ACTIVATE**’** button

   

   If you want to set your Sender ID as your personal mobile number, change Type to ‘My mobile number.’ Enter your personal mobile number in the international format, without the + sign, then click on the ‘ACTIVATE’ button.

   

   This is only available in Australia, the United Kingdom and Singapore.

Setting up your Custom Sender ID

With Kudosity, you can create a custom sender ID to better identify your business or campaign. Eleven characters are all it takes to help increase engagement and get optimum recognition for your brand.