What to expect

Slower than normal sending speeds. 2022 BFCM will be another record setting year for
SMS marketing. This means an incredible amount of traffic for mobile carriers and ISPs to
filter, inevitably leading to some slowdowns.
MMS for toll-free numbers to be restricted. MMS (images and GIFs) for TFNs will not be
reliable during peak BFCM sending. TFN users should rely solely on SMS (text-only) during
those times.
SMS and Short Code sending to be unrestricted. SMS (text-only) sending for all number
types will be reliable throughout BFCM. Short code users will be able to use MMS if they
choose.

How to prepare

1. Ensure SMS compliance. Businesses can expect greater scrutiny of their SMS
compliance during peak holidays. Make sure your business meets the compliance
needs for Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Collecting Consent.
2. Write your content ahead of time. Brainstorm promotion ideas and draft your content
early to give you adequate time to QA for the best possible results.
3. Plan your campaigns in advance. Create segments and decide which audience will
receive which messages. Forecast SMS spend and enable auto-upgrade to avoid hitting
plan limits. Schedule your campaigns in advance and avoid quiet hours.

Recommended sending strategy

1. Do not use MMS for toll-free numbers. TFN users should only send SMS campaigns,
i.e. text-only messages.
2. Do not send during quiet hours. We recommend only sending campaigns between
9am and 8pm in the recipient's local timezone.
3. Schedule campaigns early in the day. This will ensure your message gets out as fast
as possible as message queues with mobile carriers will get longer later in the day.
4. Segment and be more targeted. SMS marketing is best for time sensitive messages,
and sending to smaller segments/lists will help get your message out faster.