SMS best practices for deliverability

Sending out SMS messages isn’t the same as email marketing. With email, you might blast thousands at once and hope a few land. But SMS? It’s more personal. Carriers expect your messages to look like real conversations — not campaigns.

That means if your first text sounds too promotional or robotic, you might get flagged before anyone even sees it. And once your number is flagged, it’s hard to recover.

Let’s look at what actually works — and what gets your number blocked.

1. Think Chat, Not Megaphone

SMS isn’t a marketing channel in the traditional sense. It’s a conversation tool.

If you’ve been using email to send mass promotions, you’ll need to shift gears here. Carriers want to see real, 1-to-1 messages. Conversations, not campaigns.

A quick comparison:

• ✅ "Hey Sarah, got a quick question about your listing — mind if I ask?"

• ❌ "We buy homes fast! Get your offer now — limited time only!"

The more your message feels like it was written for one person, the better.

2. Go Slow — Like, Really Slow

Carriers monitor how quickly your messages go out. If it looks too fast, you’re flagged.

Start slow:

• Begin with 1 message every 2 minutes

• Over time, ease into 1 per minute

QuickText has built-in delay settings to help with this.

3. Unlimited Plan ≠ Unlimited Freedom

Just because your phone plan says "unlimited texts" doesn’t mean you can send 2,000 cold messages a day.

Carriers have Fair Usage Policies, and they care more about behavior than your billing tier. Typically, you’re safe in the low hundreds — especially if you're messaging warm leads.

4. One Message, One Reply

Carriers look for engagement. If your number only sends and never gets replies, it can get flagged.

Best practice: For every message you send, aim to spark a response. A simple question can do wonders.

Instead of:

• “We’re buying in your area!”

Try:

• “Hi Marcus — saw your place on Oak Street. Is it still available?”

5. Don’t Be a Copy-Paste Robot

If every message you send looks exactly the same, that’s a red flag.

QuickText supports spintext — a way to rotate phrases and greetings to keep things fresh.

Example:

{Hi|Hello|Hey} John, {I passed by your place today|I was in the area earlier} and had a quick Q.

Each version looks slightly different — and that’s the point.

Pro tip: Switch up your full message every 100–150 sends.

6. Skip the Link (For Now)

Avoid putting a link in your first message — especially a shortened one like bit.ly or rebrand.ly. These are often filtered by carriers.

Wait for a reply. Then send a link with context.

7. Watch Your Language

Certain keywords will trigger spam filters — especially in cold messages.

🚩 Words to avoid:

• Free

• Cash offer

• Click here

• Buy now

• Limited-time

Stick to natural, clear language.

8. Respect the Connection

QuickText isn’t specifically built for cold outreach to random numbers. It’s best for warm leads, past contacts, or opt-ins.

Also:

• Respect opt-outs

• Use names and personal details when possible

• Keep it contextual

Example:

“Hey Laura, I saw your place on 4th Street is still listed — are you still taking offers?”

Final Thought

SMS is powerful — but only if you use it with care. Focus on clarity, relevance, and tone. If your message feels human, it has a better chance of being delivered — and answered.