SMS Delivery Report: Common Issues and Fixes

By 2023, the SMS marketing spend worldwide is estimated to grow to $339 billion.

From transmitting to a control channel to arriving at the SMS center, your messages go through several stages before arriving in the recipients’ inboxes.

It comes as no surprise that some bsuinesses want to know whether or not their messages are delayed or delivered.

Delivery reports are available on most business texting platforms, and this feature is critical to consider when choosing a platform.

Delivery reports ensure that messages have reached their intended recipients, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness of communication campaigns.

Paying attention to this feature can help businesses improve their messaging strategies and ensure higher engagement rates.

Businesses Using Software to Send SMS Texts

Regardless of their size, most modern businesses rely on advanced and specialized SMS software to orchestrate and execute their marketing campaigns with finesse.

These robust platforms provide a myriad of invaluable features that empower businesses to optimize their messaging strategies effectively.

From convenient campaign scheduling to seamless bulk text messaging capabilities, these solutions offer a comprehensive toolkit for achieving unparalleled success.

One particular aspect that distinguishes these cutting-edge platforms is their extensive SMS analytics functionality.

In addition to facilitating campaign management, they empower enterprises with deep insights and comprehensive data analysis.

Through SMS delivery reporting, businesses gain valuable visibility into the performance and reach of their messages, allowing them to make data-driven decisions and refine their strategies further.

How Are SMS Texts Delivered From One to Another?

The journey of an SMS message begins with your device, where it is created and sent to an SMS gateway managed by an SMS aggregator.

The SMS gateway forwards the text to the mobile network carrier.

Next, the SMS message arrives at the Short Message Service Center (SMSC).

At the SMSC, the text waits until it can be delivered to the recipient.

If the recipient is unreachable, the SMSC stores the messages until the recipient's device is available again.

Once the recipient's device reconnects to the network, the stored message is delivered.

Considering the validity period, the stored text leaves the SMSC and reaches the recipient efficiently.

What Is a Delivery Report for Text Messages?

A delivery report is a message from an SMCS (Short Message Service Center) that notifies you that your SMS message was sent to the intended recipient.

In other words, an SMS delivery report shows the current status of the text messages you submitted to the carrier.

Contrary to popular belief, text delivery reports do not actually mean that a text message was successfully delivered to the recipient.

Instead, it confirms that the message was sent successfully from the messaging platform to the device.

When you send a text message from your business texting platform, your SMSC is the first to receive it.

The server stores and retains the message until it attempts to deliver it.

After that, the text message is either delivered or fails to do so.

The same concept applies to multimedia messages as well.

Message delivery notifications inform you of the text message delivery status.

Generally speaking, text message delivery reports fall into five categories:

1. With Carrier
2. Rejected (soft bounce)
3. Rejected (hard bounce)
4. Delivery Status Unknown
5. Successfully Delivery

With Carrier

This indicates that the SMS was submitted to your carrier, but they have yet to return a response.

Rejected (Soft Bounce)

This indicates that the recipient’s number is unreachable at the moment.

Rejected (Hard Bounce)

This indicates that the recipient’s number is invalid or no longer exists.

Delivery Status Unknown

This indicates that the carrier has attempted to deliver the message but cannot confirm if it has done so successfully.

Successful Delivery

This indicates that the carrier confirms the recipient has successfully received the message with an acknowledged delivery receipt (DLR).

Why Do I Need SMS Delivery Reports?

SMS delivery reports offer a valuable means of ensuring the successful delivery of your text messages to your carefully curated contact list, while also providing insightful statistics regarding any instances where messages fail to reach their intended recipients.

By monitoring these reports, you gain the ability to evaluate and optimize your marketing strategies, aiming for the lowest possible bounce rates, ultimately leading to the achievement of your desired marketing goals and a favorable return on investment.

Not only that, but it also serves as a powerful tool to gauge recipient engagement. By analyzing response rates, you can ascertain the level of interaction and interest generated by your messages, enabling you to fine-tune your approach accordingly.

These reports serve as a litmus test for the effectiveness and reliability of your chosen SMS platform.

They act as an indicator of the platform's ability to consistently deliver messages, highlighting its stability and dependability.

Should the reports reveal any shortcomings in terms of delivery performance, it becomes evident that exploring alternative solutions is imperative in order to ensure seamless and reliable message transmission.

How Can I Improve the Delivery Rates of My Texts?

To enhance the performance of your SMS campaigns, follow these steps:

1. Choose a Reputable Platform

Select a trusted SMS provider that ensures reliable delivery by forwarding flagged messages to the SMSC for status reports on each sent text.

The platform should adhere to carrier and network rules, including delivery timing restrictions, legal limitations, and velocity and volume regulations.

Consider how your sender ID type may impact these rules.

Opt for a provider that offers 24/7 support and provides a comprehensive real-time dashboard for monitoring campaign performance.

At Dexatel, we provide all the points mentioned above.

2. Identify the Cause 

Analyze your SMS delivery report to determine if messages are being delivered but not generating the desired engagement.

Consistent occurrences of low engagement may indicate that your texts are being ignored due to factors such as excessive message frequency or inadequate content.

Adjust your messaging strategy by reducing frequency, scheduling texts for optimal timing when your audience is likely to engage, and refreshing your content style to prevent repetitive messaging that can be flagged as spam.

Additionally, contact your SMS platform provider to investigate the reasons behind the low engagement and identify potential solutions.

3. Verify Your Database

Regularly validate all numbers in your contact list or database to ensure accuracy.

Remove any landline numbers or entries with typos that render them nonfunctional.

Keeping your database up to date maximizes the effectiveness of your SMS campaigns.