With Prodocom SMS, it works from any standard email application, with no extra software or passwords, no set-up costs and no monthly access fee. You only pay for messages that are successfully delivered.
How do you send an SMS from your email?
It takes three steps:
- Address the email to the recipient’s mobile number. In the “To” field, type their mobile number followed by
@sms.prodocom.com.au, in this format:[recipient’s mobile number]@sms.prodocom.com.au - Write your message in the body of the email. Whatever is in the email body is what gets sent as the text.
- Send it from a registered email address. The email needs to come from an address registered to your Prodocom account, and then it’s on its way.
It’s ideal for sending individual messages, such as a quick update to a customer, without needing to log in to anything or leave the inbox you’re already working in.
What happens if your message is long?
It still gets sent in full. A standard SMS holds up to 160 characters, so if your email body is longer than that, the message is split into parts and sent as several SMS, which the recipient’s phone joins back together into one message.
The thing to keep in mind is cost, because each part counts as its own SMS. Emojis and some special characters also reduce how much fits in each part, so a message can become longer than it looks. Our guide to SMS character limits explains how it all works.
Who can send from your account?
Only email addresses registered to your Prodocom account can send SMS this way. If an email arrives from an address that isn’t registered, it won’t be sent, which means nobody outside your business can send texts on your account just by knowing the address format.
You also keep a clear record of what’s been sent. Every message is archived, giving administrators complete control over usage, and reporting lets both the people sending and the administrators keep track of delivery.
Can people reply?
They can, depending on how your account is set up. SMS headers and reply-to numbers can be registered, so recipients can clearly see who the message is from and how to respond. If you rent your own number, replies come back to your inbox as emails, and you can answer them straight from your email, keeping the whole conversation in one text thread on their phone. Our guide to two-way SMS explains the options in more detail.
What should you check before you send?
A few quick checks will make sure your text arrives the way you intended:
- Your email signature. Because the email body becomes the text, check whether your email program adds a signature or disclaimer automatically, so it doesn’t end up in the SMS too.
- The number. Double-check the mobile number in the address, since a typo will send your message to the wrong person or nowhere at all.
- Who it’s from. Start with your business name so the recipient knows straight away who’s texting them.
- The length. Keep it as short as it can be while still being useful, both for the reader and for the number of parts you’re paying for.
There are more tips on wording in our guide to writing SMS that gets a response.
The takeaway
Email to SMS is one of the simplest ways to start texting customers, because it works from the inbox you already use. Address the email to their mobile number, write your message in the body and send it from a registered address, and it’s on its way.
If you’d like to set up email to SMS for your team, or register more email addresses on your account, get in touch and we’ll help you get started.