Getting Started with SMS Channel

Getting Started with SMS Channel

The Echo platform is a cloud-based software system that enables organizations to engage their most important stakeholders through scalable SMS, USSD, and voice communication.  The platform’s web interface generates actionable data and analytics from this engagement, empowering essential insights and decisions to help organizations succeed.

What is SMS and how does it work?

An SMS short code is a five digit number (such as 20788), which can be used to both send and receive messages from users.It is usually an easy to remember number allowing two way communication between companies and their clients.




The benefits of using SMS Short-codes are:
  • Facilitates a toll-free experience which means that there is no fee to end user to send or receive a message
  • Supports massive scale via telecom infrastructure
  • Memorable, trust-worthy, short number
As there benefits of using SMS, there are also considerations that need to be taken to account which are:
  • Monthly maintenance costs
  • Must be set up for each carrier you wish to support
  • Set up time varies in new countries
For short-codes, there are  three type of SMS services  that you could use on your Echo Mobile account which are:

Shared Short-Codes

Shared short-codes are a common short code shared among many of our clients.

Private Short-Codes

Private short-codes are a short code that is licensed JUST for your company.  It ensures that you will have a unique 5-digit short code to communicate with your beneficiaries/clients.

Masked SMS

In addition to using either Echo’s shared short code or a private short-code, organizations can make use of  masked SMS service on their account on the Echo platform. A masked SMS is a branded SMS service where you can use your company’s name to communicate with your customers.


SMS Short-codes and Masked SMS service setups are country specific. Therefore for more information on SMS short-codes, pricing and set up options in your country, please feel free to drop us an email support@echomobile.org 

Getting Started with SMS Channel

The Echo Platform allows you to  send out messages to multiple contacts with one click of a button using the SMS channel through a SMS short-code. On the Echo Platform, you can view responses in real time as your contacts text back their answers.



You can get started on this by creating a communication which is either by creating a survey , creating a quiz or a creating a notice, choosing the channel as SMS and sending it out to your targeted set of Contacts. Once you send out  your messages to your contacts, you can now view/export responses regardless of the type of phone they have and where in the world they are.
    • Related Articles

    • SMS Messages and Delivery Reports

      How does SMS work with Our Service Providers? As the Echo platform is neither a mobile network operator(MNO) nor a bulk-SMS provider, we work directly with service providers. Through our service provider's infrastructure, we can facilitate two-way ...
    • Getting Started with USSD Channel

      The Echo platform is a cloud-based software system that enables organizations to engage their most important stakeholders through scalable SMS, USSD, and Voice Communication.  The platform’s web interface generates actionable data and analytics from ...
    • IVR Messages and Delivery Reports

      How Does IVR Work with our Service Provider? A voice status is a real-time indication of how a call went. When a call is started until when it ends, the message logs breaks down each hop or flow of an voice call (message out, dialing, terminate, ...
    • My contacts are getting a pop-up warning about charges when interacting with an SMS short code, what can I do?

      As you begin engaging with your target audience or contacts utilizing SMS short-codes, at one point in time the contacts may receive a pop up warning them about possible charges that they may incur. This pop up message is a phone manufacturer's ...
    • Getting Started with IVR/Voice Channel

      The Echo platform is a cloud-based software system that enables organizations to engage their most important stakeholders through scalable SMS, USSD, and voice communication.  The platform’s web interface generates actionable data and analytics from ...