SMS Blast Best Practices: How to Avoid Penalties

SMS marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach your travel agency clients. With open rates above 90%, it beats email every time. But with great power comes great responsibility. Abuse SMS and you risk getting your account suspended, your messages blocked, or worse - annoying your customers into never booking with you again.

Here's how to use SMS blasts responsibly and keep your messaging privileges intact.

Why SMS Providers Penalize Accounts

SMS providers like Semaphore, Globe, and Smart monitor messaging patterns. They're looking for:

• Spam-like behavior - Sending to people who didn't consent
• High complaint rates - Recipients reporting your messages as spam
• Excessive frequency - Bombarding the same numbers repeatedly
• Misleading content - Deceptive offers or fake urgency
• Sending at odd hours - Messages at 3 AM annoy everyone

The Golden Rules of SMS Marketing

1. Only Message People Who Opted In

This is non-negotiable. Every person in your broadcast list should be someone who:

• Gave you their phone number directly
• Has done business with you before
• Hasn't asked to stop receiving messages

When you use a CRM like Reward & Reconnect, your customer database is built from actual inquiries and bookings - these are legitimate contacts who expect to hear from you.

2. Limit Your Frequency

How often is too often? Here's a safe guideline:

• Promos and announcements: Maximum 2-4 times per month
• Booking confirmations: As needed (transactional)
• Birthday greetings: Once per year (obviously)
• Points notifications: When they earn or can redeem

3. Send at Appropriate Hours

Nobody wants a travel promo at midnight. Stick to business hours:

• Best times: 9 AM - 12 PM, 2 PM - 6 PM
• Acceptable: 8 AM - 8 PM
• Never: Before 8 AM or after 9 PM

This is why automated birthday greetings in Reward & Reconnect are scheduled for 8 AM - early enough to be first, late enough to be polite.

4. Keep Messages Relevant and Valuable

Every SMS should give the recipient a reason to be glad they received it:

The first message is personalized, has a clear offer, a deadline, and a call to action. The second looks like spam and will get reported.

5. Always Identify Yourself

Recipients should immediately know who's messaging them. Include your business name at the end of every message:

6. Provide an Opt-Out Option

For promotional messages, give people a way to stop receiving them:

When someone opts out, respect it immediately. Remove them from your broadcast list. Continuing to message them is the fastest way to get reported.

What Gets You Penalized

How Reward & Reconnect Helps You Stay Compliant

Our platform is designed with responsible messaging in mind:

• Organic contact list - Your customers are real people who inquired or booked with you
• Built-in personalization - Messages include {firstName} automatically, avoiding generic spam feel
• Scheduled automations - Birthday greetings send at 8 AM, not at odd hours
• Points notifications - Reward messages are transactional, not promotional spam
• Your own SMS account - You control your Semaphore credits and sending reputation

Understanding how points and rewards work helps you send meaningful, welcome messages rather than annoying blasts.

Sample Compliant SMS Templates

Promo Announcement

Re-engagement (Lost Lead)

Loyalty Reminder

Seasonal Greeting

The Bottom Line

SMS marketing works because it's personal and direct. Abuse that privilege and you'll lose it. Respect your customers' time and attention, send messages they actually want to receive, and you'll build loyalty instead of resentment.

Remember: every SMS you send represents your brand. Make each one count.