What is an SMS shortcode?
A 5 digit SMS number and linked to our solution to
process/trigger actions.
Why use a SMS shortcodes?
- Customer friendly & Easily remembered
Besides the various linked processing solutions, a 5 digit
number is easy to remember and quick to SMS.
- Cost Effective Advertising
SMS shortcodes are do not take up a lot of space on print
advertising or time on radio advertising. Cut down the cost of lengthy
adverts by offering more detail via SMS shortcode.
- Brand Awareness
Reinforce your brand by using brand names as keywords. i.e.
SMS Rainmakers to 34115 and Win...
- Monitor Response
By default SMS response is monitored/reported, essentially
enabling campaign monitoring.
- Log Requests/Leads
No need to remember to call back a prospect or send an
email, simply get your prospect to send and SMS or send an SMS
yourself. 'Strike while the iron is hot', the SMS is logged and becomes
an item for you to follow up and the prospect gets an SMS and / or
Email response right away.
Do I have to sign a contract?
We do not require lengthy contracts our SMS shortcode packages
are all monthly prepaid.
What reporting do you offer?
All our packages offer Online and Summary/detail reporting.
Typhoon however offers some advanced reporting features.
Do I get notified when someone sends and SMS to my shortcode?
Email and/or SMS notifications are sent out as soon we pickup
activity on any sms shortcodes. SMS notifactions are optional and
requires SMS credit (FREE SMS's APPLY). Note: Notifications are not
available on Drizzle as it only offers reporting.
Why are SMS's charged at R2/SMS
At R2 per SMS we do not have to charge additional fees per SMS
activity which means NO RUN AWAY COSTS for our customers. R2 is a fair
cost to the sender vs what would typically be spent on a phone call.
Based on our research and trends we do not offer numbers/codes
exceeding the R2 mark and as networks adapt their pricing we will try
bring this down rather than increasing the cost to the sender.
What are 'aliases' or 'keyword aliases'
Aliases effectively trigger the same action as an existing
keyword i.e. If 'Bob' is an alias for the keyword 'RMC' then SMS Bob to
34115 would trigger that same action as would SMS RMC to 34115.
Why use 'aliases' or 'keyword aliases'
Aliases are mainly used for monitoring purposes. For instance
to monitor response on two or more advert placement, use the main
keyword on one advert and unique aliases on the other adverts
respectively. The same action is triggered on the aliases as is on the
main keyword but each alias is monitored individually, allowing for
accurate monitoring of the campaign.
Another scenario would be to have aliases setup for staff members but
the information sent out or action triggered does not change, this
again enables management to monitor response on individual activity.
When not to use 'aliases' or 'keyword aliases'
If any of the information sent out via SMS or email is unique
then aliases can not be used. Aliases only trigger a single action and
no variables are possible.
How do I subscribe to a specific package?
Initial registration on Rainmakers Connection does not require
an active subscription on Drizzle, Storm or Typhoon as such. Once your
registration is confirmed and activated, then you will be prompted to
subscribe to a specific SMS shortcode package.
What are the implications should I want to migrate from one
package to another?
There are no cost implications when migrating from one package
to another, we only require 30day notice and charge pro-rata according
to respective subscription fees migration.
What payment options to you offer?
We accept all major Credit Cards local and international as
well as EFT payment via our Payfast.co.za account.
We also accept Ukash Vouchers (http://www.ukash.com) easily obtainable
online of at your local Pick n Pay. So if you do want or can not
transaction online, simply pop into any Pick n Pay and buy some Ukash.
Ukash is also available at other locations, garages etc. please refer
to the Ukash website for the latest locations.
Where to Get Ukash
In South Africa, you can buy Ukash from any Pick n Pay teller or
from a number of other retail outlets. For a full list, please refer to
the Ukash website.
Do you charge pro-rata if subscription starts mid-month?
Yes, you only pay according to the date your subscription
activates. So if you activate on the 15th of a month then we only
charge pro-rata for the remaining days in that month.
What are taglines?
Taglines appear on Drizzle and Storm SMS responses, we
typically use '//SMS powered by http://www.rainmakersconnection.com'
but reserve the right to add various taglines. On Storm &
Drizzle the taglines can be removed for a fee as per our product page.
Can taglines be removed?
Yes, taglines only apply to Storm & Drizzle and can be
removed for a fee as per our product page.