How Bulk SMS Works in Kenya: A Beginner's Guide
Bulk SMS lets you send one message to many phones at once. It sounds simple, and using it is, but a few moving parts sit behind every message. Here is the whole picture in plain language.
The four things you need
- A sender ID. The brand name recipients see, like PESARAILS, registered with the networks.
- SMS credit. A prepaid balance you top up, usually with M-Pesa. Each message is deducted from it.
- Recipients. The phone numbers you want to reach.
- A message. Up to 160 characters per SMS, or a template with variables.
What happens when you hit send
Your message goes to a bulk SMS provider, who connects to the mobile networks: Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom. The provider works out which network each number belongs to and routes the message there. The network delivers it to the handset, and sends back a delivery report saying whether it arrived.
A good provider gives you one balance and one connection for all three networks, so you do not manage them separately, and passes those delivery reports straight back to you.
Characters, segments and cost
One SMS holds 160 standard characters. If your message is longer, it is split into parts and each part is billed as a separate SMS. So a 250-character message is two SMS. Using special characters or emoji reduces the limit, which is why most business messages stick to plain text.
Promotional vs transactional
There are two broad kinds of message. Promotional messages, offers and campaigns, are restricted to certain hours and need recipient consent. Transactional messages, OTPs, receipts and alerts, can be sent any time because the recipient is expecting them. Good providers keep these on separate paths so you stay compliant.
Measuring success
The number that matters is the delivery rate, the share of messages confirmed on the handset. Sent is not the same as delivered. If your provider cannot show you delivery reports, you have no way to know whether your campaign actually reached anyone.
Ready to try it? See pricing, or read how to get a sender ID and send your first campaign.