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Understanding Bounce Rates & Delivery Failures with SMSLeopard in Kenya.

August 4, 2025

written by Maingi

Bounce Rates & Delivery Failures.

1. What Is an SMS Bounce Rate?

A bounce rate measures failed deliveries—either:

  • Soft bounces: Temporary issues like phone off or full inbox

  • Hard bounces: Permanent failures such as invalid numbers or blocked sender IDs

2. What Causes SMS Failures?

  • Invalid phone numbers: Wrong format, inactive, or recycled numbers

  • Spam filters & carrier blocks: Aggressive content, unregistered Sender ID, or volume spikes

  • Unregistered sender IDs/templates: Non-approved sender names or message templates

  • Poor list hygiene: Duplicates, opt-outs, and inactive contacts

  • Non-compliant content/links: Suspicious URLs, spammy keywords, or banned content

  • Technical routing issues: Carrier network issues or poor routing infrastructure

3. How SMSLeopard Helps Prevent Delivery Failures

SMSLeopard provides a robust toolkit to minimize bounce rates:

  • Clean contact import and consent tracking

  • CAK-compliant Sender ID & message registration

  • Smart throttling and volume ramp-up to avoid carrier red flags

  • DND compliance and unsubscribe handling

  • Content filtering guidance

  • Real-time analytics and failure reports

4. Best Practices to Improve Delivery

  • Clean contact lists regularly

  • Use local direct routes via SMSLeopard

  • Register Sender IDs and templates

  • Keep messages short (under 160 characters)

  • Avoid spammy language or excessive punctuation

  • Send messages at appropriate times

  • Monitor analytics and failure patterns

5. Using SMSLeopard for Insights

  • Track delivery rates and bounce types

  • Run A/B tests on messages

  • Monitor sender reputation metrics

  • View detailed error codes to diagnose issues

6. Sample Workflow to Reduce Bounce Rates

  1. Clean your contact list

  2. Register Sender ID and templates

  3. Start with low-volume test campaigns

  4. Personalize messages dynamically

  5. Schedule messages at optimal times

  6. Review delivery logs

  7. Update strategy based on bounce feedback

7. Why Choose SMSLeopard

  • Direct connectivity with Kenyan carriers

  • Full CAK and Data Protection compliance

  • Real-time recovery tools and fallback logic

  • Support with onboarding, template design, and troubleshooting

Final Thoughts

Delivery failures are lost opportunities. With SMSLeopard, you can protect your sender reputation, cut bounce rates, and drive better results from every SMS campaign.

Get started today at www.smsleopard.com

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