When businesses in Nepal use bulk SMS for marketing or communication, one of the most important factors to consider is message length. SMS is designed to be short and concise, but the exact number of characters you can send depends on the encoding used.
Standard SMS Length
GSM-7 encoding: Supports basic Latin characters.
Maximum: 160 characters per SMS.
If the message exceeds 160 characters, it is split into segments of 153 characters each (because 7 characters are reserved for concatenation headers).
Unicode encoding (UCS-2): Used for languages like Nepali (Devanagari script), Hindi, Chinese, Arabic, and emojis.
Maximum: 70 characters per SMS.
If the message exceeds 70 characters, it is split into segments of 67 characters each.
Why SMS Length Matters
Cost efficiency – Longer messages are split into multiple SMS, increasing campaign costs.
Clarity – Short, concise messages are more effective and easier for customers to read.
Language choice – Using Unicode for Nepali or Hindi reduces the character limit, so messages must be carefully crafted.
Marketing impact – Well-structured short messages often perform better than lengthy ones.
Example
English (GSM-7): “Your order #1234 is ready for pickup.” → 39 characters (fits easily in one SMS).
Nepali (Unicode): “तपाईंको अर्डर #1234 लिन तयार छ।” → 33 characters (fits in one SMS, but limited to 70 total).
Conclusion
For businesses in Nepal, understanding SMS length is crucial for effective bulk SMS marketing. Whether you’re sending OTPs, promotions, or reminders, keeping messages short and clear ensures cost savings, faster delivery, and better customer engagement.
👉 With Sociair SMS, you can optimize message length, avoid unnecessary costs, and deliver impactful communication.
