Short wins on every axis: cost, delivery, and response. 160 characters is one SMS segment. Go over and the message splits into multiple segments you pay for separately, and a long block of text is exactly what people scroll past. If you need to say two things, that's two texts on two days.
Why 160 characters
It's the SMS segment size. A message under it sends as one unit, bills once, and reads in a glance. Over it, you're paying more and asking for more attention, both of which cut performance.
What to cut
Identify yourself, make one point, give one action and one link, include the opt-out. Everything else is optional. 'Hi, it's the Chen team, early voting starts Oct 24, find your site: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out' does the whole job in a glance.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a campaign text be?
Ideally under 160 characters, one SMS segment, so it bills once and reads in a glance. One message, one point, one action.
What happens if my text is over 160 characters?
It splits into multiple billed segments, raising cost, and a longer message is more likely to be skipped. Tighten it or split it across two sends on different days.
Informational, not legal advice.
Keep reading: How to write your first compliant political text and Writing political texts: the complete guide.