A good SMS is short, clear and asks for one thing. We put together 18 ready-to-use templates for the people who send the most bulk SMS in Uganda: schools, churches, SACCOs, shops, clinics and event organisers. Every one fits in a single SMS, so you pay for one message per person.

Where to find them

All 18 are on one free page: Yoola SMS message templates. Pick your category, press Copy, and replace the words in [brackets] with your own details.

A taste of what is inside

Schools: fees reminder

Dear parent, [Child] has a fees balance of UGX [Amount] for Term [N]. Please pay by [Date] via MTN MoMo [Number]. Thank you, [School].

SACCOs: loan repayment due

Dear [Name], your loan repayment of UGX [Amount] is due on [Date]. Pay via [Number] or visit the office. [SACCO].

Clinics: appointment reminder

Hello [Name], this is a reminder of your appointment at [Clinic] on [Date] at [Time]. Call [Number] to reschedule.

Five rules for messages people act on

  1. Start with the person's name or who you are.
  2. Put the one thing you want them to do in the first sentence.
  3. Give a date, an amount or a number, never "soon".
  4. End with your name so they know it is you.
  5. Stay under 160 characters and avoid emojis and curly quotes to keep it one SMS.

Check before you send

Once you have filled in a template, paste it into the free SMS calculator to see the exact SMS count and the cost for your whole list. If your list is messy, clean it first with the free phone number cleaner.