119 Most Popular Text Abbreviations & How to Use Them

Most Common Business Text Abbreviations & Acronyms
 

Let’s face it; the business world is fast-paced. You want to get your messages out there quickly and efficiently, and your readers want to engage with them at record speeds. To help save everyone some time, turn to these well-known business text abbreviations and acronyms.
 

Most Common Conversational Text Abbreviations & Acronyms
 

Not every message you send to your readers has to be serious and straight-laced, especially if you’re looking to create a more friendly, conversational relationship. Depending on your product, market, and those you’re targeting, sometimes it’s OK to let down your hair and be a little more laidback. Incorporate some of these popular text abbreviations into your messages for a more casual approach.
 

5 Top Tips for Using Abbreviations & Acronyms in Text Messages

These abbreviations can help your SMS messages, but they can also hinder them if you don’t follow some basic guidelines. Follow the following 6 tips to help guide you as you begin to employ shortened words and phrases when texting.

1. Reign It In

You’ll want to strike a balance when using text abbreviations in SMS messages so your readers aren’t left trying to decode your content. Use them for ease and convenience, but don’t overdo it. If your message looks like alphabet soup, it might be time to ease off the abbreviations and acronyms.

An overstuffed message might look like this:

Meanwhile, this text conveys the same message, using only one abbreviation: Our sale ends today! DM us for your 10% off code.

When in doubt, less is more.

2. Consider Your Audience

While some of these abbreviations may have gotten their start in the early days of AOL Instant Messenger and text messaging, many of them have since become mainstream. That said, there is a time and a place for using them.

If you’re appealing to a professional or more mature audience, your best bet is to skip the conversational slang like OMG, ROFL, SUS, and HMU. And in the same vein, if you’re dealing with a younger or more casual crowd, stuffing your messages with business abbreviations like CRO, CSS, and LTV may make their eyes gloss over.

A good rule of thumb is, if you wouldn’t use those phrases or acronyms in normal conversations with them, don’t include them in your SMS messages.

3. Remember to Proofread

Of course, you should always proofread and edit your SMS messages before clicking send, but it’s especially necessary to double-check your abbreviations because it’s easier to not notice when there is an error. For instance, your readers will understand BTW means “by the way,” but if you accidentally type BYW or BTE, your garbled message will likely leave them scratching their heads.

Keep a close eye on those abbreviations, and don’t blindly rely on your spell checker to catch your mistakes for you.

4. Don’t Force It

Text abbreviations are meant to make everyone’s lives easier. If there’s a good natural fit for using one, go for it, but don’t try to cram one in just for the sake of it.

Jamming in a text abbreviation when it does not make sense, or “just because” can convolute your message or make it seem like you’re trying too hard. For example, abbreviations like FYI, TBD, DIY, and ASAP likely have a better chance of finding their way into your messages over lesser-used ones like AFAIK, TBF, and JLMK.

5. Stick to the List

We hate to break it to you, but it’s taken years for many of these abbreviations to take off and become easily recognizable. This means if you’re looking to create a new, trendy abbreviation, it’s probably not going to fly (just yet). Making up your own slang will likely only confuse and potentially frustrate your readers. For now, get the hang of using these familiar abbreviations before going rogue with your own.

TL;DR: When used correctly, text abbreviations can help make your SMS messages more concise and engaging. And BTW, they can save you time and money, too.

Now that you’re all caught up on how to send SMS messages with text abbreviations, it’s time to get set up with an all-in-one text messaging solution with EZ Texting. Contact us today, and be sure to check out our additional SMS resources for more information.

Text Marketing Terms Worth Mentioning

Although the following phrases are not abbreviations or acronyms, they are often used in conversations around text marketing. Since you will likely encounter at least one of these in your texting lifetime, we thought it would be helpful to include them here.

Text List: The list of numbers you have legally obtained permission to text

Text to Join: A method people can use to opt into your text list

Text to Win: A contest you run through text message

Text to Landline: When you send or receive text messages over a landline number