12 Best SMS Marketing Platforms

Introduction

SMS marketing platforms are here to stay! If you are a business owner you must already be considering these to amp up operations and increase revenue. This article is dedicated to helping you understand the A to Z of SMS marketing and which text marketing platform to shortlist for your business needs. First off, let’s try and understand why SMS marketing is needed.

What is an SMS Marketing Platform?

An SMS marketing service or platform is essential for businesses aiming to achieve their text marketing goals. SMS marketing platforms facilitate various aspects of text marketing, from sending promotional messages to managing customer interactions effectively.

Modern SMS marketing software goes beyond simple text messaging. It includes advanced conversation management features that enhance team coordination and customer communication. These platforms are versatile and can handle functions such as sending reminders, managing inter-team communication, making announcements, and providing updates or alerts.

To find the ideal text marketing platform, explore our section on Features to understand what to look for in an SMS marketing service. Here is a list of the top 12 SMS marketing software solutions available today.

12 Best SMS Marketing Platforms: A quick comparison

SMS marketing tools make it super easy for businesses to interact with their customers. The top SMS marketing platforms to consider are:

1. Emitrr
2. Text Magic
3. SlickText
4. Simple Texting
5. Falkon SMS
6. EZ Texting
7. Podium
8. Textedly
9. Klaviyo
10. ClickSend
11. OmniSend
12. Messente

Here is an overall comparison table of the listed software 

Key Highlights 

• Amongst these SMS marketing platforms, Emitrr has 10/10 features as the software is easy to use, 100% qualify for value for your money, customer support and is on top for overall use. 
• Following Emitrr, all 9 software, excluding Messente have 9/10 rating features which makes them good development software for SMS marketing. 
• Despite of average features, Messante has 4.8/5 ratings for ease of use, and customer support and is decent for value for money. 

Benefits of SMS marketing platforms

As a result of using text messaging as a communication channel for customer communication, you can expect the following changes:

Better Customer Engagement

The highly engaging nature of SMS marketing platforms along with the explicit customer consent for receiving business messages means that customer engagement will skyrocket! The high open rate of 98% will ensure all messages are read. Customer segmentation based on keyword subscription will allow easy contact management. These will contribute directly to improved customer engagement through text marketing services and the best SMS marketing platform.

Increased Sales and Revenue

A by-product of better customer engagement through SMS marketing platforms is an increase in sales and revenue. As more customers pay attention to marketing communication, more of them will take action. One of Emitrr’s customers, House Cleaning Solutions, was able to increase its revenue by 40% by adopting text message marketing solutions into its business operations. Learn more about it here. Using text message marketing services can be a key to such success.

Improved Customer Retention

Text marketing platforms create an easy channel of communication between the customer and the business. A better customer experience can be guaranteed when customers find it easy to communicate with the business. A two-way texting feature really helps enhance the customer experience as it allows customers to freely communicate with the business. This ease of communication along with quick responses will certainly contribute to better customer retention using text message marketing software and other SMS marketing solutions.

Increased Brand Awareness 

Consistent SMS messages that provide valuable content, tips, or insights through SMS marketing platforms can help reinforce brand awareness and establish the business as an authority in its industry. Another manner in which you can create brand awareness is through customer reviews. 

SMS marketing platforms can be used to generate more reviews for your business. For example, one of Emitrr’s customers, Pinnacle Medical Group, saw a 3X growth in online reputation and brand awareness. You can read how they were able to achieve this feat with the top SMS marketing platforms here.

Features of SMS Marketing Services

When choosing SMS marketing platforms, focus on features that align with your business goals. 

For example, if you run a healthcare practice, one of the goals of your practice would be to improve patient recall.

 The marketing goal would thus be to:

a) Make your patients aware of a due check-up 

b) Get them to schedule an appointment

So when considering SMS marketing platforms, you would want to finalize one that will help you realize this goal. Some of the features provided by SMS marketing software that will help you achieve your marketing goals are:

2-Way Text Messaging

2-way text messaging is a great way to emphasize that your intent to reach out to customers isn’t just based on hitting the numbers. This opens up arenas for the customers to ask you questions, solve their queries, and ultimately take ownership of their purchase journey through SMS marketing platforms.

Mass Texting or Bulk Messaging

SMS marketing platforms provide a great mass texting or bulk messaging feature. As you can guess by the name itself, it allows for texting multiple contacts at once. It’s one of the most sought-after features in any text marketing platform as it helps save time, reach multiple people at once, and reduce costs as well.

MMS Texting

MMS or multimedia messaging encompasses the act of sending images, videos, etc., to make a conversation more engaging. MMS texting is also a feature provided by SMS marketing platforms. If the user wishes to send media-rich text message marketing solutions to their customers, then MMS texting fits best.

Automation

Automated text messaging is another one of the great features provided by SMS marketing platforms. Automation in texting allows for minimal human intervention. Through automated texting, users are able to schedule campaigns, enable autoresponders, etc., to name a few.

Integrations

Relevant integrations are necessary to keep the marketing operations running smoothly. An SMS marketing platform must possess the ability to integrate with multiple software to ensure seamless operations.

Personalization

Emails and texts convert better if a dash of personalization is added to the text body. This allows for creating a more personal one-on-one connection with the customer. Text message marketing services allow for adding relevant personal markers, such as first name, appointment date, etc.

Opt-In and Opt-Out Management

When it comes to text marketing platforms, compliance plays a very crucial role. The TCPA compliance mandates that text marketing messages be sent to those customers only who have explicitly given consent to receiving text marketing updates. To create a list of customers who wish to receive text messages, you will need to create sign-up units. Once a customer has signed up, the SMS marketing platform you use must have the feature to establish a workflow. 

Keywords help to segment customer lists according to their behaviors and preferences. This would allow you to send more personalized text messages. Hence, the keyword feature is also something that an SMS marketing platform should have. 

Customers should also have the option to opt out of receiving text messages. This can be accomplished by simply adding an opt-out prompt at the end of the message.

Top SMS Marketing Platforms: A Detailed Analysis

Emitrr

Emitrr is the best text message marketing software for customer interaction and engagement. It caters to industries from small businesses to healthcare practices. 

These businesses use Emitrr to improve interactions with their customers and provide them with a better customer experience. Emitrr offers an array of features such as missed call-to-text, VoIP capabilities, automation, webchat, reputation management, etc. The feature that stands out, however, is the text marketing tool.

Emitrr provides text marketing tools such as manual and automated SMS campaigns, that can be used to send reminders, payment links, surveys, request reviews, or just to update customers. 

Other text features include webchat to text, wherein the queries received on a business’s website widget can be converted to a text conversation to better engage the customers. The calendar can also be synced to the Emitrr platform and used to schedule messages directly from there.

Emitrr features are highly customizable according to the needs of the business and the package price is also decided as per the need. You only pay for the features you use! It would be remiss not to point out that text messaging is free.

Features of Emitrr

• Easy contact import with a few clicks
• Integrates landline texting 
• Promotes two-way communication
• Supports over 500+ integrations
• Send 1,000 text messages simultaneously
• Webchat to text messages
• Automatically syncs data from your CRM (EMR/PMS/Scheduling platforms)
• Send large-scale customized messages
• Conduct pre/post-stay surveys via text messages
• Automate messaging workflows
• Engage customers through drip campaigns
• Monitor and Analyze key metrics like delivery and response rates
• Create segmented lists for multi-touch text messaging campaigns

Reviews

Textmagic

An intuitive platform, Text Magic is simple to use. Its dashboard is pretty easy to access and set up campaigns from. Apart from the ease of use of the entire platform itself, the setup process is also very quick. Within 10 minutes one is able to set up the Text Magic software and send their first text campaign. 

Text Magic can be used for: Notifications, Alerts and Reminders, Order confirmations, and SMS marketing campaigns. Some of the main features provided by TextMagic include Web App, SMS chat, Email to SMS, Desktop App, and SMS gateway API.

The standout feature provided by Text Magic is Email to Text. With this feature, you can send and receive text messages via email. 

Features of TextMagic 

• 2-way texting 
• Bulk texting 
• MMS message 
• Automation 
• Integration 
• Personalization 
• Opt-in/Opt-out management
• Contact management 

Reviews

SlickText

Slicktext is one of the SMS marketing platforms that offer a 7-day free trial (without credit card details submissions). SlickText also comes packed with an array of useful features.

Some of the features provided by SlickText include Customer Opt-in service through Text to join, mass texting, Text Surveys, Automated workflows, Message scheduling, Birthday texts, etc, to name a few.

The stand-out feature would be the text survey. This feature allows customers to engage in a 2-way conversation with the business, by helping them answer survey questions. Conversational surveys on text have better engagement. 

Features of SlickText

• 2-way texting 
• Bulk texting 
• MMS message 
• Automation 
• Integration 
• Personalization 
• Opt-in/Opt-out management

SimpleTexting

Simple Texting is a powerful SMS marketing service that offers a comprehensive suite of tools to help businesses grow through SMS marketing. The platform is designed for small to medium-sized businesses and offers features like two-way messaging, MMS marketing, and list building.

Features of SimpleTexting

• Two-way messaging
• MMS marketing
• Text-to-join keyword marketing
• SMS autoresponders
• List segmentation
• Analytics and reporting
• Integrations with other marketing tools

Reviews of SimpleTexting

Falkon SMS

Falkon SMS is an advanced SMS marketing platform designed to enhance customer engagement and streamline communication for businesses of all sizes. Its array of features enables businesses to interact effectively with their audiences, offering tools for both mass outreach and personalized messaging. Falkon SMS’s simplicity and integration capabilities make it a powerful solution for businesses looking to improve their SMS marketing strategies.

Features of Falkon SMS

• Shared inbox
• Group texting
• Personalization
• Group broadcast
• Two-way texting
• Automation (message scheduling, auto replies, keyword replies)
• MMS messaging
• MS Teams/Clio/Webex/Chrome browser integration
• Analytics and reporting
• Contact management

EZ Texting

EZ Texting is a popular SMS marketing platform that offers a wide range of features for businesses of all sizes. The platform is known for its ease of use and powerful SMS marketing tools, including bulk texting, MMS marketing, and text scheduling.

Features of EZ Texting

• Bulk texting
• MMS marketing
• Text scheduling
• Contact management
• Analytics and reporting
• API for developers
• Integrations with other tools

Reviews of EZ Texting

Podium

Podium is an SMS marketing platform designed specifically for local businesses. The platform offers a range of tools to help businesses engage with customers, including two-way messaging, review management, and payment processing.

Features of Podium

• Two-way messaging
• Review management
• Payment processing
• Webchat to text
• Automated responses
• Integrations with CRM systems

Reviews of Podium

Textedly

Textedly is an SMS marketing software that offers a wide range of features to help businesses reach their customers effectively. The platform is known for its user-friendly interface and powerful SMS marketing tools, including mass texting, MMS marketing, and text scheduling.

Features of Textedly

• Mass texting
• MMS marketing
• Text scheduling
• Contact management
• Analytics and reporting
• API for developers
• Integrations with other tools

Reviews of Textedly

Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a leading SMS marketing platform that helps businesses grow through personalized SMS and email marketing. The platform offers a range of tools to help businesses engage with customers, including two-way messaging, list segmentation, and automation.

Features of Klaviyo

• Two-way messaging
• List segmentation
• SMS and email marketing
• Automation
• Analytics and reporting

Reviews of Klaviyo

ClickSend

ClickSend is an SMS marketing platform that offers a wide range of features to help businesses reach their customers effectively. The platform is known for its powerful SMS marketing tools, including bulk texting, MMS marketing, and text scheduling.

Features of ClickSend

• Bulk texting
• MMS marketing
• Text scheduling
• Contact management
• Analytics and reporting
• Integrations with other tools

Reviews of ClickSend

OmniSend

OmniSend is a leading SMS marketing platform that helps businesses grow through personalized SMS and email marketing. The platform offers a range of tools to help businesses engage with customers, including two-way messaging, list segmentation, and automation.

Features of OmniSend

• Two-way messaging
• List segmentation
• SMS and email marketing
• Automation
• Analytics and reporting
• Integrations with other marketing tools

Reviews of Omnisend

Messente

Messente is an SMS marketing platform that offers a wide range of features to help businesses reach their customers effectively. The platform is known for its user-friendly interface and powerful SMS marketing tools, including bulk texting, MMS marketing, and text scheduling.

Features of Messente

• Bulk texting
• MMS marketing
• Text scheduling
• Contact management
• Analytics and reporting
• API for developers
• Integrations with other tools

Reviews of Messente

How To Choose An SMS Marketing Platform?

Choosing a text marketing tool for any business is an extremely personal process. Personal in the sense that, each business has different needs, and choosing a text marketing platform for those needs will probably have a different process. However, these are some steps you can follow while choosing a platform that suits your business needs:

1. Lay down your Goals

Before finalizing a text marketing platform you need to assess whether it aligns with your goals. List down what you intend to do with the marketing platform, and how frequently you plan to use the platform. Also, analyze whether the text marketing platform can help you achieve your campaign goals.   

2. Check Budget

Another aspect of goal setting is deciding the budgets for your marketing campaigns.  Decide the price range you wish to work with and narrow down text marketing platforms according to that information.

3. Look at Features

Prepare a list of features that you require to meet your text marketing goals. Next, you can compare the features and the pricing each platform offers and select the one that is most relevant to your business.

4. Assess the Support

As you begin acquainting yourself with your chosen text marketing platform, it is possible to encounter problems in the aforementioned stages. This is where good support is needed. Assess the support that the text marketing platform provides to the users.

5. Assess Ease of use

Depending on who is going to use the software the most, you will need to assess the ease with which the text marketing platform functions. Aside from this, another thing that should be on your radar in terms of assessment is how much of the platform you are able to assess without intervention from the support staff.  

Why is Emitrr the best SMS Marketing Platform?

In current times, the text marketing platform has to be all-encompassing. From sending mass texts to creating workflows based on customer actions, everything should be accomplished through text marketing platforms. 

Reviews can give us a window into the user experience. Therefore it is a very good parameter to make a judgment about the best marketing software.

Another important thing along with user reviews is the Customer Service provided by the software. A good team of support members will help to ensure that users have the best experience navigating the platform. 

One may be able to make a decision based on the features and pricing of the software. Is the pricing complemented well with the features it offers? It certainly is an important question to ask. 

Based on the above-mentioned important parameters and the comparison table, you can see that Emitrr is clearly the winner. 

All essential texting features are available with Emitrr and the pricing of Emitrr is such that you only pay for the features you use! A 5/5 customer service rating also makes Emitrr stand out from the rest. 

Emitrr’s overall rating is the second highest rating of all the mentioned software and is rated the highest in overall use, customer support, ease of use, and the availability of 10/10 features! If you wish to learn more, book a demo with Emitrr today or write to Emitrr at [email protected]. 

FAQs Of SMS Marketing Software 

Conclusion 

To conclude, text marketing platforms have become an inescapable part of any business marketing operations. Choosing the best text marketing platform for your business is a matter of understanding what your goals are and how you wish to achieve them. Keep in mind your budget, features you require, reviews, and support provided by the platform and you will be able to finalize your text marketing platform. Book a demo now with us and let Emitrr play a part in your next big goal.