Table of Contents
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.
Why Should You Care About SMS Marketing?
The main goal of any marketing campaign is engagement. What’s the point of sending out marketing communication if they don’t generate any engagement with your customers and prospects?
The channel and messaging you use for your marketing campaigns will decide how effective the campaign will be.
The two main digital channels of marketing are Email and SMS. Let’s look at how each of these fare when it comes to effective marketing.
You can measure how engaging a marketing channel is through these main parameters: open rate, CTR, and Conversion Rate.
*The above numbers are an overall average and can vary for each industry, business, and use case.
As you can see from the table above, SMS is complemented by great stats that solidify it as a clear winner.
Another reason SMS holds the number one spot for marketing channels is its reach and accessibility. Since SMS is not internet-dependent, everyone owning a mobile phone can be reached through SMS.
Suffice it to say, it is absolutely necessary to incorporate text marketing in your marketing goals!
Now that we know how important text marketing is let’s have a look at how you can implement SMS marketing through SMS marketing software.
What is an SMS Marketing Platform?
An SMS marketing service or platform is one that helps facilitate SMS marketing. Businesses can achieve their text marketing goals through an SMS marketing platform.
SMS marketing software’s are usually not just limited to sending and receiving text messages, in fact, they come with various conversation management features that help teams to coordinate customer communication.
The use of SMS marketing platforms does not stop at sending grassroots marketing messages. They can be used for other functions such as sending reminders about upcoming events, inter-team communication, announcement, updates, alerts, etc. Jump to our section on Features to understand what to look for in a SMS marketing service.
Following is the list of the top 11 SMS marketing software’s
Best SMS Marketing Platforms of 2024
SMS marketing tools make it super easy for businesses to interact with their customers. The top SMS marketing platforms to consider in 2024 are:
- Emitrr
- Text Magic
- SlickText
- Simple Texting
- EZ Texting
- Podium
- Textedly
- Klaviyo
- ClickSend
- OmniSend
- Messente
Here is an overall comparison table of the listed softwares
Read on for a detail view of each of the mentioned softwares.
1. 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 need 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 absolutely free.
Features of Emitrr
The quality of the 24/7 customer support is also highly appreciated by existing customers.
“Emitrr offers the kind of campaign automation and overall channel optimization that you expect to see from Podium and others of the sort but at a fraction of the price. For the return on investment that you receive, this service is unparalleled and is ever-evolving based upon direct feedback from the users, something we’ve never experienced before in decades of business operations.”
Final Thoughts: Emitrr’s omnichannel features and customizable package plans, along with stellar customer support one of the top contenders of the SMS marketing platforms.
2. Text Magic
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
The pricing is also fairly transparent and can be checked according to each country on its website.
In comparison to other text marketing services out there, pricing is higher with TextMagic as the add-ons provided by Text Magic are usually included in the main package with other SMS marketing platforms.
“My only little remark with TextMagic is the price. It should get lower, to be more affordable, and if not, offer some daily, unlimited packages for example.” (Capterra Review)
Final thoughts: Text Magic is a great software to consider if price issues are something you can gloss over.
3. 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 engagements.
Features of SlickText
One of the pluses of SlickText is the transparent pricing. Another feather in their cap is the option of rolling over texts which have not been used in a month to the next.
You can upgrade, downgrade or cancel your plan at any time is what they claim on their website. However, we were able to come across a lot of reviews that stated the opposite. Take for example:
“We sent a cancellation request over a year ago. They didn’t cancel our account and continued to bill us for 12 months. When we called to cancel for the second time they argued with us and refused to hear our complaint. The employee said (direct quote) “I’m not talking to you about this and there’s no management for you to talk to.” (Capterra review)
Final Thoughts: SlickText is one of the most popular text marketing platforms as it provides a wide range of features at decent prices. The issue seems to be around the clarity of contracts and the confusing 9 packages offered.
4. SimpleTexting
Simple Texting is another one famous text marketing platform. Simple texting offers a 14-day free trial.
Some of the features offered by Simple Texting include Text to Win where one would be able to grow their list by hosting contests or sweepstakes, autoresponders, threaded conversations, scheduled texts, and Integrations to name a few.
Simple Texting’s in-house Integrations are one of the features that sets it apart. With no extra charge, Simple Texting’s in-house team would build the integrations required for your business.
Integration with Mailchimp allows you to keep your MailChimp list synched with the SimpleTexting list. Email and Text campaigns can go hand in hand thanks to this integration.
Features of SimpleTexting
You also get a dedicated account representative once you sign up with Simple Texting. One of the most loved features of SimpleTexting also seems to be the one under fire the most.
As good as the multiple keyword options sound, the downside to it is that since one account can take multiple keywords, those keywords are exhausted for others to use. Brainstorming novel keywords can be a bit of a hurdle.
“Seems like a bait and switch. I signed up with a certain number of credits and was never warned about extra charges that would be applied. This was only brought to my attention at the time of the renewal with a large bill. As a non-profit organization, I don’t have that kind of money to spend on these services, especially during the Pandemic. So I think the account was overcharged with no warnings and I was not given a fair resolution at the end of term”
Final Thoughts: We were able to see mostly good reviews for SimpleTexting features and support, but the pricing can be seen as at a bit higher end for some small businesses and non-profits.
5. EZ Texting
EZ texting goes one step ahead in providing rich media engagement for its users. It does so through a very unique integration with Shutterstock. This integration makes image suggestions that can be used while texting a customer.
Other prominent features of EZ texting include Group texting, 2-way texting, Text forwarding, Reminder campaigns, Reporting, etc. EZ Texting also provides a free trial without having to submit credit card details.
Features of EZ Texting
Some issues faced by customers using EZ Texting are credits being exhausted after a specified period of time, even when a full amount has been paid for the set credits, and ease of delivery as there have been complaints about increased bounce rates even when phone numbers are known to the users, and the heavy price.
“Wouldn’t let me use the product the way I have been for over a year then all a sudden decides I’m not legit. Refused to credit back to me my unused credits that were purchased in good faith. I actually increased my monthly credit expenditure and was excited to move forward then they abruptly wanted to shut down my process. There are plenty of Other platforms/apps out there that will allow me(and you) to reach customers via text in an easy and affordable way.”
Final Thoughts: While feature wise EZ texting is a great text marketing platform to consider, the area where it falls short is the expiry of credits within a stipulated time. This is particularly a setback because there are other SMS marketing platforms out there that allow roll-over credits and offer the same features at competitive pricing.
6. Podium
Podium like Emitrr is a text customer engagement platform. Alongside its major customer engagement tools, it also offers text marketing tools.
Some of the features in the text marketing tool kit include Review collection through text messages, Payment collection through SMS, 2-way text messaging, etc, Podium is diverse in the industries it serves to, from restaurants to healthcare practices.
Features of Podium
Small businesses and Enterprises use Podium alike. You can use Podium to build customer relationships, generate leads, set up SMS marketing campaigns, etc. Users of Podium, hail it as a decent tool for customer engagement with innovative text marketing tools.
For example, one of the features of Podium, which is not available with other specific text marketing tools, is the web chat widget. With the web chat widget, a business can convert with their customers through text.
Among many of the reviews for Podium, the most common one was how pricy it is. Another red area is the contract. Canceling a service with Podium is one of the pain areas mentioned by some customers.
“ I signed the contract, having listened to the beautiful promises of the sellers that everything would work perfectly and make it easier for me to communicate with clients. As a result, you can only interact with clients within this platform, you will never receive a notification that the client is waiting or the client has sent you a message. Only within the platform. If you missed the message – that’s your problem. Given that my call center is still accepting messages from customers via phone, email, and Yelp, keeping another platform open is extremely inconvenient. As a result – a bunch of missed messages and dissatisfied customers. I was promised free text messages included in the price. As a result, I have to pay more than $1000 for mailings. When I tried to stop the service, the manager informed me that I had a contract for a year and I was obliged to pay for this year, even if the service did not perform its functions and promises “ (Capterra Review)
Final Thoughts: As Podium is a customer engagement platform, many of the text messaging services it offers are not included in other text marketing platforms.
These additional features are innovative and high-tech. The issue however with this upgrade in features is obviously the price. Their cheapest package starts at $289. So you may be paying for services that you do not intend to use.
Narrowing down Podium may come as a bit heavy on the pocket for small businesses that are sans the required budget.
7. Textedly
Textedly is another text marketing platform that offers a 14-day free trial for its text services. This is largely considered an affordable option as compared to other text marketing platforms in terms of the price and the services offered.
Some of the features offered by Textedly include 2-wat text messaging, free incoming messages, calendar, contact management, etc. The free incoming message feature is definitely something that sets it apart from other text marketing platforms.
Features of Textedly
The calendar feature allows users to schedule messages, either single messages or group messages directly through the calendar. The reviews for Textedly shine light upon its issue with clarity of contract and canceling and at times abysmal customer service.
“Company has the worst customer service. I have tried to cancel on multiple occasions but they NEVER get back with the customer. I have tried to cancel but since my account was on an annual contract, could not do it through the website. Spoke with multiple people over chat since their phone service is terrible, and been told that “someone” will reach out to you regarding this issue. I hardly receive replies on the chat site on the web page, and they ignore your requests. Do not use this service unless you want some major stress in your life.” (Capterra Review)
Final Thoughts: Textedly is a great option for small businesses that do not have a huge budget as it offers a lot more features at a considerable price. However, based on the reviews, the customer service provided by Textedly seems to be questionable.
8. Klaviyo
Klaviyo is an email and text marketing platform. Having unified email and SMS channels for marketing helps in driving better engagement with customers. Klaviyo also provides a free trial for customers to help them understand the platform.
Features provided by Klayiyo include 2-way messaging, AB testing, Mass texting, MMS, and Message personalization among others. The pricing is dependent on the number of contacts you have.
For example, if you have downwards of 250 contacts the free version of their package would apply to your business. This version includes 500 free email sends along with 150 credits for SMS/MMS.
Features of Klaviyo
The other paid packages are slightly higher than other text marketing platforms due to the unified email and SMS features provided. Klaviyo also allows numerous integrations with tools to make marketing operations run easier. Most of the clients of Klaviyo are Ecommerce stores due to the integrations it provided with industry-specific tools.
“SMS is not great. They recently rebranded which completely throws me off with their new color choice. I almost felt like the rebrand was a way to cover up a whole lot of changes that they didn’t want people to notice.” (Capterra User)
Final Thoughts: Klaviyo provides great email marketing tools for businesses (Especially eCommerce shops), however, the SMS marketing features can be a bit better for the price range offered. It seems to be mainly an email marketing tool as pricing packages do not provide SMS-only marketing packs, as opposed to the email-only packs it provides.
9. ClickSend
Clicksend is a business SMS gateway. It allows businesses to do their SMS marketing online through a web-based SMS portal or send transactional SMS via an SMS gateway API. SMS gateway API enables integrations directly with business applications, websites, and software.
Bulk messaging is also available through their SMPP gateway. Some of the other features offered by ClickSend include Real-time message status monitoring, low credit warning, email to SMS, etc.
Features of ClickSend
Apart from its SMS marketing services, ClickSend also offers a Voice gateway, Fax Gateway, Email Gateway, and even Online Post. It is a multichannel communication platform. ClickSend users have complained about intuitiveness lacking with the interface and it being a bit clunky. Questions have also been raised about their customer service.
“The service uses marketing mail and charges you 75% what the bulk mail costs them only for them to deliver within 3 weeks. When I reached out to customer service, the original rep had no idea how to help me and told me to flag the letters so they would get attention. A “Customer Service Manager” decided to step in and give me lip – telling me “I’m sorry you feel that way” and ignoring my request for a refund (she didn’t even acknowledge it). I would avoid this company at all cost.” (Capterra review)
Final Thoughts: Although ClickSend boasts 24/support, the quality of support being offered seems questionable. It makes for a good multi-channel communication tool but lacks some features that niche text marketing tools offer.
10. OmniSend
OmniSend is another multichannel communication platform for eCommerce businesses. It is mainly an email marketing service, but it also offers SMS services.
OmniSend allows the integration of Email and SMS to achieve higher engagement with customers. SMS marketing can be used as a means to enhance email marketing campaigns.
Some of the features offered by OmniSend include Email+SMS marketing, SMS automation workflows, SMS channel reports, web-push notifications, etc. OmniSend also offers a free plan that includes 60 free SMS credits.
Features of OmniSend
“Meh is the best way to describe it. I’m using a number of the features but do not have confidence I’m using it correctly or well. Getting support in a timely and sufficient manner is abysmal at best. Chat doesn’t cut it for the depth of insight I’m looking for. Not nearly as responsive or interactive as it can and should be.” (Capterra Review)
Final Thoughts: OmniSend is a great platform to consider if you own an eCommerce business with competitive pricing and good email marketing tools. Other businesses might need some more features specific to their industry to get maximum value out of the software.
11. Messente
Messente is a global SMS marketing platform designed to help businesses of all sizes connect with their customers through text messaging. With a presence in over 190 countries, Messente ensures that you can reach your customers no matter where they are.
The platform supports two-way communication, allowing you to not only send messages to your customers but also receive replies from them. This feature enables you to engage in meaningful conversations with your customers and build stronger relationships.
Messente offers a robust API that allows you to integrate SMS messaging into your existing systems and automate your SMS marketing campaigns. This feature is particularly useful for businesses looking to streamline their marketing efforts and reach their customers more effectively.
Features of Messente
In addition, Messente provides real-time analytics that allows you to track the performance of your SMS marketing campaigns and make data-driven decisions. This feature is essential for businesses looking to optimize their marketing efforts and achieve better results.
With flexible pricing options, Messente allows you to choose the plan that best suits your needs. You can pay as you go or choose a monthly plan based on the number of messages you need to send. This flexibility makes it easy for businesses of all sizes to take advantage of the benefits of SMS marketing.
“Our business uses SMS to communicate with clients when an email is too slow. Messente has provided us with the ability to do all that at a fair price.” (Capterra Review)
Final thoughts: Messente is a reliable and cost-effective SMS marketing tool that can help you reach your customers and grow your business.
Features of SMS Marketing Services
Text marketing features allow you to interact and engage with your customers in a unique way. Essentially the features of text marketing should be able to align with the marketing goals you have set for your business.
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 text marketing services you would want to finalize one which will help you realize this goal. Some of the features provided by SMS marketing services that will help you achieve your marketing goals are:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 marketing campaigns to their customers, then mass texting fits best.
4. 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.
5. Integrations
Relevant integrations are necessary to keep the marketing operations running smoothly. A text messaging platform must possess the ability to integrate with multiple software to ensure seamless operations.
6. 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 marketing services allow for adding relevant personal markers, such as first name, appointment date, etc.
7. Opt-in and Opt-out management
When it comes to text message marketing apps, 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 text message marketing software 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 Keyword feature is also something that a text marketing software 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.
8. Contact Management
A contact management feature allows you to view and filter contacts based on their varied properties. Some of the contact properties that are important for businesses to have are the date of enrollment of the contact, origin source, Keyword subscribed, List, First name, Last Name, Email, Phone number, etc.
A list of opted-out contacts should also be available in the contact management feature of your text messaging platform.
9. Reporting
A reporting feature is needed to see how text messaging campaigns have performed. Reports should include information such as the number of messages delivered, opened, clicked, opted out, total messages sent weekly, monthly, and daily, and the date and time of message delivery.
10. Automation
Automation makes it easy to run text campaigns by minimizing human intervention and operationalizing the entire texting process. An automation feature is facilitated through integration with your CRM. You can automate post-appointment follow-ups, Quotes, appointment reminders, Cancellations, etc.
11. Workflows
If you are familiar with HubSpot, you must already know how workflows work. Workflows also facilitate automation. It allows you to take actions based on triggers. Workflows help businesses automate the texting process in such a way that it maximizes conversion or engagement and minimizes the time spent doing these tasks.
Now that you have a better understanding of SMS marketing services and its essential features let’s have a look at how you can choose the best text marketing platform for your business.
How To Choose An SMS Marketing Software?
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 which 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.
Our Verdict: The Best SMS Marketing Software
In 2023 a 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 softwares 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].
What Results Can You Expect Through The Use of SMS Marketing Platforms?
As a result of using text messaging as a communication channel for customer communication, you can expect the following changes:
1. Better Customer Engagement
The highly engaging nature of text messaging along with the explicit customer consent for receiving businesses 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.
2. Increased Sales and Revenue
A by-product of better customer engagement 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 messaging into its business operations. Learn more about it here.
3. Improved Customer Retention
Text marketing creates 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.
4. Increased Brand Awareness
Consistent SMS messages that provide valuable content, tips, or insights 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. Text message marketing can be used to generate more reviews for your business. For example, one of Emitrr’s customer Pinnacle Medical Group saw a 3X growth in online reputation and brand awareness. You can read how they were able to achieve this feat here.
Following is the list of best practices businesses should follow while curating SMS marketing campaigns.
Industry-Wise Use Cases Of Text Marketing Platforms For Businesses
Recruitment/Staffing Agency
Recruitment agencies can use sms marketing platforms to communicate with candidates for:
– Job Alerts:
“Hi {{candinate_name}}, {{company_name}} has opened a new position for {{job_role}}. Click on this link {{link}} to apply”
– Interview reminders:
“Hi {{candidate_name}}, you have an upcoming interview with {{compnay_name}} on {{date}} at {{time}}.
–Application status:
“Hi {{candidate_name}}, thank you for coming in for the interview for {{job_role}}. Please find the results of the interview here {{link}}.”
Automotive
The auto industry can use text message marketing to communicate with vehicle owners for:
– Service updates:
“Time for a tune-up? Schedule your car service today at {{Service Center}}.”
– Vehicle ready for pick up:
“Hi {{Customter_name}}, your vehicle is ready to be picked up.”
– Safety recall:
“ Hi {{customer_name}}, this is to inform you that there is a safety recall on your vehicle. Reply to this message to set an appointment.”
Healthcare
The healthcare industry can use sms marketing to communicate with patients effectively and improve their patient journey.
– Recall
“ Hi {{patient_name}}, it has been 6 months since your last check-up. Schedule an appointment today to keep your health in check. Click this link to schedule an appointment”
–Reminder
“ Hi {{patient_name}}, you have an upcoming appointment at {{clinic_name}} on {{Date}} at {{time}}. Reply to this message if you can’t make it and wish to reschedule.”
Home Service
The home service industry can use text messaging to send special offers, payment links, job estimates etc.
– Discount
“ Limited time offer: 15% off plumbing services at [Company]. Call now! “
– Estimate
“ The job estimate for your cleaning is {{amount}}. Reply to confirm the service”
Retail
You can send alerts to customers about their orders, discount offers, alerts etc through text messaging.
–Alert
“ Hurry {{product_name}} in your cart, is selling fast. Order today”
–Update
“ Hi your order has been shipped and will reach you within 2 days. Track your order here {{link}}”
SaaS
SaaS companies can use text marketing platforms to send updates to their customer list, resolve customer queries, send surveys, review requests etc.
– New product launch
“Hi {{customer_name}}, excited to inform you that our new product is launching on {{Date}}. You can avail a special discount till {{date}}. Reply to this message if you wish to learn more.”
-Review requests
“Hi {{customer_name}}, can you please take a few minutes and leave us a review on Google {{link}}?”
–Survey
“ Hi {{customer_name}}, can you help us out by filling this survey. We would love to know your thoughts on {{survey_topic}}. Here is the link to the survey {{link}}”
Hospitality
The hospitality industry can use SMS marketing software to communicate with guests regarding booking or payment updates and for inter-team communication.
– Booking updates
“ Hi {{guest_name}}, this is to inform you that your booking has been confirmed for the duration of {{number_of_days}} from {{start_date}} to {{end_date}}. If you wish to cancel your booking please call on the given number {{phone_number}}”
Nonprofit/Fundraising
Non-profits can use text messaging to communicate with their beneficiaries about the status of a particular campaign.
– Fundraiser Update
“You’re making a difference! We’re halfway to our goal. Donate now: {{link}}.”
– Follow up
“ Hey {{First Name}}, we’re still trying to meet our goal for {{project}}: {{link}}. Check out updates on our progress and how you can help using that link.”
– Thank you
“Want to see the impact you’re making in real-time: {{link}}. Check out our live stream of {{project}}.”
Education
Text message marketing can be used in the education industry to send admission updates, enrollment dates, course announcements etc.
– Admission updates
“Hi {{student_name}} this is to inform you that admissions are now open for {{institution name}}. More details on our website {{link}}.”
– Enrollment
“Hi {{student_name}}, this is to inform you that the last date for enrollment in {{course_name}} is {{date}}. Please head to the website to submit your application.”
– Course Announcement
“ Hi {{student_name}}, a new course on {{course_name}} is beginning on {{date}}. To enroll in this course, please submit your registration on the university website {{link}}”
Best Practices for SMS Marketing
While we are now aware of the benefits of SMS marketing and the lucrative engagement it offers, to set up a successful text campaign we need to follow some carefully curated steps and best practices to obtain maximum results. Some of the best practices you should follow while setting up an SMS campaign are:
1. Get Permission
Before you send out text messages, you need to get permission from your customers to receive messages from your business. Once they have ‘opted-in’ to receive messages you can create a list of these contacts. Maintain this list of customers who have opted to receive messages from your business and keep updating it. This not only ensures that customers don’t view your message as spam but also pay attention to it.
2. Be smart about crafting the message
Text messages have a limited number of characters, so you have to make sure to craft a message that catches your customer’s attention and also sends the message properly. A well-written promotional message would contain the following elements-
Name of your business: So that the customers know who is contacting them and be able to recall that they have given explicit permission to receive these messages.
Purpose of the message: Is it a promotional message, an order confirmation, an appointment reminder, etc.
A CTA: This will lead the customer to the intended page to view the information offered by your business.
3. Be mindful of the timing of the message
It’s important to be mindful of the time at which you send the messages. Although text messaging warrants instant communication and high open rates, you should not try and abuse this power by reaching out to customers at odd times. Be rest assured no one wants to receive text messages at 2 am.
4. Limit the number of messages sent
Yes, the customers have given a go-ahead to receive messages, but that doesn’t mean you bombard them with messages. If you want to keep the relevance of your messages you need to make sure that the messages you send out are properly spaced out and are relevant.
5. Allow an option to unsubscribe
It is respectful to allow your customers to opt-out of receiving messages, just as they opted in to receive them. Opting out ensures that the quality of your list is maintained, for now, only those customers will receive messages who would be actively engaged with your business. The opt-out option can be presented in the form of a prompt such as “reply with STOP” to unsubscribe.”
Some SMS Marketing Stats
- Forty-three percent of consumers will text businesses proactively regarding inquiries, ordering products and requesting services. However, only one out of three consumers receive a reply (potentially lost customers). (Zipwhip, 2020)
Sixty-eight percent of businesses use some form of texting today – and that’s not even a structured and efficient campaign designed by an expert SMS marketing agency. (Zipwhip, 2020)
Benefits Of SMS Marketing
FAQs
What is a good SMS marketing platform?
Emitrr is one of the best sms marketing software for businesses. It offers various features that make SMS marketing easy. Some stand out features include missed call to text, webchat to text, 2-way texting, group texting and mass texting.
What is SMS marketing?
SMS marketing is the use of text messaging to send promotional offers (and more communication) by businesses to their customers.
Is SMS marketing legal in USA?
Under the TCPA guidelines, businesses can send text messages to their customer base, under the condition that customers have given their permission to receive said communication. It is illegal to send communication to anyone who hasn’t signed up.
Conclusion
As of 2023 text marketing platforms have become an inescapable part of any business marketing operations. With the high engagement rate that it provides, SMS marketing has been established as an indisputable means of communication. It’s only wise to leverage the power of text messaging to keep your customers engaged and provide them with a great customer experience. 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.
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