You may be asking how to send bulk text messages if you have never used SMS marketing techniques. The first step to transforming your marketing initiatives into massive commercial triumphs is learning how to execute bulk SMS marketing. And writing texts in bulk for SMS reasons is the first step.
To make sure your first bulk SMS message is successful, take these actions:
Choose a purpose for your message. Verify that your objective is in line with what your audience desires. Send customers information about goods and services that pique their interest by segmenting your contact list based on their preferences.
Add a call to action (CTA) to every bulk SMS message. Keep your bulk SMS message brief, to the point, and conclude with a single action you want your audience to take. This may include confirming their participation at a product launch event or visiting your website.
Personalize the SMS messages. Add your company name, logo, and eye-catching images. If a link’s sender is unknown, people won’t click on it.
Analyze your outcomes. Monitor the status of your SMS campaign’s delivery. You may learn how many of your messages have been sent, opened, clicked on, etc., by doing this.
How To Send a Bulk SMS
Now that you know how to structure your bulk SMS text messages, you must familiarize yourself with how to send out mass texts. The technical but user-friendly steps are as follows:
- Grow your unique SMS subscriber list using a website opt-in form. Keep in mind that not everyone wants to receive text messages. You must gather your customers and potential customers’ permission before sending them any marketing SMS messages. Also, when people sign up for your SMS bulk messages, they are genuinely interested in your products. This means you have a better chance of converting them to paying customers.
- Find an SMS service provider that offers bulk SMS marketing solutions. Ideally, you want an SMS service producer that can guide you on how to send SMS messages fast without technical errors creeping in. The provider should also be knowledgeable about carrier and global regulations to prevent your business from landing in hot water.
- Get a pre-approved short code from your SMS carrier. This shortcode will allow you to send and receive bulk SMS messages. If you use long codes, chances are your bulk messages will end up in customers’ spam folders.
- Choose your words carefully. You only have one shot to grab your subscriber audience’s attention with your SMS message. Read up on text blast writing best practices and follow these guidelines before hitting send. Before sending your bulk SMS message, you must set your recipient and sender. You also need to set the content parameters of your message. Once you’ve sent your first message, you can track its performance.
How to Design a Successful Campaign for Mass SMS Marketing
You must focus on developing successful SMS marketing campaigns after you’re in the thick of bulk SMS marketing. To get your bulk message campaigns moving in the right direction, follow these steps:
Choose the most crucial objective to accomplish. For example, do you want your campaign to increase sales? Do you wish to increase demand for a new product? Do you wish to reach a whole different audience with your brand? Your entire SMS campaign will be built around your end goal.
Identify the audience you wish to attract and their needs and interests. Your subscribers won’t respond to your messages if they don’t require what you’re offering. But you can write messages that appeal directly to individuals if you can determine what they need and how it will address their issues.
Divide up your audience based on their areas of interest. Not every subscriber will be interested in your particular goods and services. This implies that you need to use distinct products and services to attract various audience segments.
- While keeping your messages as short as possible, you must include a call to action. Always make sure that your messages are relevant to upcoming events at your business. For example, if you are having a weekend sale, send your message well in advance. Do not send random messages about products if you do not include value in the communication.
- Personalize your SMS messages. Use your subscribers’ names and refer to their past purchases when sending them new messages. People are far more likely to interact with a message, or a brand for that matter, that personalizes their communication.
- Use a professional SMS bulk messaging provider that can handle several bulk SMS campaigns. Using an SMS bulk messaging expert can also help you analyze the results of your campaigns. And these providers help businesses comply with anti-spam laws, which is vital to bulk SMS messaging.
Podium’s messaging tool will help you send tailored messages in minutes. You can use Podium’s messaging templates to craft a winning message and see results in minutes. Podium offers audience segmentation, personalization, and automation. These are the pillars of a successful bulk text campaign. Find out more about the Podium SMS marketing tool here.
The Best Bulk SMS Senders In The Market
Among the top bulk SMS senders available today are:
- The Podium
Businesses may have two-way talks with Podium. Through the integration of SMS technology with other marketing channels, it unifies communication efforts. Additionally, Podium is dedicated to compliance, assisting your companies in avoiding fines. Podium is unique because of its integrated, user-friendly review platform and dedication to serving local businesses. Get in touch with Podium right now to find out how bulk SMS sending may be made simpler.
2. SimpleTexting
SimpleTexting is known for offering easy-to-run SMS bulk messaging campaigns. In contrast with other providers, this solution includes built-in applications for personalized surveys and competitions. Pricing starts from a mere $29 per month, making this a great choice for SMBs.
3. MessageBird
MessageBird is another bulk SMS provider that is perfect for new users. Apart from being extremely easy to use, MessageBird allows you to organize your company messages, both internal and external.
4. ClickSend
ClickSend offers a range of features, including a customized sender ID and real-time message monitoring. And, unlike most other providers, ClickSend doesn’t charge monthly fees, which is a huge plus for small businesses.
5. EZ Texting
If you’re very green when it comes to bulk SMS campaigns, EZ Texting will get you going with onboarding and detailed help documents. And the company’s customer service department is always on hand to help. EZ Texting simplifies the process of bulk texting, and you can use integrated apps to send event or appointment reminders to your subscribers.
6. Textmagic
Textmagic is a highly intuitive solution for SMS bulk messaging. The platform offers pay-as-you-go pricing and several automation features. The best part is that it costs as little as $0.04 to get started, and you can connect to thousands of other tools, including Typeform and Slack.
7. SendPulse
SendPulse brings automation and bulk SMS texts together for a winning combination. With SendPulse, you can send SMS campaign messages to over 1,000 mobile network providers in 200 countries. The platform also offers a fixed rate for bulk text messaging, which varies by country.
8. Textlocal
Textlocal promises built-in redundancy, real-time reports, and mobile features. This bulk SMS message provider offers fast API integration and browser-based UI/APIs. It has a stand-out customer support department to help you run successful SMS messaging campaigns.
9. Salesmsg
Salesmsg offers you a local number no matter where you send your messages from in the U.S. or Canada. You can integrate the service with other CRMs, and it is a fantastic option for local small businesses. You can use Salesmsg for as little as $16 per month, an excellent budget benefit.
10. Omnisend
Omnisend specializes in e-commerce SMS campaigns and offers several automation and reporting options. It comes with pre-built workflows and sign-up forms. Its best feature is omnichannel or multimedia marketing, allowing you to combine email marketing, SMS, and web push notifications.
11. Textedly
Textedly is a good option for smaller businesses that don’t have a huge marketing budget. The platform offers 12 plans that come with free incoming messages and custom keywords. Its standout feature is that you can send 300-word messages as opposed to 160-word texts.
12. Twilio
Twilio makes bulk SMS messaging easy by using intuitive APIs and features that work with a couple of lines of code. Twilio offers a unique documentation library and also provides a sample code and developer tools to get you going with your SMS campaign.
13. SlickText
SlickText offers a host of features like birthday messages, link shortening, keyword marketing, and webhooks. You can even create and manage a drip campaign with SlickText. And, what makes this option stand out is the ability to reward customers by texting them to offer redemptions.
14. Fast2SMS
With Fast2SMS, your messages are sent using multiple routes. This bulk SMS service also offers instant delivery reports for SMS and MMS. Moreover, it comes with a QR code system, which is great for quickly adding contacts.
15. Messente Communications
Messente Communications allows you to send over 9,000 messages per minute. This is a fantastic feature for large businesses. Messente prides itself on being able to handle rapidly increasing volumes, and it can reduce your artificial traffic.
16. BulkSMS
Using BulkSMS, you can add attachments to your messages. You can also create landing pages, manage sender IDs, and set up scheduled messages. You can enjoy two-way SMS messaging while making use of BulkSMS templates.
17. MSG91
MSG91 focuses on the fact that people check their phones at least 144 times every day. This platform allows you to send millions of SMS messages at once. And, best of all, you can use regional SMS to communicate with customers in their language.
18. SMS Global
SMS Global promises two-way conversations and detailed reporting on SMS campaigns. Furthermore, SMS Global offers an extensive library for SMS integrations and plugins.
19. SpringEdge
SpringEdge has a range of messaging services powered by transactional SMS APIs. These APIs make it possible for you to integrate the bulk message services with your existing website or software. You can even send SMS alerts to customers using SpringEdge gateway services.
20. Trumpia
Trumpia is one of the easiest platforms to use for bulk messaging. It is as simple as creating a message, choosing a subscriber list, and clicking send. Trumpia also allows you to learn more about your audience’s preferences, and it stores the data for you. You can use this data to shape your messages, ensuring you only send relevant information.
Benefits of Mass SMS Marketing
The benefits of bulk SMS marketing are endless. Some of the best benefits include:
A higher cut-through is the effect of ramping up.
You may contact your consumers in seven seconds or less because to the high open rate of SMS messages. Most individuals will open a text message to read it, yet many will delete an email without reading it.
Reducing expenses with a reasonably priced SMS plan and SMS bulk messaging campaigns allow you to reach more potential clients while keeping expenses low.
delivering an incredible return on investment.
The response rate for SMS is 45%. Given that most consumers reply to text messages in less than two minutes, your return on investment (ROI) would be far higher than with an email campaign.
making clients feel heard.
Customers feel heard and valued when they receive personalized SMS messages. This is particularly valid if your communication makes reference to their prior engagement with your company.
monitoring outcomes in real time.
Real-time tracking of your results enables you to make the required adjustments for your subsequent bulk SMS campaign.
raising brand recognition and cultivating client relationships.
By making it simple to convey company information and offer timely customer support, SMS marketing can assist you in increasing brand awareness. By merely reminding customers about discounts and exclusive deals, you can also utilize it to cultivate relationships with your customers.
Is SMS Marketing Legal?
Despite several anti-spam and other communication laws, text message marketing remains legal. But you must comply with the existing text marketing laws.
The law states that you must not send intrusive text messages. SMS marketing regulations and legislation are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), and the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA).
The two main laws in the U.S. are the TCPA and CAN-SPAM laws. The TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) states that marketers must receive written consent before sending bulk SMS messages to their customers. Marketers must also explain the reason for the SMS messages and highlight all terms and conditions. The CAN-SPAM Act protects consumers against unsolicited messaging. The act essentially makes it illegal to send unwanted messages. If you violate this act, you may pay a fine of up to $16,000.
You can comply with all laws by receiving written consent before sending SMS campaigns. You should also provide opt-in (and unsubscribe) options on multiple platforms. Also, consider a double opt-in and ensure you stick to your terms.
Bulk SMS Marketing Case Studies
Several companies use bulk SMS marketing and achieve great success with it. Consider these use cases for bulk SMS marketing:
- Pottery Barn uses a business texting service to inform customers about their latest deals. This works incredibly well for the company because it allows customers to get first in line to take advantage of promotions and discounts.
- Orangetheory Fitness uses SMS communications to motivate people to sign up for a membership. The company sends out free VIP invitations for a free class, which has proven very popular with potential customers. SMS marketing has also done wonders for the company’s customer engagement.
- Umbra uses promotional messages to share sales and special offers on its home décor and hardware. They use a VCF (virtual contact file) to make it easy for customers to save the company’s details on their phones. This has helped Umbra to develop text relationships with customers and increase sales.
- Savage x Fenty is a lingerie brand owned by singer and songwriter Rihanna. SMS marketing, along with influencer marketing and email marketing, has helped the company grow by 150% year-on-year since it was established. The company uses text marketing to alert customers about new products and special deals.
- Shopify uses SMS to send users an access code to help them enter their information on websites that use the Shopify platform. Doing this via a Shop Pay SMS has helped increase checkout speed by four times.
How Much Does SMS Marketing Cost Per SMS?
For one month, sending one SMS every week to 1,000 users’ phone numbers comes to 4,000 messages. This would set you back about $170. However, that is only an average, and prices vary depending on the SMS platform or service you select. The cost of each message might range from $0.01 to $0.05. International SMS and MMS texts are more expensive. The cost of sending a message internationally can reach $0.50.
The cost per customer keyword should also be taken into account. Once more, your provider will choose the pricing of the keywords, although you will probably get one free keyword per month and have to pay for additional ones.
The best way to determine the overall and individual costs of your business SMS marketing campaign is to choose a provider and then a tier or price package.