Features That Separate the Best Mass Text Messaging Services for Businesses

Phones have become ubiquitous in modern life. A survey showed that Americans check their phones every 10 minutes on average. That’s 96 times a day that they pick up their device to check in. For business and pleasure, the phone is a portal to a captive audience. With the ability to make payments, scan tickets, order a ride or a meal, and more, our phones have become more valuable than our wallets themselves.

SMS marketing is key to a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. A texting platform allows you to easily craft and deliver messages to subscribers and ensure your messages are received. Business texts are sent through an SMS platform. How do you find the right one for you? We’ve compiled a list of features that separate the best mass text messaging services for businesses to help you get started.

The Importance of Mass Text Messaging Services for Business

The idea of sending SMS may feel strange at first. After all, many of us are used to using text for shopping lists and sharing photos from our lives. With SMS marketing surging as an effective marketing tool, it’s important to shift mindset a bit.

The benefit to those looking to adopt a platform for mass text messaging services for business is that virtually everyone has sent and received a text. That means even if this concept is new to you from a business communication perspective, the basics are just the same. Texts should be short, to the point, and timely. They should be actionable and attention-grabbing – after all, you’re incorporating them into your marketing strategy.

Text messaging is a supplement to your existing marketing and communication tools. If much of your business takes place via phone or email, text can feel a bit more restrictive at first. Character limits take some getting used to, but they will prompt you to be clear in your messaging.

About 95% of texts are read and responded to within three minutes, and 48% of consumers would prefer to communicate with a business. And maybe you relate to the 90% of customers who prefer SMS to phone calls. With statistics like this, it’s clear that a mass text messaging service for business is a valuable tool.

Read Rates are High

Calls from unknown numbers are often sent to voicemail. Emails end up buried in inboxes amongst all of the other communications or, worse yet, are sent to spam folders. Text messages are a more direct, reliable method for delivering your message.

SMS open rates are a staggering 98% compared with just 20% for email. With numbers like that, it’s hard to ignore text messaging as a communication tool. Since customers are regularly checking their phones, sending and receiving messages, SMS is an effective way to reach them without interrupting their normal daily activities.

Related: How to Use Enterprise SMS Software

Text Is a Preferred Communication Method

As we see a shift in the way people interact, it’s important for businesses to meet customers on their terms. Marketing evolves with the times – where companies once took out pages in the newspaper or relied on fliers in their mailbox, those methods that were once effective are now a thing of the past.

People are using their phones to communicate, complete purchases, and seek customer support. One survey revealed that 75% of millennials report texts are helpful for appointment reminders, payment reminders, package tracking, promotions, and surveys. These numbers are only expected to grow with each generation. It’s important to let these trends serve as a guide for modern marketing strategies.

While text messaging may not be a direct means to build ongoing personal relationships with prospective and current customers, it’s effective in staying front of mind. SMS allows for quick check-ins, confirmations, and reminders.

SMS Is the Easy Way to Be Available

Not limited solely to marketing messages, SMS also enables your business to interact with customers outside of business hours. While you would otherwise need departments or nominated employees to share information about confirmed orders, appointment reminders, and shipment confirmations, SMS can handle all of this for you.

Autoresponders can lighten the load on your customer service teams. This flow allows customers to text your number with a predetermined inquiry, taking them through the steps to receive information. SMS messaging platforms allow you to create templates for autoresponders, meaning you can put campaigns in place with little maintenance required.

What Are the Key Features that Separate the Best Mass Text Messaging Services for Business?

There is certainly no shortage of mass text messaging services for businesses. These platforms enable businesses to write and distribute messages to subscribers easily and swiftly. With the increased adoption of SMS marketing, there are many services available to choose from. So how do you select the right one for your business?

There are key features that separate the best mass text messaging services for businesses. Keep these in mind while you’re researching your approach.

Keeps Your Customers’ Information Safe

Paramount in the adoption of digital tools is the need to keep information secure and private. Customers won’t care just whose fault it is if their private information leaks out. As a business, you have a responsibility to select a partner you can trust.

When you gain subscribers, each of those people is implicitly trusting you. They not only trust you not to send them spam or otherwise abuse the right to contact them but to keep their number safe from the hands of hackers.

Consumer apps for text messaging are particularly prone to those seeking to exploit them for fraudulent activity. Use a designated SMS platform designed for business and with business needs in mind.

Allows You to Scale Your Messaging as Your Business Grows

At the moment, you may have a small set of subscribers to send your text messages. You may plan to implement SMS for a particular purpose or segment of your business. Or perhaps you’re not yet fully convinced of the huge power of SMS marketing and aren’t sure how far it will take you.

Regardless of your current plans, it’s important to find a scalable solution that will adapt to your needs. The entry into the world of business SMS is not as simple as taking your new phone out of the box and sending a “hi :)” to your mom. Once you’ve gone through the steps of receiving your own business short code, you’ve committed a bit of time and money. It’s best to leverage this capability to its full potential.

You may begin with a campaign to register users who want to be kept up to date on a pending product launch. Your mass text messages would be used to create intrigue and would be actionable to learn more about the product. Beyond that, you may wish to send messages to encourage customer feedback or run contests or promotions. As your subscriber audience grows and your approach broadens, it’s important to know your SMS text message service can keep pace.

Related: SMS Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Integrates with Existing Tools

If you are already using internal tools such as a CRM, take them into account when reviewing mass SMS text messaging services for businesses. The platform for you will offer integration into your existing system. 

For example, CRM integration means you’re able to track customer communications in one familiar place. Integrating with email marketing software means your campaigns can be aligned. Users can even text directly from their CRM without having to switch platforms or deal with popup boxes.

By integrating with existing systems, multiple departments can have a clear overview of your marketing and communications strategy. Customer service will see what messages have been sent to a customer who has reached out and can even take over the conversation when necessary.

Summary

Text messages aren’t just something to send from your couch anymore – though, your audience may be there. Mass text messaging services for businesses allow you to reach your prospective and future customers in the most direct and efficient way. A platform such as TrueDialog compliments your existing digital marketing strategy and scales along with your needs.

 

Disclaimer: Please note that this advice is for informational purposes only and is neither intended as nor should be substituted for consultation with appropriate legal counsel and/or your organization’s regulatory compliance team.