Simple text messages have been around for almost three decades. So what makes bulk SMS marketing one of the best ways to introduce your brand or business to your target audience? This article explains everything about SMS marketing, why it really isn’t an outdated strategy, and how you can start sending SMS campaigns quickly and effortlessly.

What is bulk text marketing (and why is it used)?

Bulk text marketing refers to the advertising of goods and services via text messages to a group of subscribers. It is also used to send notifications, alerts, reminders, order status updates and request customer reviews. SMS is incredibly useful when used as a stand-alone marketing channel or as part of a multi-channel strategy.

According to the GSMA, 5.2 billion people worldwide subscribed to a mobile phone in 2019; The number is expected to rise to 5.8 billion by 2025. Most of the world’s population can send and receive text messages because almost all cell phones have a text messaging function.

Many Internet sources report a remarkable 98% text message open rate. This figure is significantly higher than the average email open rate of 21.33%. It is also estimated that 90% of text messages are opened in just three minutes.

Bulk text marketing allows you to be in immediate contact with your customers; This is very important when sending time-sensitive campaigns such as retail alerts, one-off promotional messages or service messages such as delivery updates.

Getting started with bulk text message marketing

Basically, you only need three things to start an SMS marketing campaign: a subscriber list; a solid marketing strategy and SMS platform. Let’s look at these in detail:

List of subscribers

If you haven’t already, you need to start building your contact list before you can start marketing. Think about who you really want to target – focus on the quality of your ad rather than collecting as many phone numbers as possible.

Data protection regulations must be followed when collecting personal data for marketing purposes. In order to send marketing sms to their mobile devices, you must obtain permission from all subscribers.

You should not automatically opt-in for existing customers to receive email campaigns or marketing texts, or remove random phone numbers from a website.

Data protection laws vary depending on the country (or countries) of your target audience. If your subscribers are located in Europe, for example, you must comply with the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is in force in the United States.

Marketing strategy

Before you start sending mass text messages to your subscribers, think about what you want to achieve with your mobile marketing campaigns. More conversion? Better customer loyalty? Stronger brand loyalty?

First, decide on your ultimate goal and figure out the metrics that will guide your text message content strategy.

SMS Messaging Solution

The best way to start bulk SMS marketing is to use a reliable online SMS platform. Look for a service provider that has partnerships with multiple mobile carriers, as this will allow you to take advantage of competitive SMS rates.

It is equally important that you choose a service provider that offers bulk texting services that allow your business to use bulk texting for marketing purposes. For example, Messence offers a full-service messaging API and has connections with over 800 mobile operators in over 190 countries.

Bulk Text Marketing: Tips for Best Practices

Once you’re done, there are a few things you can do to get your SMS campaign delivered, opened, and read.

Use data for personalization and targeting

View subscriber data to better understand your business demographics (age, gender, and location) and buying behavior. This information helps you determine what your subscribers might be interested in so you can send them relevant marketing messages.

For example, a plumbing store may notice that a millennial shopper purchasing an oversized Scandinavian sweater might be interested in a new selection of Scandinavian Christmas sweaters.

Keep messages short and sweet

Text messages have a maximum length of 160 characters, but you can avoid this by using multipart messages. However, cut your costs and engage your subscribers by keeping your messages short, which conveys your purpose in as few characters as possible.

Make your message easy to read, use a clear call to action (eg SEE THE OFFER) and avoid overuse of emoticons. One or two is enough and adds a friendly touch to your message, but too many can look unprofessional and rob you of valuable assets.

Follow the rules of SMS marketing

The last thing you want to do is annoy your subscribers and report your business to one of the regulators. To avoid this, properly adjust the frequency of your messages, don’t send bulk text messages during TCPA’s “do not disturb” hours, and don’t spam your subscribers with irrelevant text. Also check your subscriber list regularly to remove inactive numbers.

Mass Text Marketing at Work

Businesses of all sizes can use SMS mass marketing to increase engagement, provide exceptional service, or increase profits. Here are some examples of organizations that are already doing this:

• Telekom Deutschland (German mobile operator) The company wanted to position itself as a responsible and sustainable brand for people under 28. Recognizing that this age group tends to ignore traditional communication methods, Telekom Deutschland contracted with an SMS service provider to create a personalized SMS video campaign. This translated into a 45% open and view rate and a doubling of results compared to a standard SMS campaign.

• Nordstrom (Upscale department store chain in the United States); This retailer uses SMS marketing to offer the TextStyle fashion concierge program, which allows customers to shop via SMS.

• John Lewis (UK Retailer) ; In this screenshot below, you can see how John Lewis uses SMS marketing not only to confirm product delivery, but also to collect customer feedback and increase loyalty and retention.

Mass marketing: a powerful tool

Powerful, extremely useful, easy to digest and instantly accessible, text messaging is one of the best marketing tools available to businesses looking to improve their marketing strategy.

You can start mobile marketing using the SMS gateway provided by the SMS API platform. Once your contact list is ready, your business can send bulk SMS marketing campaigns through the gateway. The Messence Messaging API ensures that your messages are delivered worldwide, reliably and at a reasonable cost.