Marketing Text Messages - Bulk SMS Explained

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Marketing Text Messages - Bulk SMS Explained

What makes a successful bulk SMS campaign? Well, any bulk message can be successful, when properly targeted toward the right audience. Successful SMS marketers consistently create bulk messages that will contextually appeal to their audience, add something of value, and are sent to their target market at the right time.

To be successful with your bulk SMS messages, begin with an opted-in audience. This means that the people who are going to receive your messages are people who have given permission -They are already somewhat familiar with you, and will not be upset when you text them.

Once you have your list, think carefully about your audience and what you can do for them. Remember, you need to be adding something of value to their lives. That could be a sales opportunity or discount on specific merchandise. It might even be an announcement that will help them, such as the creation of a new loyalty program.

Write your message, test it on smaller groups to make sure it resonates with your audience before you send it out to your entire list. Be strategic about the time of day you send it. You don’t want your audience to be really busy, but at the same time, you don’t want to send it when they won’t be able to do anything about it.

When you follow these guidelines, any bulk SMS program can be successful.

Is Bulk SMS Marketing effective?

Like any marketing tool, there are times when bulk SMS messages are going to be effective and times when they aren't.

A 'big sale' would be a great example where bulk messages are effective whereas a nurturing campaign might require a more nuanced approach with smaller lists and more targeting.

Bulk SMS marketing will help you get the message out. However, success is dependent on what your message says, your goals, and the way you define effective. Talk to your MessageWhiz customer success manager to set reasonable expectations for SMS campaigns, and then you can measure whether your campaign was effective against those metrics.

What is a Bulk SMS Gateway?

A Bulk SMS gateway allows enterprises to send large blocks of messages at one time to large groups. SMS messages created and sent via an online messaging platform need to be re-routed to the telecom network that that  SMS messages travel on to reach their final destination, the end-user’s phone which is connected to a local telecom operator. An SMS gateway helps connect messages from a messaging platform like MessageWhiz to the telecom network.

What is the Bulk SMS Marketing Process in a Nutshell?

Successful marketing starts with a plan and goals, regardless of the marketing channel. Before sending out messages, you need to define your goals and target audience.

From there, the process is fairly straightforward. You need to have a list of recipients who have opted in to receive messages from you. There are many proven and effective ways to get users to opt-in and agree to be on yourSMS list. Sending out messages to random phone numbers could get your messages blocked in the future, so this step is very important.

Once you have your list, the next step is to write your message. You will want to create different versions, and test them by sending them out to small subsets of your list. If one message performs better than the other, then that is the message you want to go with. If neither message does well, you will want to rewrite your messages and test them again.

After testing your message, you will send out the message to your list. You should be able to track important metrics, such as open rates, click through rates, and conversion rates. Use this data to help optimize your messaging for future bulk marketing campaigns.

Is Bulk SMS Legal?

Bulk SMS is legal, but you do have to follow regulations in the countries where they are being sent out. You do need consent from your recipients, which we’ve also called opting-in throughout this post.

You will also need to provide your recipients with a way to unsubscribe or opt out of your messages.

What Kind of Companies use Bulk SMS?

There are a number of different types of companies that use bulk SMS for their marketing. This includes both online and ecommerce retailers who send out bulk ecommerce SMS marketing messages promoting their stores.

Sports teams send out bulk SMS messages to their fans, and schools send out  bulk messages to their parent and student base.

Banks send out bulk SMS messages inviting customers to take out loans or get a mortgage, while automobile dealers tell members of their database about new car offerings.

Almost every B2C business uses bulk SMS in one form or another.

Is a Bulk SMS Service Effective for B2B Companies?

B2B companies generally benefit from a more targeted approach, but many are successful with bulk SMS services. For example, if they need to send out messages to large groups of customers, or want have announcements to make, bulk B2B SMS might be ideal, depending on the company and its relationship with customers.

How much does a Bulk SMS Service cost?

Generally speaking, businesses sending out bulk SMS messages pay per message, not for the service. Prices depend on a number of factors, including geography and the number of messages being sent. A single message to a phone in the United States when sent through MessageWhiz costs less than a penny. That same message to China could cost nearly three cents. For more prices, check out the MessageWhiz pricing calculator.

If you have any questions about SMS, get in touch with Message Whiz - Our team will be happy to answer!

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