Bulk SMS Marketing: Everything you need to know
Bulk SMS Marketing
With Bulk SMS marketing, you can reach your marketing goals rapidly and effectively. Before this technology existed, organizations would connect with consumers through less convenient and problematic channels such as email.
Despite its limitations, email is still a great marketing tool that enables you to cast your net far and wide, but SMS is more direct and reaches the user on the channel they use every day. Platforms such as Cloud Contact AI give you the freedom to leverage the same great features that gave email its notoriety but adapted for text messaging.
In this article, we will go over the hills and through the valleys of SMS marketing, sharing some tips and a few ordinances that keep SMS initiatives in top form!
What is bulk SMS marketing?
Bulk SMS marketing is a method for communicating with a large audience via text. This immense message capacity is most commonly utilized for business-to-customer relationships, such as for promotional or informative objectives.
Messaging in large quantities isn’t available on ordinary phones without group chat or bulk contact upload. Bulk messaging enables you to blast out messages to the masses click-send quick by simply uploading a list of contacts.
Why should I use bulk SMS marketing?
Compared to other communicative avenues, SMS boasts the greatest benefits. Take a look at how SMS can elevate your broadcasting capabilities and get your goals accomplished faster.
Straight to the point
People use text messaging every day as their primary medium of communicating with friends, family, and colleagues — the things that are most important day to day. By leveraging a bulk messaging solution, you can tune into the most convenient channel for your user that is proven to generate the best results.
Permission-based
If you’ve ever used email marketing, you might have acquired a list of random people, whether you purchased it or got a hand-me-down list. Often, the people who are receiving the campaigns are less than pleased to find messages from an unknown sender in their inboxes.
Under the TCPA law, users must opt-in with SMS before you can include them in your text campaigns. This law helps reduce a lot of the frustration and negativity involved with cold-call style marketing.
Budget-friendly
SMS is a cost-efficient way to get your message in front of a mass audience. Most messaging services range from $.01-.03 per message and can vary depending on the capacity — think about the time and resources saved!
Expeditious
Sending messages is quick and easy — craft your message, upload your contacts, click send, and within seconds your message will arrive in your recipient’s inbox. There is no spam box for SMS so you can feel confident that you’re not blowing away money.
Pro tip: Message your users every so often and ensure that they still wish to be part of your campaign. Eliminate the ones that don’t and save money!
How can I use bulk SMS marketing?
You can use bulk SMS marketing to facilitate communication across your entire facility. Break your list down by customer or staff to keep everyone well-informed and operating synchronously.
General
Update your audience about routine company-wide announcements, such as closures, hours, upgrades, and much more. A well-informed community is more likely to engage and take action.
Advertising
Personalize your campaigns using custom fields, then send your customers promotional deals and product announcements at exactly the right time.
Sales
Studies show that people prefer text over email. Give your clients a way to get quick assistance right when they need it so that you can close deals faster.
Hiring
Expedite your hiring efforts with SMS and give job-seekers a heads up about new openings. When interview time comes, send them a quick reminder.
Bulk SMS marketing by industry
Industries of all varieties can use SMS to help get the word out about the daily matters. Here are a few industries that we think can greatly benefit:
Bulk SMS for healthcare providers
Healthcare providers can leverage SMS for appointments — from rescheduling to reminders and feedback.
Bulk SMS for schools
Turn your school into a smart school with SMS alerts sent directly to students regarding grades, closures, cafeteria menu, and so much more!
Bulk SMS for gyms
Bulk up your outreach with SMS alerts about classes, new training opportunities, and health tips.
Bulk SMS for real estate agents
Keep your buyers and sellers mindful of upcoming appointments, showings, and offers so that they’re alert throughout the entire buying process.
Bulk SMS for debt collectors
Inform delinquent customers about payment reminders and tips for on-time debt settlements.
Tips for mass text messaging
Before you jump into your mass messaging endeavors, consider our best practices that will give you a head-start on bulk SMS marketing.
Short and sweet
With SMS, you can only send up to 160 characters per message, so craft your message with simplicity in mind. Most readers will only scan the first sentence before deciding whether to go further or swipe away.
Get the go-ahead
Before you add people to your SMS campaign, you must ensure that you have their consent. The easiest way to get permission is by providing users with the ability to opt-in via a text keyword.
Additionally, you need to ensure that users are aware that they can opt-out. They can reply “STOP” to your texts to halt subsequent messages.
The carrier (AT&T, Sprint, etc.) will block the recipient’s number. However, it would be best if you still referenced the opt-out on your end to ensure no future campaigns from another sender are deployed.
Embedded links
While crafting your promotional message, drop in a link that drives people to your product or service.
Get your timing queued
Did you know that the average person opens up their texts within 3 minutes of receiving them? Catch customers at the exact right time to ensure the highest engagement — after lunch is always a good time!
Frequency is key
Don’t bombard your audience with incessant messages. Let your subscribers know how often you intend to alert them when they opt-in and try not to exceed the specified tempo.
Set your gauge at about 2–4 messages per month for the best results, while ensuring your customers don’t get oversaturated.
Other things to note
Do I pay for failed messages?
The account holder pays for messages that didn’t go through. Unsuccessful messages can occur from numbers that are invalid or blocked. To verify that you aren’t paying for those messages, make sure that the contacts were uploaded correctly or are removed from your list.
Is there a limit on the texts I can send?
There is no limit on the number of messages you can send. On CCAI, you can put out as many messages as you want, when you want!
Rules for bulk SMS marketing
You might be wondering about restrictions that govern sending messages in such large quantities. In fact, there are two rules that are extremely important to follow to avoid penalties and fines.
TCPA
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a telemarketing act that dates back to 1991 covering automated communication via phone calls, fax, voicemails, and SMS. Under TCPA, users must gain proper consent before sending out campaigns.
People who don’t follow these guidelines face potential fines between $500-$1500 depending on their offence’s severity.
CTIA
The CTIA is a group of cellular carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, with more defined boundaries regarding the content promoted with SMS marketing. Under CTIA, messages that contain sex, hate, alcohol, guns, and tobacco are prohibited.
If these terms are breached, your access to these carriers may be revoked or suspended.
Mass SMS messaging platform
Cloud Contact AI is a multi-channel customer communication platform. That means that you can reach your customers via text, and in addition, email and voice.
With these features, you can approach your audience from every angle. No more going back and forth between different platforms; connect with your customers on the channel that they engage with most with CCAI.
Here’s how you can get started:
1. Sign up on CCAI
Navigate to Cloudcontactai.com and click Sign Up in the header.
2. Upload Contacts
Select Contacts in the left-hand menu and upload contacts one-by-one or as a group in CSV format.
3. Create a campaign
Click SMS in the menu and begin your mass outreach.
4. Support
Need help getting set up? Please shoot us an email; we are happy to assist you!
