Bulk SMS (also referred to as Mass SMS) is an SMS solution that allows you to send SMS from PC to mobile devices quickly and easily.
Text messaging continues to be one of the most effective ways to deliver business to consumer messages thanks to the high open and response rates.
Both large and small businesses in Australia quickly realize the high upside potential of such a medium.
How Are Businesses Using Bulk Messages Services?
Online businesses
- This helps online businesses encourage customers to come back (e.g. abandoned carts if it’s an ecommerce business)
- Integrate online SMS as part of the buying process – a potential customer is learning about a specific product but may have a specific question, you can have your SMS details available for them to contact you directly to begin a dialogue.
- To confirm presentations or appointments if you are selling online and then via webcam or face to face.
- To improve webinar show up rates or email open rates on important newsletters.
Schools
- Our clients are using SMS to notify parents whenever their child is sick. It’s also good for notifying parents about transport updates, weather conditions etc.
Marketing agencies
- Create powerful SMS marketing campaigns for clients including lead generation or revenue generation campaigns to increase encourage repeat business and upsells.
Courier Companies
- Keep customers updated on the delivery status of an item and also improve internal logistics communications.
Healthcare
- SMS is incredibly effective here because it gives the medical centre direct access to their patients allowing them to send reminders of upcoming appointments and keep patients updated on any important news.
Restaurants
- Restaurants can use a simple SMS blast to promote special offers to entice people to come in and try their menu.
- Restaurateurs are able to send an SMS blast out to their existing customer list and turn slow nights into profitable ones.
- Great for keeping staff updated on rosters
Clubs & Associations
- By sending bulk messages to members clubs can instantly keep everyone updated on important events, accepting bookings or even target specific member groups with personalised messages.
Gyms & Health Clubs
- SMS marketing can be used to generate highly-qualified leads for the sales consultants.
- Build lists of potential new members and send out an SMS whenever there is a special new offer.
- Keep existing members updated on class times, new product offerings, special offers or other important updates.
- Re-activation tool for sales consultants to try and win back old customers.
Hair Salons
- Remind clients of upcoming appointments
- Let clients know if their hairdresser is away and when they will be back at the salon
- Keep existing staff notified on rosters
- Used for special client-only promotions
Bars & Clubs
- Used for creating VIP lists and pushing out special offers
- Text patrons inside the club to encourage spend
- Keep teams updated on rosters
Real Estate Agents
- Generate leads from interested home buyers
- Notify homebuyers whenever there is a relevant listing
- Encourage show up rates to open home viewings
Call Centres
- Text messaging is typically used to reduce call congestion. Simple questions can be answered via SMS rather than taking up a phone line.
Almost any industry can benefit from SMS as long as your potential or existing customer has a mobile phone you can begin a conversation and make an immediate impact on important KPI’s.
Advantages of Bulk SMS Solutions
Here are a few of the reasons Australian businesses are looking to bulk SMS and SMS marketing services:
- The average SMS marketing response rate is 45%
- Text messages have an average open rate of 98%
- 91% of customers want to receive text messages from businesses
- 80% of people who use coupons to get discounts will use mobile devices in 2022
- 75% of people aged 44 and below like contacting businesses via SMS
- 45% of potential clients would choose a product or brand after receiving an SMS
- 96% of marketers using text messages said it helped them drive revenue
- 90.09% of businesses that text their customers report that their marketing is successful
- The majority of businesses report SMS marketing click-through rates between 20 and 35%
What to look for with an SMS Service Provider?
This largely depends on your needs but at the very least you want to look for:
Free Trials and/or Special Offers
Free Trials will let you have a look around but typically the free trial is a little different to the real thing (service limitations) so you actually want to get a little skin in the game, buy the lowest package and see how it works without the limitations.
Customer And Tech Support
There will be times where you will need a little help – or sometimes you have an important campaign that needs to be sent yesterday having that customer and tech support is essential to get everything back on track again.
API Integration
Integration is not valuable for every company but having the ability to be able to plug all of your technologies together into one platform is handy, everything can be done from one dashboard and there’s no new software to learn. With SMS integration you will be able to literally plug SMS capabilities into your current software (e.g. CRM).
Should You Go Cloud-Based or Software-Based?
Cloud-Based is preferred for most businesses because software is limited in terms of:
- Not being able to integrate into your existing communication eco-system
- Relies on your computers resources and sending a large number of SMS can be resource hungry creating the potential for a crash – not desirable.
- Chains you to only the device where the software is installed
What are the advantages of cloud-based SMS platforms?
Peace of Mind
Cloud-based SMS platforms run from a giant off-site computer that is designed to do one thing and that is, send bulk SMS messages – so there’s virtually zero chance of any crash happening during even the highest delivery task.
Freedom And Flexibility
Business owners and marketing teams also prefer the freedom of logging in to a bulk SMS portal anytime they wish, from any device and from any location in the world as long as there is an internet connection.
No Software To Install Or Learn
There’s no software to install and no IT team to wade through manuals learning about how to use it and fix it should the software run into problems.
Dedicated Support Teams – no need to troubleshoot on your own
Cloud-based platforms generally have dedicated customer support teams, if you run into a problem, call us up and we handle the rest for you!
Which Is The “Best Online Bulk SMS Service Provider?”
This is completely dependent on your goals.
But here are a few things you may want to keep an eye out for.
Dedicated Customer & Tech Support
Whenever you have a question or problem you want to be able to pick up the phone and get someone on to it immediately.
The Right Features
When it comes to deciding on the best SMS platform you want to make sure you have the right features.
For example:
Are you going to be running questionnaire poles, asking for feedback or engaging in dialogue then you’ll want 2-way SMS.
Do you want to be able to send and receive SMS from your email client? Then you’ll need Email To SMS capabilities.
Different SMS service providers will have different features, it’s important to know what you want so you can make the right decision –don’t just go with the cheapest provider.
Do you have customers internationally? If so, make sure your SMS service provider has an international SMS gateway that gives you overseas coverage.
Off-Site Server
You definitely do not want an SMS provider that houses their platform in their office – ideally you want your provider to be using an off-site server which is housed in a high-security, climate controlled environment.
This reduces the chances of the entire platform imploding in on itself.
Redundancy Measures
Does your SMS provider have ample redundancy measures in place? In other words, if something does go wrong do they have a backup service that will quickly take over?
How To Send A Bulk SMS Online
Send an SMS is incredibly easy.
- Log into your bulk SMS portal.
- Create a contact group and give it a relevant name.
- Upload your contacts to that SMS group either by spreadsheet, copying and pasting them in or adding them in manually.
- Select that group.
- Type out your SMS message.
- Do you want to send it out now or schedule it at a later date?
- To send it now click ‘send’ or to send at a later date, open the calendar select the date and time you’d like the message to go out and click ‘ok’.
Within a few seconds your contacts will have received your text messages.
Bulk SMS Rates and Prices
There are two basic pricing models:
- Monthly subscription (may or may not be contract based)
- Prepaid (pay for credits as you require them
Monthly Bulk SMS Packages
Monthly subscriptions are good if you know exactly how many text messages you’re going to be sending out – there’s no need to – it’s all automated for you.
If you do go over your allotted limit you will either be charged for additional SMS’s or moved up to the next plan ricing bracket for that month.
Prepaid Bulk SMS Packages
Prepaid is perfect for when you have variable SMS sending patterns and you also prefer more control over your account.
There are no monthly obligations or worrying about unused credits – you use the exact amount you need and if you need more you buy more.
Prepaid SMS services may however give you a time frame on when you can use those credits so you will want to find out if your credits expire and inside what timeframe.
160.com.au is a Bulk SMS website and service provider that delivers an easy-to-use SMS platform for its clients.
If you would like to learn more about SMSPapa and our services please read our FAQ.