What is Mass Text Messaging?
Text messaging (SMS) is a powerful channel for communicating valuable information to customers and other audiences on their mobile devices. Mass text messaging solutions make it possible to quickly send SMS (Short Message Service) or MMS (Multimedia Message Service) messages to large audiences and audience segments.
Mass text messaging is used for a variety of purposes to broadcast important alerts and to communicate with employees. With unparalleled engagement and open rates, it’s a trusted marketing channel to engage with and keep customers informed.
Why is SMS so effective? Simply put, consumers don’t let text messages go unread. Texts don’t get buried in an inbox or blocked by spam filters, and they reach people quickly and conveniently on their mobile phones — the devices at the center of their digital lives. Just about every phone in the world can receive text messages so the addressable audience is vast.
Defining Mass Text Messaging
Mass text messaging empowers businesses to send a single message to large groups of people at once, making communication fast and efficient. Instead of sending individual messages, you can use bulk SMS to share updates, promotions or content with hundreds or thousands of customers in one go. By using mass text message marketing, businesses can keep a strong connection with their audience while saving time and resources.
How Mass Text Messaging Differs from Other Forms of Messaging
- SMS vs. Email: SMS messages are delivered directly to phones, while emails can get lost in cluttered inboxes.
- Mass Texting vs. Individual SMS Marketing: Mass texting targets large segments simultaneously, while individual SMS marketing focuses on one-to-one communication.
- SMS vs. Push Notifications: SMS doesn’t require app downloads and can reach anyone with a phone, while push notifications are limited to users on specific platforms.
The Benefits of Mass Text Messaging for Businesses
As consumers continue to rely on mobile devices, adopting mass texting strategies is a game changer. Below are some advantages of mass text message marketing and why your company should consider integrating it into your customer experience strategy.
Massive Engagement
SMS is considered one of the most effective channels for engaging with customers. 98% of SMS messages are opened, and 90% are read within three minutes. Additionally, 68% of consumers say they check their messages regularly throughout the day.
Immediacy
Mass texting solutions allow organizations to send time-sensitive notifications quickly and easily to customers’ mobile devices without relying on developers.
Reach
SMS makes it possible to contact customers who don’t have your mobile app, or to re-engage customers who are inactive on other channels or at risk of churn.
Personalization
Today’s mobile consumers expect personalization. Mass text messaging solutions allow organizations to send personalized and timely messages at scale.
Mobile Wallet Integration
Pairing SMS’ wide reach with the convenience of a mobile wallet creates seamless mobile-first customer experiences for using loyalty cards, tickets, boarding passes, coupons and more.
No App Required
SMS is one of only two mobile channels (the other one is a mobile wallet) that allows you to message customers directly without an app.
Cost-Effective with High ROI
With bulk SMS, businesses can reach thousands of customers at a lower cost than print advertising. High engagement rates lead to strong ROI, making it an effective choice for maximizing marketing budgets.
Strategies & Use Cases
From delivering critical transactional details to launching effective promotions, SMS can connect brands with audiences in meaningful ways. Here are some examples of how businesses can use mass text messaging effectively.
Transactional Messages
Delivering transactional details via SMS helps brands make those messages more useful and visible to customers. Examples include order confirmations or alerts about account activities, appointments, flight changes, reservations, shipping and payments due.
Promotions & Campaigns
SMS marketing helps spark action with personalized promotional messages such as sale alerts, upsell opportunities, partner promotions and more.
News and Weather Alerts
The immediacy and reach of SMS make it an ideal channel for sending breaking news and weather alerts to opted-in audiences.
Multimedia Messages
Adding a visual touch to text messages can make a big difference and SMS’ media-rich counterpart, MMS, allows brands to add images or animated GIFs, as well as longer text. Research shows an increased click-through rate of 15% when using an MMS message.
Multi-Channel Engagement Strategies
Coordinating SMS with email, push notifications and mobile wallet passes can increase the reach and effectiveness of any campaign or promotion. Our industry-leading solution, Airship Journeys AI, makes it easier than ever to orchestrate seamless customer journeys that drive deeper engagement, repeat conversions and exponential growth.
Transforming Brick-and-Mortar Visitors into Digital Customers
Leverage in-store experiences to motivate customers to opt-in to SMS so you can create more opportunities to get to know them, spark loyalty and encourage additional sales — digitally and in-person.
Tips for a Successful Mass Text Messaging Strategy
You need careful planning to implement a successful mass text messaging strategy. From building the right audience to writing the perfect message, each step can impact your campaign’s success. Below are some tips to ensure your business’s mass messaging efforts drive results.
Build a Targeted Subscriber List
Create a list by encouraging opt-ins through website forms, in-store sign-ups or social media. It’s crucial to get permission and make sure subscribers know exactly what they’re signing up for.
Segment Your Audience for Maximum Impact
Divide your text list based on preferences, location or past behaviors. Segmenting helps you deliver the most relevant content to your customers, enhancing engagement.
Craft Compelling and Clear Messages
Keep texts concise, engaging and direct. Include clear calls-to-action (CTAs) that encourage action. Use personalized messaging to increase connection and response rates.
Get Timing and Frequency Right
Timing is key in mass text message marketing. Send messages at times when your audience is most likely to engage, but don’t bombard them with excessive communications. Striking the right balance can impact your campaign’s success.
Monitor and Optimize Campaigns
Track open rates, click-throughs and conversions to gauge the success of your mass texting strategies. Use this data to refine your approach and improve future campaigns.
Compliance and Best Practices in Mass Text Messaging
When it comes to business mass messaging, following compliance guidelines is crucial to maintaining customer trust and avoiding legal issues. It’s important to follow best practices and regulatory standards while respecting customer preferences. Here’s what you need to know:
Adhering to Regulations
Stay compliant with regulations like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Obtaining proper consent is vital. Your mass messaging strategy must include clear opt-in processes to protect your customers and your company.
Respecting Customer Preferences and Opt-Outs
Offer easy opt-out options and honor unsubscribe requests immediately. Respecting customer preferences will keep your relationship positive and help you maintain a strong reputation.
Transparency and Consistency
Be upfront about the frequency and type of messages subscribers can expect. Transparency builds trust, while consistent messaging fosters loyalty.
Tools and Platforms for Mass Text Messaging
Using the right tools can make or break your mass texting strategies. Below are important features to consider when selecting a platform.
Choosing the Right Mass Text Messaging Platform
Pick a platform that’s easy to use, offers automation features and seamlessly integrates with your other systems. Look for mass texting platforms that also provide experimentation, reporting and segmentation tools to make your strategies more effective.
Automation and Scheduling Features
Automation enables you to deliver messages at optimal times without much effort. Scheduling tools help you plan campaigns in advance, boosting both efficiency and effectiveness.
Analytics and Reporting
Powerful analytics give you the insight needed to improve future mass text message marketing campaigns. Measure subscriber behavior, engagement and overall campaign performance.
Integrating Mass Text Messaging with Other Marketing Channels
Combining mass text messaging with other marketing channels expands your reach and enhances the overall customer experience. Here’s how bulk SMS benefits other strategies.
- SMS and Email Marketing: While email helps with longer content, SMS drives immediate action, especially for time-sensitive offers and updates.
- Social Media and SMS Integration: Boost your social media efforts by encouraging followers to sign up for text alerts. SMS can also drive traffic to social media pages to boost campaigns.
- Omnichannel Customer Experience: Incorporating mass text messaging into an omnichannel strategy creates a unified and consistent customer experience across all platforms.
Getting Started with Mass Text Messaging
Launching your first mass text messaging campaign might feel overwhelming, but with the right approach, it’s manageable and highly effective. Here’s a simple guide to help you get started.
How to Plan Your First Mass Text Campaign
- Define clear objectives (e.g., sales, engagement or event promotion)
- Write concise, compelling messages with a strong CTA
- Schedule delivery based on your audience’s behavior for maximum engagement
Optimizing for Mobile Engagement
Since most customers will see your messages on mobile devices, it’s critical to create mobile-friendly CTAs. Include short, clear links, buttons or landing pages that are easy to navigate. This makes the entire experience smoother so your customers are more likely to convert, driving the benefits of mass texting.
Tracking and Measuring Results
To measure success, track key metrics like delivery, open and click-through rates. Monitoring these metrics helps you see how well your mass text message marketing is performing, so you can tweak your strategy for even better results in future campaigns.
About Airship’s SMS Solution
SMS campaigns offer incredible potential to drive action, adoption and loyalty. Given its massive engagement and reach, it’s no wonder so many leading brands leverage SMS to create deeper connections with customers.
Airship’s Customer Experience Platform provides everything you need to connect with your audience via SMS. Orchestrate your text campaigns as part of an omnichannel engagement strategy, segment your audiences, manage opt-ins/outs, schedule personalized messages, monitor performance and more — all in one convenient package.
To learn more about how Airship can help power your SMS strategy, get in touch! And be sure to check out some of our other SMS resources:
- SMS Playbook
- SMS Regulatory Compliance: What You Need to Know About Text Messaging
- Level Up Your SMS Engagement with Retargeting and Customer Context
- What You Need to Know to Create a Global SMS Strategy
- Get the Timing Just Right with Automation For SMS and Email
- Why SMS Should Be a Strong Focus in Your Customer Engagement
- How to Personalize SMS and Email Messages with Dynamic Content
- How You Can Use SMS Keywords and MMS to Drive Customer Engagement