Text Message Service for Business: Everything You Need to Know

Did you know that Americans on average check their phones 205 times a day? That equates to around once every 5 minutes while awake.

To say we are slightly addicted to those tiny glowing screens is probably pretty accurate. Because we live on our devices, if you need to get a hold of someone, chances are sending a text will get the job done.

So what does that mean for businesses?

Email, sending letters, and phone calls did the job of bridging the communication gap between organizations and clients in decades past.

It's been an ongoing trend that as technology continues to enhance, so does our mode of communication. But the latest and greatest method for reminders happens to be through SMS messaging. 

SMS stands for short message service, and while texting is by no means a new form of communication, businesses within the past few years are starting to ramp up using SMS to their advantage. 

In fact, the concept of sending a SMS text message first came about in 1984. Later, in 1992, Neil Papworth sent the first text message to a coworker reading "Merry Christmas". 

Since then, we've come leaps and bounds into the current digital age. Now we can send pictures, videos, and even share games through texting. 

So how are businesses using this growing technology to further their own endeavors? Let's get into how sending out a mass text to clients can benefit your business.

Whether we are talking about appointment reminders, marketing campaigns, or more automation in billing processes, mass texting your client base can be profitable

But how often should you text, and what should your text say? Let's go over these questions and more.

What Is SMS?

So we already scraped the surface of what SMS is. Once again, it is a text messaging service that allows short strings of communication through mobile devices. The technology is usually easy to use and praised for providing fast results.

This is one of the many reasons businesses love using it. With the explosion of ecommerce coupled with the constantly shrinking human attention span, if you aren't able to send your clients mobile-friendly alerts, you might not be able to effectively reach customers.

SMS typically allows 160 characters, so learning to get your message across in a short and concise manner is key. They are also transmitted over control channels, and don't use the same voice or data channels used for other mobile services. This allows people to receive messages even with limited network coverage.

Business text messaging services and messaging apps offer free trials for those looking for SMS campaign support. Let's talk about these services and what they offer.

What Is a Business Text Messaging Service?

A business text messaging service is a platform that allows an organization to send and receive SMS messages with customers.

Many organizations use this technology in order to track and respond to messages all in one place.

This kind of SMS service provides options like bulk text capabilities, automated text, and now AI customer support services for businesses.

Benefits of a Business Texting Service

Business texting services offer many different perks to companies. First and foremost, offering an easy solution for organizations to send and receive text messages. No more struggling to reach your client through a phone call just to get their voicemail.

The fact of the matter is that 90% of customers prefer texting as a form of communication with businesses over direct calls. As texting is now the preferred method of communication for much of the population, that benefit alone is huge. 

It also reduces wait times if you do manage to get someone on a call. No more keeping your customers on hold for long periods of time while you troubleshoot, leaving them frustrated. Texting allows businesses to streamline their workflow while also being considerate of their client's time. When your call center is set up to utilize this technology, communication becomes faster, thus generating revenue more efficiently.

Along with enhancing the customer experience, you're also helping your team simplify their workload. Streamlining your daily tasks through automation is the name of the game. With automated text messages, you can keep your clients up to date with minimal effort. Less time spent on repetitive tasks, more time attending to other urgent matters.

What is an SMS Marketing Campaign?

An SMS marketing campaign sends texts to clients to keep them in the loop concerning updates, offers, and alerts.

Text message marketing is highly successful due its current 98% open rate.

For reference, that same study found that email marketing open rates average around 33%. These text campaigns easily bridge the gap between client and business through automated SMS, thus driving customer engagement.

Why Small Businesses Benefit From Text Marketing

Text marketing and small businesses go hand in hand for a variety of reasons. First, it's a great and personalized way to interact with both clients and potential clients alike.

It also reaches a larger demographic, as pretty much everyone has a phone capable of using text. You can more easily build your brand and keep your community in the know with the right SMS marketing services in your tool belt.

Choosing the Best SMS Text Service

So you're looking for an SMS text service now?

Here are some key takeaways for you to consider while shopping around:

• Consider ease of use. You want software with an intuitive design. We want to minimize timelines while boosting productivity, after all. No use in investing in technology that only further complicates your processes. Implementation of your business SMS service should be quick and painless. 
• The opportunity to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) for automation. AI is great for helping your team work smarter and not harder. It creates a more seamless and effective messaging platform. Need to send bulk text messages but don't want to have to remember the day of? Set up a time for your software to send it out automatically. 
• Cost of the solution. Luckily, most of these services don't charge per message. Make sure when you sign up, you are able to include everything you need right off the bat. This way you can avoid surprise add-on costs later down the line. 
• What is the scalability of this texting app? Ask yourself this question as you are browsing different messaging software. Remember, your software needs to grow along with your business. You don't want to have to do this process more than once. Consider whether what you are looking at could still meet your business's demands in the future.
• Take security features into account. There is plenty of sensitive data that gets collected through business texts. The best text messaging software takes this into account. and prioritizes your customer privacy. This not only safeguards their information, but also covers you in the event of a data breach.

The Future of Business Text Messaging & Marketing Campaigns

Technology will continue to evolve, but what we know is that making communication convenient for your clients is key. Meeting customers where they already are, anywhere and at any time, is a powerful tool that comes with SMS capabilities. It is no longer just another way to communicate, but now falls under best practices for any organization.

It doesn't matter if you are a small business trying to build a client base, or a large organization looking to more effectively collect on accounts receivable, SMS offers the efficiency needed to keep your workflow running smoothly. Picking the right texting service for business needs can transform your business and keep you competitive in your given field. Utilizing automation through these services can strengthen your customer experience, reach a broader audience, and allow your team to offload tedious tasks.

Mobile communication is already integrated in our daily lives, so it only makes sense that businesses jump on this bandwagon now. Those who do will be the ones who stay top-of-mind in their respective industries. Embracing SMS marketing platforms today set up businesses for success in the future.