SMS Bulk Texting Buyers Guide
There are many ways to send bulk text messages. Let us help you choose the right mass text messaging service for your business.
What does Bulk Mean in Text?
Bulk, in this context, means sending hundreds (or thousands) of unique text messages. This is different then setting up a large group text. Typically, senders start with a template message and personalize with data from a list of contacts. This saves you the time of typing out hundreds of the same message.
Why Is Text Messaging Valuable?
Answer: the open rates are very high. Wireless carriers have gone to great lengths to block spam texts, which results in high trust scores. Given this trust and lack of spam, sending texts has become an efficient way to reach target audiences. Often used for appointment reminders, event reminders, marking, and other things.
Registration Requirements
You must register with The Campaign Registry before sending mass text messages. Most bulk texting services will help guide you through this. Note that registration requirements are stricter for 10 digit local area code phone numbers than toll free numbers.
The Options
Heavy Duty Featureful Platforms
These are web-based platforms that you store your customer data in and run large campaigns out of. Either sync to your CRM system or upload contact list CSVs to ingest customer data. Can generally send both SMS and MMS. Typically include the ability to schedule messages.
Used by very large brands / businesses. Can be complex to learn / use and generally very costly. Some examples below –
- Attentive: Full featured but pricing is steep. It starts at $300 / month. Might not be a fit for everyone.
- Klaviyo: Feature rich text message marketing platform. However, they don’t (as far as I could tell) let you get a local area code phone number.
- Avochato: Last in the “robust” category of bulk SMS service providers. Charge ~3 cents per text, along with $19 / month per user for their lowest (usable) tier. Unfortunately, you’re limited to one 100 person marketing “blast” per day.
Easy To Use Platforms
These are less featured but easier to use. The focus is on cost effectiveness and simpler onboarding. These are perfect for small to medium sized businesses. Some examples below –
- Sheet Gurus: The simplest platform. Install the Google Sheets extension, sign up, and you’re off and running. There is an $8 / month fee and it costs $0.04 per segment.Includes both SMS & MMS functionality.
- EZ Texting: Lightweight platform with both MMS and SMS functionality. Starting at $20 per month.
- SimpleTexting: Basis SMS & MMS functionality that starts at $29 / month. They also pass through carrier fees.
Recommendation
As with everything – the right answer for you depends! If you’re a large brand looking to manage massive campaigns - Attentive is probably the right choice.
If you’re a small medium sized business with a need for mass texting services or sms marketing, try using Sheet Gurus. It’s the simplest with the lowest upfront cost.