Email to SMS Gateway SMS API SMS Automation SMS Online
Companies send text messages, either individually or bulk SMS, in a variety of ways: online, via email or integrated into business systems
Even in this era of smartphones and instant messaging, many companies send text messages to their customers and workforce as they realise that it is a much more effective form of communication – whether this is for marketing purposes, issuing updates, generating alerts, providing information or sending out reminders.
In fact, texting is still the most widely used mobile app, mainly due to the fact that every phone by default has text message capabilities and that it is easy to use for anyone, no matter their technical ability. Although half of the figure from 2012, which was at its peak, 82 billion SMS and MMS messages were still sent in the UK in 2017.
No matter where people are in the world, the one common item that the majority of people have within arms reach is their mobile phone. As a result of this, which has been widely reported, over 90% of text messages are opened and read within three minutes of being received.
This makes text messaging very direct, providing immediate delivery when sent, especially as SMS doesn’t have to combat spam or messaging filters that can be applied to emails and messaging services. This usually results in a much higher response rate.
Why should I use an SMS service?
Sending text messages can be a time-consuming process, especially if your company needs to send out hundreds, if not thousands, of messages, otherwise known as bulk SMS.
If you have a large customer base and want to send out messages to your subscriber list, then it is worth investing in a dedicated service.
These services should offer a Tier 1 network which can connect you directly to all the major carrier networks all over the world, providing reliability and 99.95% network redundancy. By using a secure, single connection, your communications are guaranteed quicker delivery and minimal delay.
These services will also be able to provide you with competitive pricing, especially when sending corporate bulk SMS. Many of ToucanText’s customers send, on average, 30,000 text messages per month, so pricing does obviously become a factor.
Using an SMS service also means that communication and campaigns are much easier to track and analyse thanks to the ability to receive delivery reports.
What should companies look for when selecting the best SMS service?
As well as the above Tier 1 network, you should be looking for an SMS provider that is versatile and offers a range of SMS creation and delivery methods.
What type of service you require will be dependent on who needs to send the text messages, how many you need to send and also what you want to achieve? For example, some companies may simply want to send single personalised text messages via email. Others may want access to an easy-to-use online portal.
For companies that want to integrate SMS capabilities into existing apps or software then you need to look for a service provider that offers API code that is compatible with the software; whether you are programming in C#, C# Async, HTTP, Java, PHP, VB.NET or VB.NET Async. This makes it extremely easy to integrate into company business systems and will enable you to start sending immediately.
If you want the ability to receive replies to your text messages, then you need to select a provider that can offer cost-effective inbound numbers. Once these have been acquired, you will be able to include short code numbers or words on other marketing or informational material in order to encourage people to send messages to your company.
If the text messages are of high importance and the communication needs to be acted swiftly upon, then it’s also worth finding out if the provider offers flash SMS capabilities. Flash SMS is a type of SMS delivered to a recipient’s handset that appears directly on the main screen without user interaction and is not automatically stored in the inbox. The most prominent use of flash SMS is for two-factor authentication (2FA) messages.
How to send automated texts
A very significant feature that many companies require, but one that not many service providers can offer, is the ability to automate SMS when triggered by certain events or in response to inbound text messages. Automating SMS guarantees the timing, relevance, personalisation and performance of communications and can help cut costs, improve communication and reduce risk.
An automated SMS system can also be integrated with a wide range of applications and software including CRM, ERP, marketing and warehouse management systems, enabling you to create and distribute data-driven, personalised SMS messages to employees, prospects, suppliers and existing customers at the exact moment the communication is required.
Creating and importing lists for corporate SMS
Once you have selected a provider and set up an account, you need to determine how many messages you want to send out. The best way of doing this is to create target or subscriber lists. These should be created and defined by specific groups, dependent on the messaging that you want to communicate.
A quick way of achieving this is by importing spreadsheets into the SMS service that have been exported from your CRM or ERP system. Alternatively, for smaller groups it’s simply a case of manually inputting the contacts into the relevant system.
As with any marketing or communication activity these days, SMS is also regulated, and therefore you need to have the recipient’s permission to send them a text message. This is even more pertinent since GDPR came into force. If you send a marketing SMS to a customer, make sure that they have the ability to opt out of the communication.
The best way of increasing your outreach and making sure that your subscriber list is compliant is by encouraging customers to opt into the service by including a sign up form on your website or adding short code names and numbers to additional marketing material.
Sending a successful text message
Once all the logistics are in place, the most crucial aspect of this entire process is the actual creation of your text messages. What exactly are you trying to achieve? Knowing your market and recipients is essential.
If the text messages are for support purposes, responding to information requests or alerting employees to sales, technical issues or jobs, then their creation is fairly standard.
However, when they are being used for marketing purposes, you need to make sure that your text messages are targeted at the right demographic and convey the right message in order to grab people’s attention. Thinking carefully about specific groups will make sure that your messages are successful.
With only 160 characters at your disposal, constructing the correct message is essential so that the communication isn’t confusing. Therefore a single call to action (CTA) is all that is required. The language also needs to have a warm, personal tone and it can’t be emphasised enough that you should check your spelling and grammar thoroughly before hitting the send button.
For more information on how to integrate SMS into your apps or business systems, call 0330 998 0022 or email info@toucantext.com.
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FAQs
How do companies send mass text messages? ›
When sending a mass text, you designate the short code from which you want to send the message. Every person on the list for that code will receive the text blast. You can establish multiple lists by assigning a new short code to each one.
How is bulk SMS done? ›Go to the messaging app, tap the Contacts icon, pick your group and then either Select All or make specific choices for a subset. Tap Done and you return to the messaging app where you can add more recipients and send your message.
How does business text messaging work? ›How Does Business Text Messaging Work? For inbound communications, customers can send a message to a short numeric code or the company's direct phone number. All incoming communications are collected in the company phone system to track responses and update communication logs in the customer management software (CMS).
How can I send 1000 SMS at a time? ›The way is to use a website called GetItSMS . This allows you to send multiple messages at once. Another way is to use a website called easyway sms. This will also allow you to send 1000 SMS at a time free online.
How do you send 100 texts at once? ›Send Thousands of iMessages with a Single Click [How-To] - YouTube
How do you send automated texts to customers? ›- Sign Up For an Automated Texting Service. Don't be confused by the vast number of automated texting service companies out there. ...
- Upload Your Contacts. Upload your contacts. ...
- Create Segmented Groups. ...
- Set Up Keywords. ...
- Encourage New Users to Subscribe. ...
- Compose Text Templates. ...
- Schedule and Send.
Bulk messaging is the dissemination of large numbers of SMS messages for delivery to mobile phone terminals. It is used by media companies, banks and other enterprises (for marketing and fraud control) and consumer brands for a variety of purposes including entertainment, enterprise and mobile marketing.
How can I send bulk SMS in Excel? ›- Sign up and add credits. Sign up for a free Textlocal account and activate it by verifying your e-mail address & mobile number. ...
- Download & install the plugin. Download the plugin and install it. ...
- Connect to Textlocal. ...
- Compose your message. ...
- Send your message. ...
- Hiding or removing Excel to SMS plug-in.
- Log in to BulkSMSLive.com.
- Click to “Compose SMS” on the right panel.
- Click on “Register yours here” to request for your sender ID.
- Fill in your desired Sender ID and that is it! Ready to get your SMS message branded today? Register for a free Sender ID here.
And 70% of customers say that SMS marketing is a good way for businesses to get their attention. By communicating with customers the way they want you to, your business is more likely to see engagement and get a response. Aside from these 3 awesome benefits, SMS marketing is also cost-effective and easy to set up.
What is SMS marketing and how does it work? ›
SMS Marketing is sending promotional campaigns or transactional messages for marketing purposes using text messages (SMS). These messages are mostly meant to communicate time-sensitive offers, updates, and alerts to people who have consented to receive text messages from your business.
What is instant messaging in business communication? ›Instant messaging (or IM, for short) is a type of online chat that lets you send and receive brief written messages in real time. Many offices and companies use instant messaging for one-on-one conversations and group discussions.
How can I send 5000 SMS at once? ›Multi SMS Sender
Multi SMS Sender (MSS) is a compact app that lets you send SMS to more than 6,000 contacts at a time. MSS gives you total control over how you send your messages, with the flexibility to delete or update created contact groups.
TRAI extends the 100 SMS per day per SIM limit to 200 SMS per day per SIM. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Home Notifications Press Release TRAI extends the 100 SMS per day per SIM limit to 200 SMS per day per SIM.
How can I send a large number of text messages? ›MMS messages can also be used to send long texts; MMS does not have a maximum character limit. Some carriers will automatically convert SMS messages of over 160 characters to MMS. However, not all cellphones or network operators support MMS messaging.
Is there an app to send mass text messages? ›If you want to manage things from a mobile device, you should use a mass text app offered by a mass texting service. SlickText has a great mobile app available for iOS and Android and it's free to download.
How do you bombard someone over text? ›To text bomb someone, which involves spamming their phone with messages, start by choosing a friend you want to prank from your contacts. Then, type a random letter or emoji and hit “Send.” Keep typing the letter or emoji and sending it so you spam your friend's phone with dozens of messages.
How can send bulk SMS for free? ›- Fast2SMS.
- SpringEdge.
- TextLocal.
- Msg91.
- Atomic SMS Sender.
- FrontlineSMS.
- playSMS.
- RapidSMS.
- Download an automated SMS program from Google Play. ...
- Tap “Add” at the bottom of the SMS Scheduler screen to create a new automatic text message. ...
- Tap the “message body” area of the screen to activate the Android soft keyboard, and type the SMS message.
SMS automation is a feature that allows you to have your messages automatically sent out according to a predefined schedule. All you need to do is write the SMS text, upload the list of recipients, and set the sending date in the SMS scheduler.
How many types of bulk SMS are there? ›
Types of Bulk SMS? There are mainly 2 types of Bulk SMS : Transactional Bulk SMS – These SMS convey urgent or vital information to both DND and non DND customers. Promotional Bulk SMS – These are used for promoting or marketing a product or service only to non DND numbers within 9 am to 9 pm only.
What are the benefits of bulk SMS? ›- Instant Impact. ...
- High Open Rate. ...
- Customisable Campaigns. ...
- Impressive Conversion Rate. ...
- Few Barriers to Delivery. ...
- Minimal Effort Required from Recipients. ...
- Cost-Effective.
...
Process of sending Bulk SMS via Quick SMS feature
- Login to your Fast2SMS panel. ...
- Once you click on Quick SMS, the following screen will be displayed.
- In the mobile number field, enter the mobile numbers on which you want to send Bulk SMS.
- 1) Get the Mass Message iOS shortcut using this link. ...
- 2) Tap Mass Message inside the Shortcuts app to run it.
- 3) Enter what you want to message and tap Done.
- 4) Select all the contacts you want to send this message to, and tap Done.
- Connect your PC to the mobile network.
- Determine the phone number of the PC.
- Setup routing to copy SMS messages to multiple numbers.
- Send a test SMS from the SMS gateway.
- Send an SMS from the Business application.
- Let the SMS gateway forward the SMS to the recipients.
Add one of the following handles to the end of the 10-digit number in the email recipient field: T-Mobile (SMS & MMS) ー @tmomail.net. AT&T (SMS) ー @txt.att.net. AT&T (MMS) ー @mms.att.net.
How can I identify SMS sender? ›The SMS sender ID is the text display name that you see at the top of your phone's screen and is used to identify who sent the message. The SMS sender ID is simply who a text message is from. It's also known as the originator or sometimes the sent address.
How can I send bulk SMS with my company name in India? ›...
Click on Add Sender ID.
- Wait For Message.
- Your Sender Name is Approved by Admin Soon.
- Close the New Layer Window.
- You Will Get SMS On Your Registered Mobile Phone.
SMS Gets More Engagement
According to Gartner, SMS open rates run as high as 98% compared to email's 20% mark. What's more is the data cited by Digital Marketing Magazine indicating 75% of consumers actually prefer to receive promotions via text message.
- Ask customers to opt in to receive messages. ...
- Identify yourself. ...
- Offer immediate value. ...
- Provide an opportunity to unsubscribe. ...
- Respect privacy and security concerns. ...
- Time your messages well. ...
- Use texts for real-time updates.
Is SMS better than email? ›
Email is a great medium for sending longer, richer messages that include images and attachments, and can be saved for a later date. SMS, on the other hand, is the perfect communication channel for concise, timely information or discounts.
What is SMS technique? ›SMS (Short Message Service) is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet, and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text messages. An intermediary service can facilitate a text-to-voice conversion to be sent to landlines.
What are the types of SMS marketing? ›- Promotional deals and discounts.
- SMS coupons.
- Text-to-win competitions.
- Flash sales.
- Loyalty programs.
- Alerts & notifications.
- Clarity Of Purpose — Why Communicate? ...
- Right To The Point — Be Clear And Succinct. ...
- Intentionally Select Your Communication Mode And Style. ...
- Situation Assessment — Observe And Adjust.
- Establish appropriate use. ...
- Knock on the door. ...
- Be concise. ...
- Be concerned with security/virus risks. ...
- Keep messages professional. ...
- Avoid angry or impassioned IM'ing. ...
- Consider nature of conversation. ...
- Respect status.
- On your computer, go to voice.google.com.
- Open the tab for Messages .
- At the top, click Send a message.
- Enter a contact's name or phone number. To create a group text message, add up to 7 names or phone numbers. ...
- At the bottom, enter your message, and click Send .
To avoid this limit, the easiest way is to install SMS Expansion Packs. There are 29 SMS Expansion Packs, each allowing Telerivet Gateway to send an additional 100 SMS messages per hour (on older versions of Android) or 30 SMS messages per 30 minutes (on newer versions of Android).
What is an SMS limit? ›The character limit for a single SMS message is technically 160 characters. However, most modern phones and networks support message concatenation: they split large messages into individual SMS messages (called "segments") and then re-create the large message at the receiving end.
Is there a limit to the number of text messages? ›There is no limit to how many text messages can be sent in a day or month…
How do I create a bulk SMS platform? ›- Select Bulk SMS application.
- Choose numbers from your contacts database.
- Write custom text message(s)
- Select individual recipients (if any)
- Schedule date and time for sending SMS.
How do you send a huge text group? ›
- Tap Android Messages.
- Tap Menu (3 dots in the top right corner)
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Advanced.
- Tap Group Messaging.
- Tap "Send an SMS reply to all recipients and get individual replies (mass text)"
- Turn on your Android phone and click Messages app.
- Edit a message, click + icon from Recipient box and tap Contacts.
- Check contacts you want to transfer to, press Done above and click Send icon to send text to multiple recipients from Android.
How to send text blasts. Download GoReminders for iPhone or Android, or log in on the web. Tap or click on the three dots in the top bar and then “Message Blasts” and you're off. Simple as that!
How can I send bulk SMS for free? ›- Fast2SMS.
- SpringEdge.
- TextLocal.
- Msg91.
- Atomic SMS Sender.
- FrontlineSMS.
- playSMS.
- RapidSMS.
- 1) Get the Mass Message iOS shortcut using this link. ...
- 2) Tap Mass Message inside the Shortcuts app to run it.
- 3) Enter what you want to message and tap Done.
- 4) Select all the contacts you want to send this message to, and tap Done.
If you want to manage things from a mobile device, you should use a mass text app offered by a mass texting service. SlickText has a great mobile app available for iOS and Android and it's free to download.
What is the difference between MMS and broadcast text messages? ›THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SMS AND MMS
Primarily, SMS and MMS differ from each other in a few main ways. On the one hand, SMS messaging only supports text and links, while MMS messaging supports rich media such as images, GIFs, and video.
For example, a broadcast email is an email that a flight company sends to its subscribers talking about flight deals they're running right now (a promotional email). Or, it's a weekly email newsletter that a business sends to its subscribers, like we do with DM Insider (a relational email).
Is text blasting legal? ›While mass texting is by no means illegal, it is heavily restricted. The U.S. government has a long history of regulation, protecting consumer privacy concerning telemarketing and robocalls, and this also extends to texting.
What is a text blasting machine? ›Text blast machines work by “spoofing” nearby cell towers or functioning as portable cell sites that can only send and not receive data. They can send out messages at a rate of up to 28 texts per second, or 100,000 texts an hour.
How much does a text blast cost? ›
SMS text blast is the most cost-effective mobile marketing channel with the highest conversion rate. On average, a text costs anywhere between $0.01 to $0.05. The price fluctuates based on the location and type of message you are sending.
How can I send 5000 SMS at once? ›Multi SMS Sender
Multi SMS Sender (MSS) is a compact app that lets you send SMS to more than 6,000 contacts at a time. MSS gives you total control over how you send your messages, with the flexibility to delete or update created contact groups.
...
Process of sending Bulk SMS via Quick SMS feature
- Login to your Fast2SMS panel. ...
- Once you click on Quick SMS, the following screen will be displayed.
- In the mobile number field, enter the mobile numbers on which you want to send Bulk SMS.
- Sign up and add credits. Sign up for a free Textlocal account and activate it by verifying your e-mail address & mobile number. ...
- Download & install the plugin. Download the plugin and install it. ...
- Connect to Textlocal. ...
- Compose your message. ...
- Send your message. ...
- Hiding or removing Excel to SMS plug-in.
- Turn on your Android phone and click Messages app.
- Edit a message, click + icon from Recipient box and tap Contacts.
- Check contacts you want to transfer to, press Done above and click Send icon to send text to multiple recipients from Android.
- Open Messages and tap the Compose button .
- Enter the names or tap the Add button. to add people from your contacts.
- Type your message, then tap the Send button .
Scriptable is an automation app that allows you to write short programs (also known as scripts) so your iPhone or iPad can perform almost any task you might imagine—from emailing all meeting attendees to checking the current pollen count with a single command.