What is SMS Marketing?

Basically SMS Marketing is associated with buying and selling a product or offering a service to either an individual or a group of customers. In the case of SMS Marketing, this is done through the use of mobile phones or an online device. It provides a direct format that reaches a target audience who use their smart phone, tablet or any other related telecommunication equipment through the avenues of websites, e-mail, SMS or MMS, social media or any other mobile applications.

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The great advantage about SMS marketing is that most people have a mobile phone and they can be provided with immediate personalised information that helps promote or sell a product, offer a service or an idea.

Advantages of using reliable software of SMS Marketing providers

By using the reliable IT software (API) of the SMS Marketing companies, it will provide a service that should include:

  • Notifying people about special deals or offers;
  • Providing reliable as well as confidential delivery of information;
  • Ensure a reminder or an alert notice is sent out about attending a function or an activity or a promotion;
  • Even able to send a personalised birthday or significant event message to specific users.

Sending emails is not always effective but to send an SMS message directly to the mobile phones from the client’s contacts list will reach the person(s) within a matter of few seconds.

The charges should be reviewed and as this table shows, ClickSend is considered the Best Value from a pricing point of view.

SMS Marketing Charges

What type of SMS Marketing software is required by a Client?

There is virtually minimal requirement needed by a client to instruct a SMS Marketing provider to send information.  Only access to the internet from a MAC or a PC, whether it is an iPad or a Tablet or a smartphone is needed and the rest is done by the SMS Marketing provider.

The SMS marketing system should have the provider’s database which will mean that it can easily create your message to target the audience or the customers. The system will formulate the text message in a simple way and then send it off within the required time specified by the client. This way, the SMS can be distributed immediately or scheduled for a specific time. So, sending short text messages is definitely a very efficient and effective method of communicating with the people needing or wanting the information. Many of the SMS Marketing Providers have the information technology tools (API) to disseminate quickly, saving businesses a significant amount of time and of course, money.

What reliable software do SMS Marketing providers offer?

Based on all the reviews on the ability to cater for large or small volumes of text messages being distributed all at the same time, a reliable range of  SMS Marketing providers in UK were selected.  The software available allows for the addition of numerous mobile numbers either sent individually or in group, dependent on the client’s request. This is done through the provider’s software application using a text file or a CSV file. Some of the applications can delete duplication or able to validate the message before distribution.

Most of the SMS Marketing companies possess the application program interface know as SMS APIs and SDKs. This can automate the client’s business providing full support for languages, secure FTP, SMPP and any third party applications. This integration into the system means that businesses can automatically distribute text messages using the software that are present and used by the providers.

What Providers use such software?

From a review of major SMS Marketing providers in UK it was seen that they all use the interfaces platforms outlines in the content above. Of course, some SMS companies do have more developed or sophisticated technology with more ways to service the clients but they all do the work of ensuring promotional and marketing messages are disseminated efficiently.

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The major issue is the use of direct or hybrid telecommunication carriers. Some providers may service the client with a cheaper rate but in most cases this will mean using a cheaper less effective hybrid or overseas carrier. The direct telecommunication carriers are the more reliable and efficient ones but their charges are higher.

From the range of SMS Marketing providers investigated and reviewed the best one for value and efficiency is UK’s ClickSend.

Other ways SMS Marketing uses their software to reach customers

As already stated, SMS Marketing can be a highly efficient and effective means of reaching to a wide range of customers within just five minutes of a message being received. The software allows capturing clients’ contacts with personalised text messages. It uses a simple merge feature to insert a person’s name and thereby attract attention of the customer or person receiving the message. The system will allow you to select the merge feature so that the personalised merge information will be automatically added to each person text message.

Another software option is known as Shortcodes which allow for text opt-ins to occur using shortcode keywords. This is a simple and engaging way since it allows people to take action with a few keystrokes. Shortcodes are very helpful for marketing a contest or a promotion or a charity event.

Follow up on text responses using marketing automation. By establishing a detailed text message campaign or promotion, one can create messages that will automatically be sent based on subscriber actions. This software system provides straight away a customer service and doesn’t matter if the provider is busy to respond to your request.

All the software provided by British SMS companies is compliant with CAN-SPAM, GDPR and CASL. These SMS providers will allow subscribers to request removal from the system by easily texting the word “Stop” to their mobile number. Additionally, unsubscribes may be included to the company’s opt-out list. By maintaining the unsubscribe list up to date will mean that the client will be legally compliant.

Of course, there are other marketing software programs that business should recommended such as those sited in this Forbes article.

What does SMS Marketing Comparison Table and sites offer?

The question of the heading ‘What does SMS Comparison Table and sites offer?’ has a simple answer. This free SMS Comparison Table provides you with an easy-to-use means of determining what are the essential features you require for marketing your product or your service. It shows the reputable British SMS Marketing companies and what they have to offer their prospective and current clients. It shows what are the essential features, charges, reliability and customer care services. It is like your ‘Ready Reckoner’ for you to decide who to engage.

The Comparison Table was established by experts in the SMS field who now do not work in this area or for any of the SMS companies selected on this site. This way they can independently assess and rate what companies can provide. Since the authors know what are the essential features they have formed this Table and written about the features for your review and decision making process.

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The Comparison Table and sites do get reviewed and upgraded on an ongoing time period however should you find that some of the content requires to be updated please do not hesitate to contact the authors so that changes will be immediately made.

As stated above, the Comparison Table and site is free to you however should you decide to engage one of the SMS Marketing companies reviewed and engage them through this site, then the authors may request a commission from the company you engaged to do your marketing and communication work. If your looking for a more simple inbound marketing offering a source like Hubspot should be considered.

 

Updated on 27 January 2021

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