About the value of SMS as a Marketing Tool

There is no doubt that this world is moving towards convenience and quickness in wanting to purchase a product or need a service via a marketing campaign that might interest the consumer. Studies have indicated that Text Message Service (SMS) provides one of the most reliable marketing channels with over 90% of mobile phone users opening up an SMS within the first four minutes of receiving the text with over 35% click-through rate. If you compare with email marketing which has around a low 20% open rate, you can see that SMS is an excellent marketing tool.

Having said the value of SMS, many businesses are still using email marketing, particularly local businesses. One of the reasons for them not taking SMS Marketing more seriously is the lack of awareness regarding the kind and ease of software available to automate their SMS Marketing requirements. There are a number of SMS Marketing providers who can support such message distribution.

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Best SMS Marketing Tools available

When searching for an appropriate SMS marketing provider to service your text message needs, you need to look at and understand the features they have to offer your business.

A good Developer API (Application Programming Interface) makes it easier for the programmer to develop a computer program to use certain technologies in building applications. An API may be for a web-based system, database system, and computer hardware or software library.

Look for a Provider with a multi-channel Developer API marketing tool that lets users reach out to your contact list(s) provided over several platforms, such as SMS, MMS, email, and even voice mail. This allows users to customise their outgoing responses and customer engagement based on incoming text messages. A good API makes it easier to develop a computer program.

Businesses and organisations need to be able to embed lead capture forms on their websites and schedule present and future SMS messages to their target. It would be of great value if the platform tool could track contacts’ birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions on a specific day. This way, you can send location-specific messages.

The API platform must reliably distribute thousands of SMS monthly, with an uptime guarantee of over 99%. The Provider should also be able to craft SMS email messages and filter mobile keywords for automation, create landing pages, and participate in social media marketing campaigns through its platform.

Using an SMS Marketing provider’s tool should allow you to choose and purchase the keywords that you consider important for your campaign and track their use. The company should also provide the service of tracking customers who opt-in and opt out of your SMS marketing campaigns.

 

Pricing for SMS Marketing Services

Pricing is always an issue when it comes to a marketing campaign. See if the SMS Marketing tools provided do the job you require with efficiency and cost restraints. In the SMS Marketing comparison, you will see that the variation in pricing is quite competitive. In the thorough review conducted to select the better SMS Marketing providers available in the UK, the difference came at the higher end of the distribution volume market. smsmarketingtools 2

With mid to large volumes of text messages distributed monthly, it was evaluated that ClickSend offers the best value by around 10% using all their range of distribution tools available.

With the lower range of volume sent monthly, Cellcast, TextMagic and BulkSMS offered a competitive rate.

While pricing is competitive, it is important to consider other charges, such as set-up fees, monthly fees, recurring fees for dedicated numbers, and incoming SMS. Again, ClickSend does well as a limited charge is placed on its services.

SMS marketing companies should provide other tools and charges, including shortcodes. Short codes are five-digit numbers used for SMS messaging, and a good service would allow you to use one of theirs rather than needing to purchase your own. These services should also be able to set up automatic responses to incoming text messages and should not charge you for inbound messages.

 

Reliability of the tools used by SMS Marketing Providers

SMS has recently been considered the most popular worldwide as an effective wireless data service, sending millions of monthly messages. As SMS becomes more reliant as a means of communication with mobile users, the expectation of it as a part of life is high as it is an instant and reliable means of communication for marketers and businesses alike. smsmarketingtools 3 But how reliable are the SMS Marketing providers in assuring their clients that messages will be sent on time and without a problem? The answer is reassuring. The major providers investigated and analysed indicate they offer at least 99% or more on their SLA Uptime Guarantee. This means that these companies have the IT infrastructure, API-associated platforms, and technology to send and monitor the distribution of text messages efficiently within seconds, at least just minutes of sending out text messages.

When comparing the major SMS Marketing reliability factors, all provide sound and secure SLA Uptime guarantee levels. Some companies have a money-back guarantee should anything fail or internal factors restrict distribution.

It’s important to realize that the Provider’s gateway is very important to the reliability of distribution. Using British telecommunication carriers, known as Direct carriers, is an important factor. Although the charges are higher, the reliability of these carriers is extremely efficient. Alternatively, telco carriers from overseas can be used cheaper, but there is no guarantee of their reliability in timely SMS distribution.

Customer Care offered by these SMS Marketing Providers

When comparing the major SMS Marketing providers’ research and evaluation for client use, it can be seen that some providers offer more added value for their customer care than others. This is illustrated in the graph below. The major factors were availability regarding contact numbers, emails, online videos, and social media connections. Each service was tested to create a customer support score in reviewing these services. See the Graph below.

The result was that Cellcast had the best-valued customer support service, with a contact number, 24-hour email support, the ability to post on Facebook or Twitter, and the availability of online sessions if required. An international phone number is provided on their contact page.

 

About SMS Marketing Comparison Table

The SMS Marketing Comparison has been designed and simplified so the reader can easily see the benefits of the major SMS Marketing Providers in the UK. It has the most important elements that one needs to know about, covering major features such as customer service, pricing, reliability, and reputation. The table and content are easy to follow and written so anyone can understand the essential factors required before selecting or understanding the SMS Marketing qualities.

The information also relies on the accuracy of information provided on their websites. Should such information not match what is presented on the table or site, please let the authors know so that changes can be made as soon as possible.

The Table and sites were developed by a group of experts in the SMS arena who felt that the information presented to the reader must be written in a form that can be easily comprehended. The authors no longer work in that field to make unbiased, independent decisions on your behalf. Therefore, the SMS providers had no input on the evaluation process or how they would be scored.

If you use this free information and engage one of these companies, the authors may request a commission from the provider you are involved in servicing your requirements.

The authors hope you will benefit from this and associated SMS Comparison sites.

 

Last updated on 28 July 2024

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