SMS marketing exists to help you nurture customer relationships and build trust with them over time. However, you’ll have to invest in the best SMS marketing platform to enjoy the potential of this type of marketing.
You can automatically create and send bulk text messages to your customers using these platforms. Imagine if you had to send a separate message to every customer each time you wanted to say something. It will be a mess, not to mention boring and ineffective. Besides, instant responses keep customers engaged, which isn’t possible without automation.
However, these platforms aren’t one-size-fits-all. You must carefully choose software that specifically caters to your needs while being reliable and feature-rich.
That’s where this article comes in. You will learn features you need to look for in a platform and seven fantastic options.
So, without further ado, let’s start!
Choosing a marketing platform for SMS warrants a look at your budget and overall marketing goals. As mentioned earlier, not all platforms will have the same features or benefits.
For example, if you own a large enterprise, a platform designed for small businesses won’t work for you.
On the other hand, if you own a small business, a platform designed for large enterprises will be too expensive. Plus, it will have features that you don’t even need.
Next, check if the platform you’re choosing is reliable. Some platforms don’t have good deliverability, which can result in wasted money and damaged reputation.
The company you go for must also offer top-notch customer support. Not every business owner is a tech-savvy person. The software team should be able to help if you face any issues. Then, there’s the requirement to follow SMS regulations. A good provider will go out of its way to help you with those.
Moreover, the platform should offer seamless integrations with your existing systems. Marketing campaigns are only successful when rich data backs them. This won’t be possible without integrating your customer relationship management (CRM) platform, analytics platform, point-of-sale system, etc.
Lastly, the platform should give you rich insights to create customer profiles. You should be able to track your SMS marketing campaigns to judge their effectiveness.
While budget and goals matter, you can’t completely ignore the features. You’ll be scraping the surface if you choose a basic SMS marketing solution due to a low budget. After all, what’s the use of a platform if it doesn’t have the features you require?
So, while the things you learned above are important, knowing the top features is as well. Explore this list and determine which features align with your goals.
- Bulk text messaging: The whole purpose of an SMS marketing platform is to send messages in bulk. Without this feature, the software is basically useless. You should be able to send messages to multiple customers simultaneously.
- Contact management: The ability to manage and organize your contacts is another basic feature every SMS marketing solution must have. The best SMS platforms have tools to help you collect customer contacts and arrange them into databases. Some even go as far as helping you build comprehensive customer profiles.
- Two-way communication: 48% of customers want businesses to approach them through text messages. One reason for this is the ability to have one-on-one conversations with businesses and solve their problems promptly. However, this won’t be possible if your chosen platform doesn’t allow two-way communication.
- Segmentation: SMS marketing is one of the most personalizable communication channels. But for that, you need proper segmentation of your contact lists. Good SMS marketing tools have exceptional segmentation features to help you send relevant messages.
- Automation: You should also be able to automate your text campaigns. What’s the use of a platform if you have to send bulk messages manually?
Now that you know what you should look for in SMS marketing services, let’s explore the options. This will help you learn about the features and benefits of the most popular companies in the market.
However, there’s one thing you should note in advance. The features of these platforms overlap in many areas. The only real way to learn if the software is for you is to sign up for a free trial. Doing so will help you understand the software and see how it works.
With that said, here are the seven options for the best SMS marketing platform.
1. Textedly Is the Best SMS Marketing Platform for Small Business
Let’s start this list with Textedly, the best SMS marketing platform for small businesses. Its affordability makes it the best choice for people who are just starting. With its SMS and MMS marketing features, it has everything you need to run basic SMS marketing campaigns.
However, that doesn’t mean it can’t cater to more advanced needs. It is a highly scalable software that grows with your business. It lets you automate texts in bulk, set drip campaigns, and even integrate SMS marketing with social media.
One of its standout features is its ability to segment your contact lists. This feature allows you to set keywords and encourage customers to sign up using relevant keywords. Imagine the relevance your campaigns will have with this feature!
It’s human nature to search for free things. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you’re also curious about the best free SMS marketing platform. Fortunately, Klaviyo is an advanced SMS platform that offers a free version. This is different from a free trial since it will stay free forever.
However, free things come with downsides. In this case, you’ll only get the basic features with 150 SMS/MMS credits. If you’re just starting and don’t have a large customer base, this might work fine for you.
The good thing is that Klaviyo won’t deprive you of the features you need to grow. You’ll get precise segmentation, a drag-and-drop automation builder, pre-built integrations, automated A/B testing, and even built-in forms and pop-ups. All in all, the features are pretty impressive for a free plan.
3. Sender Gives an Omnichannel Experience to Your Customers
Providing an exceptional customer experience starts with a cohesive and consistent customer journey across all the different channels. Sender is an SMS marketing solution that allows you to do just that without spending too much.
Instead of just helping you with text campaigns, it combines them with email marketing. You don’t even have to juggle screens to use this feature. Sender lets you do everything from one dashboard.
Moreover, it has pre-built templates for pop-ups, forms, and messages. All you have to do is add your branding to them, and you’re good to go. This helps ensure your texts and emails have a consistent look and feel.
4. EngageBay Comes With a CRM Solution
EngageBay is more than just an SMS platform offering marketing, sales, and customer support solutions. It stays true to its name and offers a complete CRM solution to engage your customers.
Like Sender, it also combines email and SMS marketing, bringing insights from both. This helps you learn your customers on a deeper level and create more personalized campaigns.
However, it has a steep learning curve. That wouldn’t have been a problem if it provided 24/7 customer support, but it has limited hours. So, proceed carefully.
5. TextMagic Is Best for Your Pay-As-You-Go Needs
If you’re unsure how many messages you’ll send, you might not want to commit to a full package. That’s where pay-as-you-go solutions work best. This means you only pay for the messages you send rather than subscribe to a monthly package. For that, TextMagic is one of the best online SMS services.
It offers multiple options for accessing its marketing tools through browser, desktop, iOS, and Android apps. With built-in templates, you can send bulk messages within seconds without investing a fortune.
Its notable features include two-way messaging, integrations with software like Zapier, SMS opt-out management, and scheduled text messages.
6. EZ Texting Doesn’t Require Extensive Technical Knowledge
Not all business owners are tech-savvy or have the resources to train their employees. For this reason, SMS marketing solutions that require extensive technical knowledge aren’t always the best option. Instead, go for EZ Texting. It honestly says everything in the name.
With its extensive guidance for people without technical knowledge, EZ Texting eliminates all excuses for avoiding SMS marketing.
Its most standout feature is its integration with Shutterstock. This feature lets you add high-quality images to your messages and pique your customers’ interest.
Moreover, it helps your SMS marketing strategy by giving you ways to build and grow your contact lists.
Lastly, it gives you access to short codes and toll-free numbers, so you don’t have to apply for them yourself.
The last option on this list, Podium, is an all-in-one messaging platform. It works exclusively for small business SMS marketing, so if you own one, you’ve got two options in this list.
It allows you to collect customer reviews through SMS. This is an excellent feature since reviews make your business trustworthy and give you actionable insights. You can even create chats on your website to give instant customer support.
Moreover, it helps you manage all your communication channels in one place. This helps you give your customers an omnichannel experience. Other rich features include video chats, text-to-pay, team chat, and contact list management.
3 Best Practices That Boost Your SMS Marketing Efforts
While SMS marketing platforms can make your work easier, you can’t leave everything to them. Without human intervention, these platforms won’t bring the desired results. Whether it’s the content or strategy, you must play your role.
For that, here are the three SMS compliance practices you need to follow:
- Gain consent: SMS is a personal means of communication. Sending messages through this channel without consent is a bad idea. The receiver may not want your offer and end up ignoring you. Or worse, you might end up in legal trouble. So, always gain explicit consent before sending texts.
- Send relevant campaigns: Email and SMS marketing allow you to send highly relevant messages through drip campaigns. So, you’re wasting a lot of potential if you aren’t aligning your campaigns to customer journeys. Some example SMS campaigns include welcome messages (when a customer joins,) appointment reminders, win-back campaigns, order tracking, etc.
- Keep things simple: Unlike other marketing channels, texts have a character limit. You can only write 160 characters in a single text. Otherwise, the receiver gets multiple messages. So, keep your messages simple and get straight to the point. However, this doesn’t mean sacrificing your tone. The best way to cater to this is to learn copywriting.
Is there a completely free text marketing platform?
A few platforms offer completely free plans that stay free forever. However, these come with some restrictions. So, check if the free plans fulfill your needs before deciding.
What is the best CRM for texting?
There isn’t a definitive answer for this. Different CRMs cater to different needs and fulfill different goals. So, it all depends on your needs and budget.
However, a few popular options include Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, and EngageBay.
Is SMS a good marketing channel?
Yes, SMS marketing can be a great marketing channel if you do it right. People read most of their messages within three minutes of receiving them.
So, if you have their consent and if your business interests them, there’s nothing stopping them from reading your message. All you have to do is make your message engaging and relevant to reap the results of SMS marketing.
Automate Your SMS Marketing Campaigns To Reap the Best Results
The best SMS marketing platform depends on your needs. Some options include Textedly, Klaviyo, Sender, EngageBay, EZ Texting, TextMagic, and Podium. SMS marketing solutions help you improve customer engagement, drive sales and conversions, and build stronger customer relationships. You can do this all on automation without intervening.
Starting an SMS marketing campaign can feel daunting, but it’s really exciting. Beambox’s WiFi platform can help you automate SMS campaigns, analyze results, and collect numbers through captive portals.
We know every bit of marketing helps and can help you with each step. Start your free trial today!
