Mass text messaging allows you to reach a huge number of customers or contacts instantly in one blast. But with so many mass texting services out there, how do you pick the right one for your business?
In this detailed guide, we’ll explore the benefits of mass texting for business and review the top 5 services available in 2023. You’ll learn everything you need to choose the best platform based on pricing, features, and ease of use. Let’s dive in!
What Makes Mass Texting So Powerful?
First, what even is mass texting? It’s the process of sending a single text message out to a list of hundreds or thousands of recipients at the same time.
Instead of painfully copying and pasting the same message over and over, mass texting services allow you to upload contacts and hit send once. The platform takes care of delivering your text to the masses.
According to recent surveys, 67% of consumers prefer contacting businesses by text rather than email or phone calls. And texts have sky-high open rates of 98% compared to just 20-30% for emails.
Here are some of the key benefits that make mass texting such a valuable tool for companies:
Reach Large Groups Instantly
- Send your message to hundreds or thousands of people in seconds, rather than days or weeks. Perfect for time-sensitive alerts.
High Open and Response Rates
- 98% open rate for texts vs. 20-30% for emails. People see and respond to texts much quicker.
Low Cost per Message
- Usually only 2-10 cents per text through mass texting services. Very affordable way to reach customers.
Scheduling Capabilities
- Schedule mass texts to be sent at the optimal date/time. Great for promotions or event invites.
Personalization Options
- Insert names, locations, or other details to make texts feel personalized even though they are sent en masse.
Automation Workflows
- Automate appointment reminders, alerts, surveys, and follow-ups. Streamlines communication.
Powerful Analytics
- Detailed tracking provides opens, clicks, opt-outs, response times, and other critical metrics.
Regulatory Compliance
- Features like easy opt-out help comply with telecom regulations like TCPA.
Seamless Integrations
- Top services integrate with marketing software, appointment tools, CRMs, and other vital platforms.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Service
Picking the right mass texting solution for your unique business needs takes some research. Here are some key factors to consider:
- Delivery Rates – Ensure the service has excellent deliverability rates of 99% or higher. You want the confidence that your texts are reaching people’s phones.
- Contact Uploading – Ideally, you should be able to easily upload large CSV or Excel contact lists from your computer or integrate with your CRM.
- Compliance – A reputable company will make it easy for recipients to opt-out and ensure your databases are permission-based. TCPA compliance is a must.
- Two-Way Messaging – Customers should be able to respond directly to your business texts and continue the conversation.
- Message Scheduling – Schedule mass texts to be sent in the future during business hours, or whenever optimal for your purpose.
- Automation – Look for a service with robust automation for sending appointment reminders, follow-ups, alerts, and drip campaigns.
- Support – Find a provider with solid customer support via phone, email, chat, knowledgebase, etc. You want help when you need it.
- Scalability – Ensure the service can scale as your databases grow over time. You don‘t want to outgrow basic plans too quickly.
- Integrations – Platforms that integrate with your other software like CRM, email marketing, appointment scheduling, etc. are ideal for smooth syncing of data.
- Reporting – Robust analytics on opens, clicks, opt-outs, response times and more are vital for maximizing results.
- Security – Your data should be transmitted and stored securely with standard protocols like SSL/TLS encryption.
Comparing the Top 5 Mass Texting Services
Now let’s explore the top mass texting platforms available in 2023 based on independent research, reviews, free trials, and first-hand testing:
TextMagic
TextMagic is our top overall recommendation for most small and mid-sized businesses looking for an affordable and reliable mass texting solution.
With TextMagic you get:
- Low per-text pricing starting at just $0.04 per message sent/received.
- A highly user-friendly web interface and mobile apps.
- The ability to send unlimited contacts and texts.
- Real-time two-way messaging capabilities.
- Industry-leading 99.9% uptime and delivery rate guarantee.
- Scheduling, text-to-speech, and automation features.
- Click tracking for links sent within texts.
- Reliable customer support via email and live chat.
- Seamless integration with CRMs and other software through Zapier.
TextMagic really shines when it comes to transparent, competitive pricing, rock-solid reliability, and ease of use. It’s a great fit for any small or medium business looking to seamlessly incorporate texting into their customer communication strategy.
SimpleTexting
SimpleTexting is another very solid mass texting option used by over 40,000 businesses. They are a great solution for companies wanting to get set up quickly with minimal headaches.
With SimpleTexting, you get:
- Easy contact group uploading.
- Drag and drop campaign builder.
- Appointment reminder automation.
- Shared inbox for managing two-way texts.
- Click tracking for links.
- 99%+ deliverability rates.
- CRM integrations.
- 14-day free trial.
Packages start at $15/month for 100 contacts and 1,000 texts. Overall, SimpleTexting combines easy-to-use campaigns and automation with great deliverability to help companies communicate with customers via text.
CallFire
CallFire offers SMS capabilities as part of their broader voice, text and chat platform.
Key SMS features include:
- Mass texting with real-time delivery receipts.
- Automated appointment reminders.
- Two-way business texting with shared inbox.
- Group ring for departmental routing.
- Compliance controls and opt-out support.
- CRM integrations.
- 14-day free trial.
CallFire starts at $30/month with volume discounts available. The unified messaging platform combines the power of mass texting with voice calls and live website chat.
SlickText
SlickText is a long-standing SMS provider focused on mass texting capabilities for higher volume users.
Notable SlickText features:
- Pay per text starting at $0.02/each.
- Group messaging to segments.
- Automation workflows.
- Shared inbox for managing responses.
- Clickable call-to-action buttons within texts.
- Custom unsubscribe keywords.
- Contact management portal.
SlickText pricing tiers include:
- Starter: $29/month for 500 texts
- Step Up: $49/month for 1,000 texts
- Lil Bro: $79/month for 2,000 texts
- Big Bro: $139/month for 3,600 texts
Businesses with large databases who send high text volumes would benefit from exploring SlickText‘s scalable features and pricing.
MessageMedia
MessageMedia offers enterprise-level text messaging starting at $25 per month.
Features include:
- Contact database segmentation.
- Location-based automated messaging.
- Two-way messaging and shared inbox.
- Bulk and single contact messaging.
- Clickable call-to-action buttons.
- CRM, Slack, HubSpot integrations.
- Deliverability rates above 99%.
MessageMedia provides the automation tools needed for seamless conversational texting at high volumes. It‘s affordable yet powerful.
Monthly Pricing Tiers Compared
To visualize the pricing differences between the top mass texting services, here is a comparison table outlining the basic monthly plans offered by each provider:
| Provider | Base Plan | Monthly Price | Contacts | Texts Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TextMagic | Pay-as-you-go | $0+ | Unlimited | Pay per text |
| SimpleTexting | Basic | $15 | 100 | 1,000 |
| CallFire | Basic | $30 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| SlickText | Starter | $29 | Unlimited | 500 |
| MessageMedia | Starter | $25 | 5,000 | 1,000 |
As shown in the pricing comparison, most services offer tiered plans that increase contacts, texts, and capabilities as your investment increases. Pay-as-you-go and custom enterprise options are also available.
6 Best Practices for Mass Text Messaging
Once you’ve chosen the right mass texting platform, make sure you adhere to compliant and effective messaging strategies. Here are some top tips:
Only Text Opted-In Recipients
- Never randomly text people without prior consent. This causes spam complaints.
Personalize Messages
- Insert subscriber names, locations or other details when possible to personalize.
Test Before Sending at Scale
- Test new campaigns on small groups first before blasting thousands.
Use Clear Calls-to-Action
- Tell subscribers exactly what you want them to do within the text.
Send Valuable Content
- Don’t over-promote. Share truly useful information and special offers.
Respect Opt-Outs Immediately
- Honor opt-out requests right away and stop contacting them.
Following best practices helps maximize results and maintain trust with your subscribers over the long-term.
Should Your Business Use Mass Texting?
In summary, mass text messaging provides unmatched open rates, response times, and affordability compared to other outreach channels. It is an extremely effective way to send time-sensitive alerts, promotions, event details, and other communication to large contact lists instantly.
However, there are certainly compliance responsibilities and best practices involved with using a mass texting service effectively. You need compliant databases, valuable content, and respect for contacts’ communication preferences.
Used properly, mass texting can drive higher sales, boost event turnout, improve customer satisfaction, and allow you to reach people in seconds when needed. It’s a marketing and communication channel that most businesses can benefit from incorporating.
Hopefully this guide has provided you with clarity regarding the top services available and key factors to evaluate. Using the right mass texting platform enables you to reap the benefits of SMS while avoiding the headaches of manual texting. Give one of these top-rated providers a try today!
