SMS is one of the quickest and easiest ways of reaching your customers. Although today, social networks and many other channels have appeared, SMS text messages remain relevant and effective in helping businesses gain differentiation.

Most businesses utilize them to convey promotional information loyalty deals, and continuously engage with their clients.

Whether you’re new to the world of SMS marketing or considering changing your existing text message marketing company, this article is for you. Here, you will learn what a perfect SMS marketing app should look like, discover the top SMS marketing tools of 2024, and many more things.

What is an SMS Marketing Platform?

An SMS marketing service or platform could, therefore be described as enabling the actualization of the strategy. Any business can meet its text marketing objectives using an SMS marketing solution.

SMS marketing software often does not present themselves as simple services for text messaging, in addition to sending and receiving messages they come equipped with multiple features that allow for proper management of conversations within a team.

Now that we know what SMS marketing platforms are, let us proceed with what they do not do, apart from sending grassroots marketing messages. They can serve other purposes like notifying people about upcoming events, communicating between teams, announcing something, updating people, alerting them, etc.

You can use SMS marketing services for many different purposes, including:

• To maintain communication with the customer
• Generating reports
• Offering discounts
• Let the customers know of the promotions that are in existence
• Creating polls and surveys
• Reminding customers about payments
• Sending automated messages
• Delivering improved customer service

What makes a great SMS marketing software?

Deciding between the various available SMS marketing solutions greatly influences the success of your intended SMS marketing promotions.

With the popularity of messaging as a means of communication for many consumers today, applying an excellent SMS app is essential for customer appeal and sales.

Here are the key features and capabilities that distinguish an excellent SMS messaging app:

1. User-friendly interface: One of the significant indicators of a prominent text marketing app is that the app has a friendly and user-friendly interface, allowing the creation and management of text campaigns. They should be easy to set up and run campaigns by anyone with the actual encyclopedic knowledge of an IT expert. These are easier tools for importing contacts, composing e-mails, and scheduling campaigns.
2. Personalization capabilities: One suggestion concerning the development of the concept of SMS marketing is the need to focus on the customization of the messages. Top SMS services come equipped with highly developed segmentation and proper targeting systems, enabling marketers to enhance the content of the messages and tailor it according to the recipient’s purchase history, age, and recent activity.
3. SMS automation and integration: This increases efficiency in implementing the SMS marketing technique due to the available feature for automating message delivery and the possibility of creating temporal documents to send customized messages upon certain occurrences automatically.
4. Compliance and security: As the legal oversees the use of digital communications continues to tighten up, abiding by major compliance regulations such as GDPR, TCPA, and all other rules are paramount. Effectively, every SMS marketing campaign should ensure that all the messages are sent in conformity with the laws laid down because of the impact on the business and consumers. One aspect is that the security features should ensure unauthorized persons do not access customer data.
5. Scalability: With the expansion of your business, you should be able to tackle the means and ways of reaching out to an increased number of customers. The flow of messages also needs to be managed well, especially when the app sends out large volumes of messages because this can affect the platform’s performance. This means that you can easily plan for the marketing of your business and how it could expand as a result.
6. Analytics and reporting: An analysis of the results of the different campaigns is essential to achieving better results and demonstrating a good return on investment in your marketing efforts in terms of SMS. A quality of a good SMS platform: The SMS platform should offer analytical tools that show delivery rates, opening rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
7. Support and reliability: Always ensure efficient and reliable customer support when responding to campaigns and other completion time issues. A reliable SMS platform is part of your tier-one criteria for an SMS platform and supports contact through email, phone, and live chat. Also, high availability and low availability, meaning rafts of time during which a service could be off are important to guaranteeing that campaigns run smoothly at all times.
8. Innovative features: Last but not least, it is a good text message marketing platform that follows the latest trends and is aware of the evolving needs in the near future. This may involve abilities such as artificial intelligence, learning, content recommending, usage of big data, and integration with fresh technologies such as RCS messaging that delivers app-like features directly in simple text.

10 Best SMS Marketing Tools

As such, selecting the right SMS software best suited for your business may not be as easy as you would like it to be. However, several expert-level SMS marketing platforms within this sector perform much better than other SMS marketing services, offering exceptional marketing solutions at reasonable prices.

Ready to get started? Below is a list of the best available SMS marketing software that can be used.

1. SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting is currently listed as one of the most popular text message marketing services.

Even though it is a multifunctional program, it is also suitable for novices because the interface is plain and clear, and the software program can be easily integrated with other software programs. The interface will enable an easy and efficient approach to handling different operations without going through the various complicated manuals or approaching the support service providers.

However, several special advantages make this program stand out among hundreds of similar ones: the number of custom keywords per plan is unlimited; there are detailed statistics for any SMS campaign imaginable; there are useful functions, such as saved messages to resend the most frequently used messages, available in all offered plans.

• Intuitive user interface: SimpleTexting goes the extra mile to ensure clients they work with feel comfortable using a particular app. 
• Many integrations: It must be mentioned that SimpleTexting provides customization services that cost nothing extra since the app’s development team can adapt your application to your preferences.
• Two-way conversations: This allows one to trace conversions and all the necessary tools for text regarding the clients. 
• Advanced automation: To get the best bulk text messages, it is essential to consider the abovementioned factors. The best way to send them is through SimpleTexting, enabling you to do it as fast as possible.
• MMS marketing: However, if going for a preference of high individuality for your clients or Crowd Pleasers, as in the chapter concerning traditional text messaging, picture and video messaging can be incorporated.
• SMS API: Integrating the SimpleTexting platform into your website or CRM efficiently makes using this SMS marketing tool possible.
• Drip campaigns: To do it, you can use SimpleTexting. With its help, you can program one or several messages and send them as text messages, bringing in additional sales. 

2. TextMagic

Like the other options, this one has all the features of classic SMS marketing software; the only big difference is in the scale, which this software allows.

TextMagic can send messages virtually any place, from Afghanistan to the United States Virgin Islands. It is a powerful tool if you are engaged in business in the global market.

 If you need tips on how to be successful in your SMS marketing campaign, TextMagic has over 14 years of experience helping companies achieve their goals here.

If you want to go hog wild? It has been designed to allow you to send more than one message to users in over 190 countries at a time. For a better possibility of being targeted, you can create templates with personalization tags, such as the customers’ names and email addresses. The Text to Video API is the next step, which will help you to integrate the text messaging functionality into your current systems, thereby fully utilizing the power and potential of the application.

As to contacts, you can easily select filtered cells in Excel and build your lists by walking through the Import-Excel/CSV option in the Contacts tab of the app, typing the contacts in the Contacts tab of the app directly, or adding a click-to-text form in your website. Scheduling messages is simple: click on the tab labeled as Scheduled in the given application and start from there.

Valuable team features like an unlimited number of users, added to the list for your account are described in TextMagic and make it one of the most stable and versatile services. However, it may benefit you that it has a pay-as-you-go pricing structure rather than a fixed monthly charge.

3. Sender

For anyone managing a small business, it is advisable to go for the services the sender offers.

This comprehensive email and SMS marketing solution includes all the tools you need to launch a successful campaign. The company is proud of itself, having an average open rate of 98% and an average reply rate of 45%.

Lastly, the most significant aspect of Sender is that it is free for beginners. Credit card information is not required, and you may withdraw anytime. This makes it a cheap solution that any small business will find worthwhile and an excellent starting point for experimenting with SMS marketing.

Sender offers free SMS credits if one opts for the Professional or Enterprise plan. However, no matter your chosen tier, you would be happy to manage your campaign from one convenient platform where even customizing outgoing SMS greetings is a breeze.

If you wish to take it a notch higher, you can even communicate with clients using email and SMS sequences. It is a great way to get the maximum value from your marketing and raise your organization to a new level.

4. Textedly

Some of the SMS marketing tools that I have come across as that which can be useful if you are operating on a tight budget include Textedly. 

Furthermore, this specific software will be easily expandable to meet your business needs as it incorporates easily scalable elements throughout its system. In addition, he noted that the company’s products include voice services, custom keywords, free inbound messages, and contact management tools, apart from the SMS functionality, which would immensely benefit the company.

Using Textedly has features such as opportunities to use drip campaigns, use voice notifications for customers, create autoresponders, and many more. For instance, you can start incorporating a clickable option ‘Let’s text’ to the Instagram profile, thus providing your followers with the option to contact you immediately.

You can send your message to all your friends within several seconds, and the details of the software are clearly displayed in the interface, which is quite beneficial for users with no prior experience with text messaging services.

Now, Textedly has been having 12 different packages altogether, ranging from 1,200 to 240,000 monthly messages. This way, you can choose the right option to use, and there shall be no compromise of being charged for sending text messages beyond the monthly limit set. It also keeps no limit on the number of contacts and/or mobile numbers within all of its plans, which means you won’t be hampered when new customers are added.

There are also many options for integration with other applications including Textedly with Zapier, MailChimp, Slack, and even Salesforce, among over 3,000 other applications. This makes it highly flexible and ideal for use, especially in a world where flexibility is highly valued. Textedly works based on subscription for months but you can also pay yearly. If it chooses the latter, the company provides an additional 20% for monthly text messages.

5. Mobile Text Alerts

Mobile Text Alerts are another instrument that is quite simple to understand and may be implemented to yield the desired outcome in marketing. It was founded by James Pelton and started out to support the increasing demand for communication needs in his own locality. After that, the enterprise developed The company was later bought by Vimbly Group in 2020.

Have you searched for an efficient and effective Short Message Service marketing solution? Do not worry because, as of the moment, Mobile Text Alerts is employed by more than twenty thousand firms. From the list of these companies, it is clear that most are young firms expanding through growth but are also top colossal companies such as Toyota, Yamaha, etc.

One feature setting this SMS marketing platform apart is how amazing the company’s live chat assistance is. The Mobile Text Alerts software also has an open support verifying meaning you can contact the team for answers from the program and receive responses almost instantly.

Other noteworthy features include:

• Text to landlines
• Automated responses
• Mass text messaging
• Contact card usage
• International messaging
• Spreadsheet import
• API connectivity with Blogger, Gmail, WordPress, Microsoft Office, etc.

They also come with a 14-day free trial, meaning you can take full control of the platform within two weeks to test its functions. Whether you want to select the easiest way to start everything or need more options to manage your text messages, Mobile Text Alerts is perfect.

6. EZ Texting

EZ Texting details the pricing schemes well and has tips for laymen who wish to be engaged in SMS marketing. It states that this approach has garnered support from many business people, making the software a favorite among those who wish not to bother with every detail as they send messages.

Still, the EZ Texting platform’s most significant innovation is the native integration with Shutterstock. The application lets you find and send high-quality, royalty-free stock images in your desired messages. And the best part of everything? You can modify them using a dynamic image editor to suit your needs.

Another distinguishing feature of EZ Texting is the possibility of simply turning two-way messaging on/off. You can communicate with customers individually or individually, focusing on one customer. Besides, if you want to add more contacts to your SMS list there are more options: signup forms and QR code sign up which redirect to the website.

And that’s not all. This SMS software also offers shortcodes 5-digit no: with unlimited keywords & a toll-free number 800 no. : exclusively branded.

It is also impressive to see that even the simplest functionalities of EZ Texting are presented as complex options for the application yet do not pose complexities to the users. The app guides you through each phase to guarantee you achieve success with SMS marketing. As indicated, it is a reliable SMS service solution for every business organization.

7. ClickSend

As a newcomer in the text marketing industry, ClickSend offers a trial through a web-based SMS portal or SMS gateway API. With this text-blasting software, you can blast out thousands of messages across the globe.

Communicating via an online SMS gateway is used to pass a message to an individual or many people. It is an enjoyable and hassle-free process for your business and your customers. In contrast, using a web-based SMS portal is very easy especially when integrated with any type of email client. This bulk SMS service works like an ordinary email service since the customers can send the messages without hassles. You can even send a text message to your clients (With ClickSend’s Microsoft Outlook Plugin) using Microsoft Outlook.

ClickSend also has a few other features worth mentioning: Every opt-out is taken care of by this system, in any outbound message that you send to our customers, their replies are free, and for high-volume message sending, you can connect your SMS through SMPP gateway for 99. 99% uptime guarantee. The third advantage associated with this solution is the security that comes with it. ClickSend is secure with an SSL in place which can assist in protecting your business and its customers.

8. SlickText

SlickText is yet another SMS marketing software that has made easy utilization its primary focus. This software is effective for beginners and true professionals in the field of SMS marketing since it will let you expand the customer base and enhance their loyalty quickly and without much effort.

Blessed features include: 

• Getting more customers through a Rewards Program
• Upcoming text contests

Mobile coupons that come with special codes can otherwise cost you a considerable amount of money otherwise This is only a small sample of what this low-cost, fast sign-up text message marketing service can offer. In conclusion, it could be one of the best strategies for generating revenues and growth in one’s business.

Now that you understand what SlickText is and what it does, here is how you can make use of it to carry out all these activities. First, it means that the tool lets the users create surveys and questionnaires inside their admin panel. Ensuring your organization’s customers are entertained and happy is a great idea. It also makes analyzing customer feedback easy because all the required information is provided in a single platform.

In addition, for customers, SlickText offers detailed guidelines on how to start engaging users via SMS. There is also an information guide in the facility of videos that help to develop an account, set auto-reply, and book a keyword.

This saves the users a lot of time managing contacts by detecting and erasing all the invalid numbers that could be included in your contact list. There are no hidden fees, and the company is engaged, gives fulfilling business advice in strategy, and follows it permanently. If you are dissatisfied with the kind of service offered, you can cancel at any time.

9. Salesmsg

Salesmsg is a professional-grade SMS marketing CRM solution that is best used to organize your SMS messages, sales communications, and customer support. Real-time messaging: Salesmsg allows you to send and receive texts in real time to attend to customers promptly.

This effective SMS marketing platform and a bilateral text messaging platform allow the involved businesses to have meaningful conversations that will help them build better business relationships and satisfy their customers.

Something that sets Salesmsg apart from some of the other options is that it has some of the best integration features. It is, therefore, an intuitive integration with some of the most widely used customer relationship management systems, marketing automation tools, and other business solutions.

10. Podium

While other SMS platforms are appropriate for any business, Podium only works for small businesses. So, if that is you, then consider yourself lucky!

Podium has an impressively fast response rate, and its net profit increased by an average of 45%, this is very alluring indeed. Similarly, its centralized dashboard is a great innovation that helps you do your job hassle-free. To create a sophisticated marketing campaign, it works as a central communication location where you can directly greet your customers after outlining your campaign objectives.

Podium also helps create various segments and send unique content to a selected audience of customers. You can prepare tactical marketing plans within the blink of an eye, thus freeing up your time for other essentials in your jam-packed schedule.

In this case, the platform enables you to give instant customer service and flexible opt-in payment methods. Whether it is a video call with customers, a chat with coworkers, or answering questions on the website, accomplishing those actions will be a piece of cake.

Lastly, you’re assured of meeting all the current compliance requirements through Podium Campaigns. Its operation is voluntarily restrained by laws such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the CAN-SPAM Act. You would prefer to sleep soundly at night knowing that no formality or protocol has been compromised.

Best Practices for SMS Marketing

Modern audiences are informed of the advantages of SMS marketing and the high-sales-promising nature of text marketing, nevertheless to create an effective text campaign the subsequent techniques and strategic guidelines must be followed.

Some of the best practices you should follow while setting up an SMS campaign are:

1. Get Permission

Ultimately, it is crucial to note that to start sending texts to your clientele, you require their consent to write to them on behalf of your organization. After the user has ‘subscribed’ and is willing to receive the messages that you are sending, it is possible to categorize these prospects. This should be the list of customers who agreed to receive messages from your business and should be continuously updated. It also adds up the fact that the customer does not perceive the message as spam and has to pay attention to it.

2. Be smart about crafting the message

Text messages have a limited character space, which means that any communication that has to be done has to be concise and make sure to get the customer’s attention while being sent properly. Several elements characterize an excellent promotional message, which includes the following-</ nicholas.

• Name of your business: This way the customers realize who is sending them the message and when they see it, they are reminded that they had agreed to receive such messages.
• Purpose of the message: Is it a sales pitch, confirming that they placed an order, reminding them of an appointment, etc?
• A CTA: This is because the link generated will take the customer to the right page, which will help them view your business’s information. 

3. Take care when the message is being sent

The timing of the messages should also be carefully considered. While text messaging offers the need for instant communication and a high open rate, one should not attempt to take advantage of this and contact customers randomly at odd hours. I assure you that no one would like to receive text messages at 2 am.

4. Keep the frequency of the messages low

Yes, customers have agreed to receive messages, but that does not entitle you to spam them. If you want to keep the relevance of your messages, then the messages you want to send should be properly timed and make sense.

5. It should be possible to ‘unsubscribe’ somewhere

It is advisable to let your customers choose not to receive your messages, just as they chose to receive them. This way, the quality of the list is retained, and only those customers who are likely to be involved with your business will receive the messages. The opt-out option should be in the form of a message for example ‘reply with STOP to cancel’. ”