Benefits of SMS Group Text Services
According to Salesforce, brands that use group text to market get an open rate of 98%. When compared with the average open rate of email at 21%, you can see why many organizations are using group text messaging as a primary marketing and outreach channel.
And the benefits don't stop with phenomenal open rates. Salesforce also found that group texts convert at 45%, and, on average, are read within 5 seconds of being received.
Group texting helps thousands of businesses, community groups, schools, and faith-based organizations communicate with a large number of people simultaneously. Sending group texts is one of the most effective ways to notify, engage, and promote your organization.
This outreach strategy is a proven success because it is:
- Simple - You do not have to have advanced technical or design skills to send a group text message. Short Message Service (SMS) software providers like EZ Texting make interfaces which are simple to use and can be accessed from any Internet-connected device.
- Inexpensive - Group texting costs just pennies per message. With the high level of response that it generates, text messaging yields a strong ROI for businesses who use it as part of their overall mobile marketing strategy.
- Effective - Because mobile phones are always close by, they have become one of the most reliable outreach tools for companies. But just how effective a tool is texting?
SMS Group Text Services for Organizations
Whether you realize it or not, you have probably been exposed to group text messages in one way or another. The most common use of group text messaging is by retailers inviting you to take advantage of a special offer by texting a keyword to a dedicated number - for example, "Text PIZZA to 858585." However, retail is not the only industry in which group text messaging is used.
SMS Group Texts for Political Organizations
Political parties often use group texting to communicate policies, organize volunteers, and solicit contributions. Practically all political parties use group texting to encourage citizens to get out and vote.
Group Text Services for Retailers
Retailers inviting you to take advantage of a special offer is a common use of group text messaging.By texting a keyword to a dedicated number, the retailer can promote special deals. For example, "Text PIZZA to 858585 to get weekly specials." The contact receives a confirmation text and instructions for opting out. Retailers and other businesses use group texts to acquire, engage, and service customers.
Texting Groups in Nonprofits
Nonprofits often use text messaging services to communicate policies, organize volunteers, and solicit contributions. If you belong to a community group, you may have subscribed to a group text message service to keep up-to-date with activities.
SMS Group Text Services for Schools
Higher education group texting often has the support of staff and administrators because of the immediacy it provides in spreading awareness to students of school events. It can also be used to advise parents of school closures or synchronize campus personnel in the event of an emergency. Many learning institutions have been advocates for mass text messaging during these times, as texting still works even when data networks become overloaded.
Group Text Messaging for Churches
Many churches are using text messaging to communicate with their congregations. This solution is used to send reminders about church services, Bible study classes, and community events, all with a proven history of attendance increases. Texting also builds relationships with the next generation of congregants by communicating with them in a way that is relevant to their lifestyle.
How to Send a Group Text
Sign Up for a service like EZ Texting
Compose a message
Upload recipients
Send
Monitor results and replies
In order to send group texts to large numbers of people, you’ll first have to subscribe to a solutions provider like EZ Texting. Setting up an account is usually free and easy (our setup takes less than 5 minutes). Once you’re logged in, you simply compose your message, upload your list of recipients, and click send.
Within minutes, your group of opted-in recipients will receive your message wherever they are, whatever they are doing. You can access customers’ replies from any Internet-connected device; you don’t need to remain in front of your computer.
EZ Texting will track your sent messages and report back on any items that weren't delivered. You can even view stats about texts sent, messages received, and overall up-to-date contact counts. Using these analytics, you will be able to fine-tune your messages to create a greater impact in the future.
Most group texting software, like EZ Texting, includes features that will allow you to save sent messages as templates and schedule messages in advance. These features can be used to save you time and money when you have recurring messages to send, or when you want to congratulate each of your opted-in recipients on their birthdays. This best practice is used by many businesses and organizations to strengthen their relationships with contacts.
Sending Group Texts to Segmented Groups
Group text messaging also helps you personalize messages by enabling you to send to different groups. Not every contact will care about every special offer, event, or volunteer opportunity, so by dividing your database into various groups, you can ensure each message you send is relevant. A good example of this is a large department store that has customers with different interests. By dividing them into groups based on interest levels or purchase history, you can avoid the scenario of sending health-focused contacts a special discount on cake frosting.
The benefits of this feature are two-fold:
You reduce the number of messages you send out (and pay for)
You avoid annoying contacts who aren't interested in a message
Subscribing to a messaging service is free, but you still pay for what you send out under most plans. While the cost per text is just pennies, no company or budget can afford to send a message out if there is no chance of seeing an ROI.
Group texts are suitable for all sizes of organizations, from small community groups to large multinational corporations.
Tools for Creating a Group Text Messaging Database
Before you subscribe to a group text message service, it is important to understand that this is a permission-based activity. Just because a contact has made a purchase or provided you with their information does not mean you have permission to text them. To create your database, you have to do three things:
Invite new contacts to join your texting list
Provide confirmation they've joined (and next steps, if applicable)
Give them instructions on how they can opt out and inform them how often they'll be texted
As a best practice, consider using different strategies to create different groups. Keep reading to discover how easy this is to accomplish.
Keywords and Short Codes for Group Text Messages
There are various tools available to help you create a group messaging database, but none are simpler and more effective than Keywords and short codes. Keywords are the words that you ask your potential contacts to text to a short code number in order to opt into the group message service. The example of this process we gave above was "Text PIZZA to 858585 to get weekly specials."
Keywords and short code numbers are provided by your service provider and can be included free in a subscription package. Most organizations tend to need just one keyword to create their group messaging database, but you can use multiple Keywords to market multiple offers simultaneously, pre-sort your database into interest sub-groups, or segment contacts geographically.
Other tools for creating a group messaging database include signup forms (widgets) which can be placed on your website or social media channels. Forms are a great way to add customers to your database. To get the most bang for your buck, consider offering a promotion or secret discount to entice people to sign up. Further, each signup widget can be assigned its own keyword so customers are automatically funneled into different groups based on their interests.
The Difference between Group Messaging Software and a Group Messaging App
Some people may look at group texting software and think it performs the same function as a group text app. However, there are two significant differences. The first is that apps such as Skype and WhatsApp limit the number of members you can have in a group. The second is that these apps can only be used to contact other smartphone users (cell phones are a ‘similar but different’ product and can rarely run apps).
While mobile phone-based apps like the ones above have a lot of limitations, there are significant business and organizational advantages to using a bulk texting service like EZ Texting:
- Texting has a higher customer satisfaction rating (90%) than any other communications channel
- It can lower the cost of a $20 customer service call to just pennies
- 44% of customers prefer receiving a message via text over any other medium
Generating Feedback and Encouraging Engagement with Group Texts
Group texting isn’t just a way to break through the marketing clutter. It can also be a valuable tool to learn more about what your contacts like and want from you. By adding polls and surveys to your group texts, you can invite your contacts to express their opinions on everything from finance and politics to their favorite pizza toppings.
Polls are easy to build on a group texting platform. You simply text a question like “What is your favorite pizza topping?”, and ask your customers to reply using Keywords that express their preferences. This information can help shape future marketing campaigns, guide product development, and assist with stocking decisions.
Want to grow your database more organically? Ask a provocative question! Friends and colleagues are inclined to share media they find interesting; if the question you ask in your survey sparks a discussion, your question (and company info) can go viral in much the same way as a popular video posted on Facebook or YouTube.
Other tools you can use to encourage feedback and engagement include adding photos or files to your group texts via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). MMS group texting allows you to attach a picture (including gifs), audio, or video file either to complement your plain text message or to replace it completely. You can also attach coupons to your group texts, add scannable QR codes, or integrate tiny URLs linking to web pages that provide further information.
Legal Requirements for Group Text Messaging
The legal requirements for group texting are contained within the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991. A lot of things have changed in the past 25+ years, so the Act has frequently been updated - most noticeably following the passage of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Compliance with the Act is overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Organizations are also expected to adhere to the Mobile Marketing Association´s Code of Conduct – even for non-commercial purposes. The code includes best practices to protect the mobile channel from abuse, limit consumer backlash, and avoid the need for additional regulations.
In addition to the TCPA and Code of Conduct, phone carriers (the telephone companies that carry and deliver text messages) impose their own restrictions on what can be included in group texts. Most carriers will block messages containing any of the following:
Violence
Illegal drug use
Adult material
Profanity
Hate speech
Content deemed inappropriate
These restrictions apply to both SMS and MMS messages. Moreover, if you send text messages to your database containing material they do not want to receive or send them so frequently they become annoying, your members will start opting out.
5 Compliance Tips from the CTIA
- No Unsolicited Messages
- Use Proper Opt-In Methods
- Explain You Recurring Text Program
- Allow Customers to Opt-Out Easily
- Your Content Must Be Appropriate
Free Advice about Sending Group Texts
If the above article has increased your interest in group texting, and you’d like to know more, please do not hesitate to contact us. Whether you are a Fortune 500 company, a mom-and-pop store, an educational institution or a faith-based organization, our Client Success Managers have more than a decade of experience assisting groups of all sizes and are ready to help you. Reach out and start a conversation with us today!
