SMS

SMS (Short Message Service) is a text messaging service enabling individuals and businesses to deliver short text messages (usually up to 160 characters long) directly to mobile devices without having to connect to the internet. It helps companies send promotional messages that catch the attention of customers and drive more conversions, inform them about events, share sensitive data, etc.

In this article, we’ll explain why marketers should use SMS messages and discuss their many uses. We’ll also provide a short guide on choosing the best SMS provider.

Why should marketers use SMS messaging?

SMS messaging is one of the most commonly used channels for marketers to communicate with their clients. There are numerous reasons businesses use SMS, and we’ll discuss them in more detail in this section.

First of all, when you send SMS to your customers’ smartphones, their visibility is much higher than that of email campaigns. The point is clients often check their phone screens and instantly notice your messages, resulting in higher open rates amounting to 98%. By being a direct channel of communication with the target audience, SMS marketing, supported by prompt answers from your support team, can bring instant conversions.

Since sending SMS doesn’t require you or the recipients to be connected to the internet, it allows you to deliver messages to a broader audience, even if those individuals do not engage in online communication. When utilizing SMS marketing, you can easily personalize your messages to make them more relevant to your customers. You can customize aspects like customer names, purchase history, and location-based offers based on your recipients.

SMS marketing is cost-effective compared with other marketing channels, meaning that certain expenses can be avoided. This enables you to allocate your resources effectively without extra spending.

Now that you know why marketers should use SMS marketing, it’s time to uncover the many uses of this channel.

The Many Uses of SMS Messaging

SMS marketing can be used regardless of the industry your business is in. We’ll review the most common SMS uses, including marketing and promotion. So, let’s dive in.

• Marketing and promotion. SMS is an excellent way to convey information about exciting deals, flash sales, and exclusive discount codes. This is because the messages go directly to customers’ smartphones, allowing them to see them instantly. You can also inform clients about new product launches and events. After customers make purchases, you can encourage them to share their experiences and feedback via SMS as well. By sending review links, you can create space for optimization.
• Notifications. SMS marketing can be used for promotion, alerts, and notifications. To ensure clients' security, you can send banking alerts, transaction confirmations, and fraud alerts. This channel also allows you to send clients information about service disruptions or emergency updates directly. When you have a subscription-based service, SMS will come in handy when you need to remind customers about invoices, renewals, and subscription expirations.
• Internal communication. SMS can be beneficial for communication between your team members. You can deliver employees schedule changes, notifications about meetings, or information about urgent updates.
• Security. SMS is a secure tool for two-factor authentication. You can send SMS with verification codes to your customers' smartphones for password resets or login confirmations. This ensures that only authorized recipients can access accounts or change passwords and reduces the possibility of fraud.
• Customer support. Businesses often use SMS marketing to answer customers’ frequently asked questions and other types of inquiries. You can also send reminders and order updates or let clients track the delivery of their orders.
• Education. If you are involved in education, you can notify your learners about school tests, exams, or events using SMS. It also enables you to deliver messages with links to learning materials and classroom updates. Additionally, you can automate the process of sending updates about deadlines and monthly payments with these messages.
• Medical reminders. If you have a healthcare institution, it's always important to keep patients updated, and that's possible with SMS. You can send them reminders about upcoming doctor appointments, provide prescriptions, notify them of any changes to the appointment date or time, or even share useful tips with your patients after they visit the doctor.

Now that you know where to implement SMS marketing, it’s time to move forward and discover how to do it for your business. We’ll explore how to choose the best SMS provider based on pricing, features, ease of use, and more.

How to choose the best SMS provider?

When it comes to SMS marketing, there are numerous platforms that can assist you. However, they are all different, and it can be challenging to identify the perfect solution for your business. That’s why we’ll provide you with some key points to consider when choosing an SMS provider.

• Pay attention to delivery rates. The first thing you should consider is whether a service has high message delivery rates. It’s crucial because when you choose the platform, you’ll have the same results with your customers. Moreover, it needs to have a strong global network coverage in case you send your messages outside your country. Besides outstanding delivery performance, this provider should offer all the necessary integrations to ensure that messages are delivered to the right people at the right time.
• Ensure that it has a high level of security. When searching for an SMS provider, you should always consider security and compliance. The platform you choose for your business needs to comply with GDPR, TCPA, and other regional regulations to prevent your company from having issues with the government and other legal institutions. Data encryption, two-factor authentication, and fraud protection are the essential features you should look for in a provider to ensure security for your business and customers.
• Check for sender ID availability. This refers to how visible your sender is to the customers you send SMS to. This feature is essential for any company aiming to build brand identity and recognition. When you send messages under your company name, it enhances the likelihood of your offers being noticed. Clients are already familiar with your business and its products. By utilizing an alphanumeric sender ID, you can increase trust and open rates. This is particularly effective when sending sensitive messages or notifications, as customers tend to open SMS only from senders they recognize.
• Assess features and functionality. When choosing a service for sending SMS messages, check platforms for the following features: bulk SMS messaging, two-way messaging, automation, scheduling, shortcodes, and long codes. These features ensure that you can deliver the right messages at the right time and communicate with customers in a two-way manner.
• Evaluate reporting and analytics. The platform you choose is not only for delivering messages but also for tracking their performance and assessing it. That’s why SMS providers should have robust analytics and reporting capabilities. By getting detailed reports, you can effectively address issues and optimize your messages. When you monitor different campaigns and evaluate their performance, you can easily understand what works best with your audience and make some improvements. By choosing platforms like SendPulse, you can monitor the ratio of your sent and delivered SMS campaigns, click-through, and unsubscribe rates.
• Compare pricing. Review the pricing structures when choosing between several options. You should understand if a platform offers monthly subscriptions or pay-as-you-go plans. Additionally, consider checking for hidden fees associated with extra features, sender IDs, or additional integrations. If the platform offers a free trial, be sure to take advantage of it. This will help you determine whether the provider suits your business needs and skills.
• Consider customer reviews. You can always look through G2, Capterra, or Trustpilot to have a clear understanding of what customers think about various SMS providers. These reviews will help you identify common issues users encounter when using these services and identify whether they can become a real problem for your business. This will help you discover the best option among those reviewed.

Overall, SMS is important in notifying customers about upcoming events, informing them of sales and exclusive offers, and sharing sensitive data directly with them. It increases visibility, open rates, and conversions. This channel suits various industries and ensures that all recipients receive the necessary information at the right time by utilizing its scheduling feature.

Last Updated: 21.02.2025