Mass Texting Service for the Most Effective Communication [2024]

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a communication method that really worked—without any drama?

That’s where a mass texting service can help.

A mass texting service (like Mobile Text Alerts) can reach people where they’re actually looking… their phones.

(After all, Americans spend over 4 hours per day on their phones, according to one survey.)

Here we’ll go through all the in’s and out’s of what a mass texting service is, why you should use one, and how to decide which one to use.

What Is a Mass Texting Service?

A mass texting service is a digital platform or API service that enables users to send text messages to a large number of recipients at once - AKA bulk messaging.

These recipients can be subscribers, customers, members, or any group of individuals interested in receiving updates or information from you. Mass texting platforms facilitate the seamless delivery of messages, ensuring they reach the intended recipients' mobile devices in a timely manner.

Why Should You Use a Mass Texting Service?

Texting is one of the best ways to reach people in the current climate.

Why? Because people don’t answer their phones, they ignore their emails, and they throw out their mail.

On the other hand, people tend to actually read most of their text messages.

A mass texting service allows you to reach a large number of people via text, or allows you to manage texting conversations apart from using a personal phone number.

Thus a mass texting service is a tool solution to help round out your communication efforts for whatever messaging needs you have.

How Does a Mass Texting Service Work?

A mass texting service works in 2 ways: it gives you an online platform you can use to send out text messages, and/or it gives you an API you can use to program messaging via an SMS gateway.

If the service offers an online platform, it can typically be used without any coding necessary so anyone can get started with minimal setup.

If the service offers an API, developer work is needed but you have more flexibility over how your texting efforts can be implemented.

(You can have access to both an online platform and a messaging API via Mobile Text Alerts.)

Here’s a brief rundown of the process…

1. Sign Up for an Account

Select the mass texting service you’d like to try and then sign up for a free test account.

2. Select Your Sending Phone Number

Depending on the texting service, your account will likely come with a free virtual phone number you can use to send your texts. For best results, this phone number should usually be either a 10DLC (a 10-digit phone number with a local area code) or a dedicated short code.

(Ask the sales team for more information about phone number options for sending your texts.)

3. Import or Build a Subscriber List

Before sending messages you’ll first need to add in “subscribers” (in other words, contacts) who can receive your messages. You can add subscribers by importing an existing list, or you can build your subscriber list through a customizable web sign-up form, text-to-join keywords, QR codes, or other opt-in methods.

4. Send or Automate Messages

You can send out an SMS broadcast at will, or you can set up automated processes so that texts go out without having to micro-manage.

How Can You Use a Mass Texting Service?

Mass texting services like Mobile Text Alerts find applications across various sectors and industries. Here are just a few examples…

Business Promotions

Notify customers about flash sales, exclusive offers, and product launches to boost sales and customer engagement.

“

🎉 Flash Sale Alert! 🎉 Get 40% off all products this weekend only! Use code FLASH40 at checkout. Don't miss out on these amazing deals!

Event Announcements

Keep attendees informed about event details, schedules, and last-minute changes.

“

📣 Exciting News! Our annual conference is just around the corner. Check your inbox for the detailed schedule and speaker lineup. Get ready for an inspiring event

Customer Engagement

Engage with customers by providing valuable content and information.

“

📚 Hello! You’re getting exclusive FREE access to our latest e-book on productivity hacks. Click the link to download it for free and supercharge your workday: [Link]

Emergency Alerts

Deliver urgent updates and safety information during emergencies or time-sensitive situations.

“

URGENT: Lightning alert! Take shelter immediately. Follow your foreman’s instructions for safety.

Appointment Reminders

Reduce no-shows by sending appointment confirmation and reminder texts.

“

Friendly reminder: Your dental appointment is tomorrow at 2:00 PM. Please confirm by replying 'YES,' or reply RESCHEDULE if you need to reschedule. We look forward to seeing you!

Customer Support

Engage with customers individually by providing support via SMS.

“

Hi there! Thanks for reaching out! If you're experiencing any issues with your product, reply to this message with a brief description, and our support team will assist you.

Nonprofit Campaigns

Mobilize supporters for fundraisers, volunteer opportunities, and advocacy initiatives.

“

Join our mission to provide clean water to communities in need! Our fundraiser event is on Saturday at the local park. Your support makes a difference.

Educational Institutions:

Inform students, parents, and faculty about school closures, important dates, and announcements.

“

Attention Parents: School will be closed tomorrow due to inclement weather. Stay safe and enjoy the day with your family. Regular classes will resume on Tuesday.

How to Send a Mass Text

There are 3 ways to send a mass text through Mobile Text Alerts.

1. Via the Online Platform

The online platform allows you to add in contacts via one of several opt-in methods.

Then you can send a message by typing your message into the online platform and clicking to send or schedule it.

Or you can set up automated messages to go out under designated conditions.

2. Via API

If you have access to developers, you can use our SMS API to send out your messages programmatically. Your developers would just need to follow the API documentation in order to get things set up.

3. Via Mobile App

You can also download the mobile app which functions in a parallel way to the online platform. The mobile app allows you to select your recipients, type out a message, and select “Send.”

What to Look For in a Mass Texting Service

Here are a few key features and benefits you’ll get with the Mobile Text Alerts platform…

No-Hassle Interface

You don’t want something that will cause you a lot of headache and stress to figure out and implement.

Instead, you want a mass texting service like Mobile Text Alerts that’s intuitive, user-friendly, and easy to use.

Accessible Customer Support

We all know what it’s like to have bad customer support encounters. These kinds of interactions can sometimes make or break your overall feelings about your experience with a product or service.

That’s why it’s important to know that you’re going to get quality support that’s accessible when you need it—support that’s both fast and helpful.

Automation

The more you can automate processes, the better—because with more automation, you can be more efficient.

With a mass texting service you get automation options like message scheduling/repeating, drip campaign capabilities, and event-triggered messaging.

Tracking and Reporting

You’ll need to understand the impact of your messages so that you can determine the effectiveness of your efforts and refine your communication strategy.

Some of the reporting that a mass texting service provides includes message delivery information, link click tracking, responses to your messages, and unsubscribe rate.

AI Solutions

It’s 2023 and AI technology is constantly improving.

It makes sense to incorporate this amazing technology into your SMS marketing efforts.

Some mass texting services now have AI functionality to make your messaging more efficient than ever. (For example, our SmartSMS Suggest, Shortener, and Image Generator solutions.)

2-Way Inbox

Communication is a 2-way street. You want to engage with people, not just blast messages out to them.

With a mass texting service, you can engage in 2-way SMS conversations through an online inbox that allows you to easily see and reply back to your recipients’ messages.

Multiple Opt-In Methods

No two businesses or organizations are alike—and no two audiences are alike.

That’s why it’s good to have multiple opt-in methods at your disposal to add contacts to your SMS subscriber list, so that you can take advantage of the opt-in methods that work best for you and your situation.

Some opt-in methods include spreadsheet importing, text-to-join, web sign-up forms, QR codes, and integrations.

Best Practices for Using a Mass Texting Service

While mass texting is a powerful tool, its effectiveness lies in how well you wield it.

To help you make the most out of your mass texting campaigns, here are some best practices that can elevate your communication strategy and drive optimal results.

Grow an Opted-In Contact List

Quality over quantity is the mantra here.

Focus on growing a contact list of individuals who have willingly opted in to receive your messages. This ensures that your audience is receptive to your content and reduces the risk of recipients unsubscribing or marking your messages as spam.

Complete Appropriate Registration Processes

In order to get the best delivery results possible, you’ll want to make sure you’re fully completing registration.

This usually just means filling out an online registration form that the mass texting service will submit to mobile carriers on your behalf (at Mobile Text Alerts, these forms are accessible anytime within your online dashboard).

Completing these registration forms helps the mobile carriers pre-vet your message content, which makes it less likely that your messages will be undelivered as suspected spam.

Be Careful with Your Messaging Content

Mobile carriers are very strict about what kind of messaging content they allow to be sent through mass texting services.

Here are examples of some of the topics that are not allowed (even if you have a legitimate use case to speak to these topics)...

• Anything sexually suggestive
• Anything that could be categorized as (or promotes) “hate speech”
• Anything related to alcoholic beverages
• Anything related to firearms
• Anything related to tobacco or tobacco products
• Anything related to vape products
• Anything related to controversial drugs or substances such as cannabis or CBD
• Anything related to gambling
• Anything related to “work-from-home” opportunities
• Anything related to “mystery shopping”
• Anything related to loans
• Anything illegal

(Some of these topics may have a legitimate use case for you, and there are still ways that you can take advantage of a mass texting service if your business pertains to these types of topics. We’d recommend getting in touch with one of our SMS experts so they can walk you through how you can use SMS for your situation.)

Make Sure People Know How to Opt Out

With a mass texting service, it’s very easy for people to opt out of receiving your texts.

All that they need to do is reply STOP to any of your messages—with Mobile Text Alerts, they’ll be automatically removed from your list as soon as they do that.

So just make sure that people are aware that they can do that and that they know how they can do that.

Create Valuable Content

As far as your messaging goes, texting is a bit more restrictive than some other forms of communication, such as email. There’s not as much flexibility as far as formatting and acceptable length.

In addition, people are likely to be less tolerant of receiving irrelevant content when it comes via SMS as opposed to email or social media or other avenues.

What all of this means is that you have to be even more intentional about the content you include in your text messages. Make it valuable, relevant, and concise.

Pay Attention to Timing and Frequency

Send messages at times when your audience is most likely to be available and engaged. Consider factors like time zones and the nature of your message.

For example, if you're a restaurant promoting a lunchtime discount, sending the message earlier in the day gives recipients time to plan.

In addition, be mindful of how often you send texts. Depending on your situation, we’d recommend starting small (with just 1–4 messages per month) and building up from there if your audience seems receptive.

All of this (including timing as well as frequency) requires testing to see what actually works best for your specific audience.

Personalize When Possible

Personalization goes a long way in capturing attention. The more that messages feel relevant to the recipient, the more likely they’ll be to engage with the desired action.

Some examples of personalization in text messaging include using recipients' names, tailoring content based on their preferences or past interactions, paying attention to demographics, and in some cases even engaging individually with your recipients.

FAQ

Here are answers to questions you may have about using a mass texting service.

Can You Use a Mass Texting Service Free?

Most fully functional mass texting services require a payment or a subscription to use.

However, you can get a free trial so that you can test it out for 14 days to see if it would be a good fit for your situation.

What’s the Best Mass Texting Service?

Mobile Text Alerts gives you the support and features you need to help you get the most out of your text messaging efforts. Try a free account now.

“Mass Texting” Meaning

“Mass texting” refers to sending out text messages to more than one person (and typically large groups of people) at once. This is often in the context of a communication blast for promotional or informational purposes.

Is Mass Texting Illegal?

Mass texting is not illegal.

(In fact, the laws regulating mass texting have been loosened up in recent times due to a Supreme Court decision that determined mass texting services aren't the same as auto-dialers.)

That being said, you’ll still want to make sure you follow best practices and guidelines for messaging practices so that your messages don’t get blocked by mobile carriers.

Try a Mass Texting Service for Free

Interested in seeing if a mass texting service would be a good fit for your business? You can give our mass texting service a try for free for 14 days to see for yourself.