Texting for Business: How to Do It & Platforms to Use [2024]

Texting for business has now become commonplace.

By some reports, 68% of businesses use texting for marketing purposes (and that doesn’t seem to be counting businesses that use it for other purposes).

With read rates as high as 98%, it makes sense.

It’s no longer unusual to receive texts from companies about deals, appointments, upcoming events, and other pertinent info.

And maybe you’re looking into texting for your own business—or are looking into switching texting providers.

How does texting for business actually work? How do you get started? What services are out there and which one should you use?

This article will give you a walkthrough of the basics you need to know to arm you with info that will help you make a good decision.

Let’s get into it!

Don’t Need All the Info? Try Out Texting for Business

If you don’t need a lot of explanations, you can try out texting for business with a free Mobile Text Alerts trial here.

There’s no credit card needed for the trial, and no obligation.

You’ll get 14 days to try it out with 50 free messages.

How Does Texting for Business Work?

How Does Business Texting Work? with subpoints

Texting for business works similarly to using email software:

You’ll collect your audience’s contact information (you should get their permission first before texting them)
You’ll get their information loaded into an online software (you can do this manually or automatically—more on that below)
You’ll send out text blasts or set up automated messages and campaigns from the online software
You’ll analyze the results of your campaigns via the online software’s reporting tools

Let’s dig into each of these a bit more…

Collect Contact Information and Load into Online Software

Using an online texting software, you’ll have a few different means at your disposal to collect contact information.

You can…

Upload or sync current lists via spreadsheets, API, or integrations
Create a “keyword” users can text in, which will automatically add them to your database
Customize a web sign-up form your audience can fill out online to be automatically added to your database
Automatically generate a QR code people can scan to be automatically added to your database

Uploading or syncing current lists and creating a “keyword” are 2 of the most common methods.

Send Out Text Blasts or Set Up Automated Messages

You’ll be able to use the online software to send text blasts as needed, or to schedule blasts for specific times.

You can also create different kinds of automations…

Automated drip campaigns
Individual automatic replies when people send you a text message
Automatically recurring messages

You just select your recipients and type out your message(s) in the appropriate section within the online dashboard.

(You can also have 1-on-1 conversations with recipients via an online texting inbox.)

Analyze the Results of Your Campaigns

Your online platform allows you to view reporting regarding how your messages perform, so that you can evaluate how your campaigns are going.

You’ll be able to see data such as…

Delivery rate
Click rate
Response rate
Opt-out rate

How Do Businesses Use Texting?

Businesses use texting for an almost unlimited number of reasons.

The numerous reasons tend to narrow down to a couple of categories…

Sales & Marketing

Text message campaigns: Targeted promotions, flash sales, and exclusive offers
Lead nurturing: Personalized messages, educational content, and appointment reminders for lead engagement
Customer acquisition: Contests, giveaways, and business referrals that attract new customers
Event invitations & reminders: Boosting engagement for events

Customer Service

Real-time support: Assistance through text-based chatbots or live agents
Appointment reminders & confirmations: For reduced no-shows and improved scheduling efficiency
Feedback surveys: Quick and convenient customer insights
Order updates & tracking: Keeping customers informed about their orders
Loyalty programs: Exclusive deals and rewards for loyal customers
Two-factor authentication: Extra security for online transactions

Internal Communication

Team updates & alerts: Sharing import information, deadlines, and reminders
Employee polls & surveys: Feedback that helps boost employee engagement
Scheduling & coordination: Simple scheduling of meetings, tasks, and shift changes
Safety notices: Weather updates and other safety concerns

Get a Free 14-Day Trial with Mobile Text Alerts

How Do Businesses Use Texting? With the subpoints below

What Kinds of Businesses Use Texting?

All kinds of businesses and organizations use texting. These types of businesses could be divided into those who use it primarily for sales and marketing and those that use it primarily for other “alerts”—including, but not limited to…

Sales & Marketing

Boutiques
Coaching
Direct Sales Consultants
Dispensaries
Ecommerce
Insurance
Real Estate
Restaurants
Retail

“Alerts”

Banks
Churches
Construction
Dentist’s and Doctor’s Offices
Entertainment Services
Event Services
Financial Services
Government-Funded Organizations
Gyms and Fitness Centers
Healthcare
Legal Services
Manufacturing
Nonprofit Organizations
Salons and Spas
Schools and Universities
Stock Trading Services
Transportation Services
Utilities Services
Vehicle Services

How to Get Started with Texting for Business

There are a few easy “first steps" to getting started with texting for your business…

Step 1: Find a Platform(s) to Try

You probably already have an idea for what you want to use texting for, and most major texting platforms offer the basic features you’ll need in order to accomplish your goals.

So you’ll want to find a platform that’s…

Easy to use
Offers good support
Fits in your budget

You can locate a few different platforms to compare against if you’d like, or just pick 1 to try.

Step 2: Test Out the Platform

Once you’ve selected at least 1 texting platform to try, go ahead and sign up for a free trial.

Within the free trial, test whatever elements would be pertinent to meet your message goals. Here are a few ideas…

Test loading in contacts
Test sending messages
Test viewing the reports
Test 1-on-1 messaging
Test setting up automated messages
Test contacting customer support

Testing all of these elements will give you a good feel for how the platform is going to work for you.

Step 3: Upgrade

If you decide that you like the texting platform you’re trying, you can upgrade your free trial to a full plan.

Most texting platforms offer month-to-month options with discounted annual options, so you can always try a monthly option before saving money with an annual subscription.

Texting Programs for Businesses: Which Service to Use?

There are a variety of texting programs you can use for texting for your business. Here are a few of them…

Mobile Text Alerts: You can try out our service Mobile Text Alerts for free here.
SlickText
EZ Texting
Trumpia
Attentive

(See “How to Get Started with Texting for Business – Find a Platform(s) to Try” above.)

Try Texting for Your Business Today

Interested in taking the first step?

Try texting for your business for free today.

Texting for Business: How to Do It & Platforms to Use [2024]

Don’t Need All the Info? Try Out Texting for Business

How Does Texting for Business Work?

Collect Contact Information and Load into Online Software

Send Out Text Blasts or Set Up Automated Messages

Analyze the Results of Your Campaigns

How Do Businesses Use Texting?

Sales & Marketing

Customer Service

Internal Communication

Get a Free 14-Day Trial with Mobile Text Alerts

What Kinds of Businesses Use Texting?

Sales & Marketing

“Alerts”

How to Get Started with Texting for Business

Step 1: Find a Platform(s) to Try

Step 2: Test Out the Platform

Step 3: Upgrade

Texting Programs for Businesses: Which Service to Use?

Try Texting for Your Business Today

See Also

Get a Free 14-Day Trial Account

Get a Free 14-Day Trial Account