At first glance, bulk text messaging might seem like nothing more than a spray-and-pray marketing approach. But what if it holds the key to creating meaningful, personalized connections at scale? Read on to learn more.
It is very rare to meet someone these days who does not have a mobile phone. From children to the elderly, more and more, we are seeing our world turn into a mobile device-first society. Texting has become a main form of communication amongst people and businesses alike. Text messaging is a (mostly) uncomplicated way for businesses to reach their customers using a convenient communication channel.
The Demand for SMS in Customer Communication
75% of consumers want to receive offers via SMS — but texting hundreds or thousands of customers a day can be time-consuming and cumbersome for businesses.
Bulk (text) messaging solutions offer companies an effortless and effective way to connect with their customers. At first glance, it may seem like a mass-marketing ploy, but when done correctly, bulk messaging can promote and facilitate a personalized relationship between a business and its customers. Let’s explore why bulk messaging is a game-changer and the compliance essentials you must consider.
What is a Bulk Text Messaging Solution?
A bulk messaging solution is a platform functionality that empowers businesses to send personalized messages en masse. Using a one-to-many texting program, companies can increase their outreach rates, while reducing time spent on initial interactions by sending personalized pre-templated messages to multiple customers at once.
An effective mass texting service empowers companies to scale their initial outreach efforts efficiently, while also encouraging continued customer engagement.
Benefits of Bulk Text Messaging
- Efficiency in Initial Outreach: Regular text messaging outreach only allows reps to send one message at a time. When considering that reps are often trying to contact upwards of 100 customers, this can quickly take up a large volume of their time. Templated outreach messages, known at Statflo as Chat Starters, reduce some of the lift required for initial outreach, but not all of it.
Bulk messaging allows reps to send a text to multiple customers at once. With over 95% of messages read within the first 3 minutes of delivery, this empowers reps to better engage with customers and drive sales during the resulting conversations and follow-ups.
- Time for Personalization at Scale: Oftentimes, mass messaging can be seen as having a negative impact because the content is too generic to spark action by customers. With a bulk messaging platform like Statflo, personalized pre-templated bulk messages can be delivered to customers at scale.
Further, by automating the initial outreach through bulk messaging, customer-facing teams gain more time to personalize follow-up messages and engage in meaningful conversations with prospects and customers. This personal touch can significantly enhance customer relationships and satisfaction, while ensuring that individual customer needs are met and all upselling opportunities are explored.
- Increased ROI: Text messaging marketing boasts impressive ROI figures. Businesses leveraging text messaging campaigns report a 98% open rate and a 45% response rate, compared to just 20% and 6% respectively for email marketing.
With a bulk messaging solution, companies can increase their attempt rates, decrease the time spent completing first attempts, and improve their follow-up rates significantly. As a result, Bulk messaging helps companies improve their conversion rates by up to 50% — if reps focus on their follow-ups.
What to look for in a Bulk Messaging Solution
- Templated Personalized Messages: Bulk messages are only effective when they don’t feel like a mass marketing campaign. Merge tags, compelling calls-to-action and relevant details are key to ensuring customer engagement and high response rates.
- Real-time Tracking: Tracking your bulk messages after they’ve been sent is key to ensuring your team can follow up with timely and appropriate messages. Conversions stemming from your reps initial bulk outreach have the greatest impact on your ROI.
- Audience Segmentation: Your bulk messaging solution should allow your company to segment your audience based on the campaign, language and store. This functionality allows for reps to ensure messages are targeted and resonate better with different customer groups.
- Scalability: Ensure the platform can handle your current needs and scale as your customer base grows.
Compliance Considerations: Is Bulk Messaging Legal?
Business text messaging, with or without bulk messaging functionality, is legal, but only when compliance regulations are followed.
When considering a business texting platform, companies must be aware of the compliance regulations associated with SMS messaging. Failure to do so can result in damaging your company's brand, severe fines, and even class-action lawsuits.
Some key regulations are:
- TCPA Compliance: The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) regulates the conduct of telemarketing campaigns, including business text messaging, in the U.S. The TCPA sets out strict rules for solicitation and outlines the penalties when any of the rules are broken. Under the TCPA, obtaining customer consent is the first and most important step for businesses who want to contact their customers directly whether by phone, fax, or text message.
- CASL: Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) regulations apply to any commercial electronic message sent to or from a Canadian computer or mobile device, including emails and text messages. Similar to TCPA, CASL lays out requirements around consent, penalties for noncompliance, and how to handle opt-outs.
- GDPR: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to any company doing business within the European Union (EU). Although GDPR doesn’t explicitly apply to text messaging, it does contain regulations around consent, handling security breaches, and consumer rights to access their personal data; all items that impact a business texting
Ensuring your company and your business texting program operate within the construct of appropriate regulations is key to ensuring your bulk messaging program is compliant and legal.
Conclusion
Bulk messaging is a powerful tool for companies aiming to enhance customer outreach and engagement. By leveraging its efficiency, enabling personalized interactions, and adhering to compliance regulations, you can unlock new levels of customer satisfaction and business growth. Embrace the potential of SMS marketing to stay connected with your audience effectively in today's competitive landscape. Ready to take your customer outreach to the next level? Start exploring the possibilities of bulk messaging today.
