Developing a customer relationship takes work; marketers know this better than anyone. So when the time comes to purchase an SMS marketing solution for your small business, it's crucial to know which features to look out for that result in maximum engagement and developing a relationship with potential customers.
This article highlights five crucial features of SMS marketing software based on the ratings given by verified software users. We also include the highest-rated SMS marketing software solutions for each feature. Read more.
1. SMS messaging
The SMS messaging feature in an SMS marketing platform enables you to create, manage, and send text messages to your target audience for marketing purposes. You can use predefined templates or write your own messages from scratch to create compelling and concise text messages for your marketing campaigns. Additionally, you use marketing automation to set up automated responses to an incoming SMS message, providing a seamless experience for customers and saving time for your business.
What business problem does SMS messaging solve?
Many emails go unread, in spam folders, or are simply ignored. SMS messaging provides a more direct and immediate communication channel, reaching customers on mobile devices. A bulk SMS campaign generally has higher open rates compared to email marketing campaigns. Businesses can leverage this to ensure that a larger portion of their audience sees important information, promotions, and alerts through text message marketing.
Ideal users of SMS messaging feature
Retailers and eCommerce businesses can use the SMS messaging feature in an SMS marketing tool to send customers promotional offers, discount codes, and flash sale alerts. They can also send order confirmations, shipping updates, and delivery notifications via SMS text marketing. On the other hand, service-based businesses can utilize text messaging for appointment reminders, service updates, and notifications. Moreover, businesses can provide instant customer service and address customer inquiries through two-way text messaging.
Top 3 products with the highest ratings for SMS messaging
We selected products for this article based on their average ratings between March 2022 - March 2024, which may differ from their current overall average ratings.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
SMS messaging feature rating
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
SMS messaging feature rating
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
SMS messaging feature rating
Device compatibility
2. Mass texting
The mass texting feature in SMS marketing software is designed for businesses and organizations that want to communicate with a large audience through text messages. Mass texting allows you to send messages to many recipients at once. This is particularly beneficial for announcements, promotions, alerts, and other types of information that need to reach a broad audience through an SMS marketing campaign.
You can track the performance of their mass texting campaigns through analytics and reporting tools. This includes metrics such as delivery rates, open rates, click-through rates, and other relevant data points.
What business problem does mass texting solve?
Mass texting addresses the challenge of limited reach with traditional channels such as email or physical mail. It allows businesses to instantly reach a large audience, including those who may not regularly check their email. Mass texting provides an immediate communication channel for time-sensitive information, promotions, or urgent alerts. You can quickly disseminate important messages to your audience.
Ideal users of mass texting feature
Marketing teams and professionals can use mass texting to reach a wide audience with promotional messages, discounts, and special offers. Event organizers benefit from mass texting for sending attendees event details, reminders, and updates, ensuring smooth event communication. Healthcare organizations can utilize mass texting for appointment reminders, prescription notifications, and patient health-related updates.
Top 3 products with the highest ratings for mass texting
We selected products for this article based on their average ratings between March 2022 - March 2024, which may differ from their current overall average ratings.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Mass texting feature rating
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Mass texting feature rating
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Mass texting feature rating
Device compatibility
3. Message personalization
Message personalization in SMS marketing software refers to the capability to tailor text messages to individual recipients by incorporating personalized information. This feature allows you to go beyond generic mass messaging and create engaging and relevant content for your audience by incorporating the recipients’ names, past purchase history, preferences, location, and other relevant data. Utilizing data analytics, message personalization can generate personalized offers, discounts, or product recommendations for individual recipients.
What business problem does message personalization solve?
Generic and impersonal messages may result in reduced customer engagement as recipients are less likely to connect with or pay attention to irrelevant content. Message personalization increases engagement by delivering marketing messages tailored to the recipient's preferences, interests, and history.
One-size-fits-all messages can lead to a generic customer experience, potentially diminishing customer satisfaction. Personalized messages create a more positive customer experience by showing that the business understands and values each customer, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.
Ideal users of the message personalization feature
ECommerce platforms can personalize SMS messages with customer names, order details, and product recommendations, creating a more engaging and relevant shopping experience. Banks and financial institutions can personalize messages with account information, transaction details, and targeted financial product offers, providing a more customized experience for customers.
Top 3 products with the highest ratings for message personalization
We selected products for this article based on their average ratings between March 2022 - March 2024, which may differ from their current overall average ratings.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Message personalization feature rating
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Message personalization feature rating
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Message personalization feature rating
Device compatibility
4. Contact database
The contact database feature in SMS marketing software allows you to manage and organize your contacts or recipients for text message campaigns. This feature is crucial for creating targeted and effective SMS marketing campaigns. You can create, import, and manage a contact list within the software. This includes adding new contacts manually, importing an existing contact list, and organizing contacts into groups or segments.
What business problem does a contact database solve?
Without a centralized contact database, your business may struggle to organize and manage contacts effectively. The contact database provides a centralized and organized repository for storing, updating, and managing contact information and subscriber data, facilitating streamlined communication.
Additionally, sending generic messages to a broad audience may reduce recipients' engagement and relevance. With a contact database, you can segment your audience based on specific criteria and send targeted messages to different groups, improving the relevance of your marketing campaigns.
Ideal users of the contact database feature
Schools, colleges, and universities can utilize the contact database to manage student and faculty contact information for announcements, event invitations, and updates. Nonprofits can also benefit from the contact database to organize donor lists, send personalized fundraising appeals, and provide updates on charitable initiatives. Healthcare organizations can use the contact database to maintain a patient contact list, send appointment reminders, and share relevant health information.
Top 3 products with the highest ratings for contact database
We selected products for this article based on their average ratings between March 2022 - March 2024, which may differ from their current overall average ratings.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Contact database feature rating
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Contact database feature rating
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Contact database feature rating
Device compatibility
5. Scheduled messaging
The scheduled messaging feature in SMS marketing software allows you to plan and set specific dates and times for sending text messages to your audience. This functionality lets you choose the desired date and time for sending a marketing message via SMS. This flexibility allows you to plan your marketing strategy based on factors such as the target audience's time zone, industry-specific peak hours, or promotional campaign schedules and optimizes the timing of your SMS campaigns accordingly.
What business problem does scheduled messaging solve?
Sending messages at the wrong time may result in lower open rates and engagement, impacting the overall effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Scheduled messaging allows you to plan and choose the optimal date and time for sending messages, ensuring they reach recipients when they are most likely to be receptive.
Moreover, coordinating message delivery across different time zones can be challenging when dealing with a geographically diverse target group. Scheduled messaging often includes options to select specific time zones, helping you cater to the preferences and availability of recipients of the SMS marketing channel in different regions.
Ideal users of the scheduled messaging feature
Marketing teams and professionals can strategically plan and schedule SMS campaigns to ensure messages are delivered at the most effective times, maximizing engagement. Online retailers can also schedule promotional messages, order confirmations, and product announcements to align with sales events, product launches, and customer behavior patterns.
Top 3 products with the highest ratings for scheduled messaging
We selected products for this article based on their average ratings between March 2022 - March 2024, which may differ from their current overall average ratings.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Scheduled messaging feature rating
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Scheduled messaging feature rating
Device compatibility
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version