Most businesses today have an idea of how effective SMS marketing is, so choosing the best 2-Way bulk SMS service provider is the first step towards running successful SMS campaigns. Most of the communication and marketing platforms promise good 2-Way bulk SMS services. But do they actually deliver on their promise?
Customers want to be able to send you a text and get one back quickly. If your business doesn’t offer 2-way SMS, you’ll miss out on a lot of business.
What is 2-Way SMS?
Also called “1-to-1 messaging,” 2-way bulk SMS allows you to reach your customers and they can also text you via SMS which saves time and ensures you’re not missing out on solving your customers’ problems, confirming bookings, or sending delivery updates.
When it comes to having a conversation with your customers, two-way SMS has a huge payoff. Texting is fast and easy for all involved, saving you time and giving your customers instant access to the answers they need. This is also perfect for asking for product or service reviews.
Why is it better than 1-way SMS?
If you’re familiar with 1-way SMS, you’ll know it does not offer the same flexibility or avenue to interact with your customers that two-way SMS does. It is also quite limiting as your customers would have to look for a means to interact with you beyond SMS.
Things to consider while choosing an SMS service provider
Choosing the best 2-way bulk SMS service provider goes beyond price comparison. To run successful SMS marketing campaigns, you need to consider factors like delivery rate, speed of delivery, uptime, bulk SMS capability, customized/personalized SMS, API flexibility, etc.
The majority of SMS service providers across the globe claim to offer Bulk SMS, transactional and promotional SMS services according to the requirements of businesses. But here’s a list of things we think you should know when choosing the perfect SMS service provider for your business:
1. A complete SMS service provider
Having one provider that can handle different types of SMS is a huge advantage for your business.
Whether bulk SMS, promotional or transactional SMS, having a mass text-sending software provider makes it easy for you to plan marketing campaigns more effectively and reach a larger percentage of your target audience.
2. How reliable is the service?
To ensure you have a high level of uptime and a very small room for error, you need to have a dependable service provider.
Surely you do not want to be caught up in a situation where you have prolonged downtime and your customers can’t reach you. Take it from us, it’s the worst. You will want to be with the best service provider for 2-way SMS that provides consistent connectivity whether you are on a campaign or not.
3. How scalable is their service?
Your preferred 2-way bulk messaging service provider must have a platform that is easy to scale.
They should either have the capability to grow as your business grows or be big enough for your business to grow while you employ their services.
The moment your SMS campaigns begin to grow bigger in number, your platform provided by your 2-way service provider must be able to handle the huge number of messages coming in.
4. 24/7 customer support
Every service promises round-the-clock customer support but how many really do?
For you to be at the top of your customer service game, you also need a service provider that guarantees you the same.
The best 2-way SMS communication providers understand that they have to be a point of reference for the service they are actually selling and must have a great customer support desk to handle your queries and can help you drive your campaigns throughout the day.
5. Reach
Most importantly, pick a service provider that guarantees global delivery. As a business that intends to run SMS campaigns, there’s no limit to where your customers can be and it would be a disservice if your preferred service provider does not service locations where your target audience could be.
Your 2-way bulk SMS provider should never limit service to just where your business is domiciled.
Wrapping Up
There are lots of things to consider when choosing a 2-way bulk SMS service provider.
Following this list will ensure that you get a reliable provider that offers you a user-friendly interface, messaging tools with the highest authentication, and excellent delivery with a global reach like BSG.
