What is an SMS Blast? How to Use Sendmode for SMS Broadcasting?

Introduction

Many businesses need a way to reach large numbers of customers quickly and effectively. The foremost way to do this is with an SMS Blast, also known as an SMS Broadcast. An SMS Blast is where a business will login to an SMS service provider, such as Sendmode, craft their SMS Message and send to many customers in one go.

In a recent survey of businesses using SMS Blast software the business spent less than 10 minutes crafting and sending a marketing message to thousands of customers. The customers get the message in seconds and 98% read. SMS Blasting has proven to be the most effective marketing channel to business owners. This is why it is so popular globally.

Sendmode has been in the SMS Broadcasting business for 18 years and send millions of messages per month on behalf of our customers. We delivery your messages, quickly, efficiently, providing real time delivery reports directly from the mobile operators.

Start your SMS broadcasting campaigns today with Sendmode.co.uk! Click in the image below to get started with a no obligation free trial. We’ll have you up and running in minutes.

What is an SMS Blast?

An SMS blasts is a method of sending bulk text messages to a large audience simultaneously. Broadly speaking SMS Broadcasting can be broken down into 2 types. Generic SMS blasts are generally used for informational messages that need to be delivered quickly such as emergency updates or flash sales. Personalized SMS campaigns use customer information to craft marketing messages which are more personal to the customers previous behaviour and preferences. Personalized SMS campaigns are a super effective way to reach your customers and generally provide a much higher response rate. We have written an article specifically about Personalized SMS and why it is essential for your business. It is available here. https://www.sendmode.co.uk/personalized-sms-marketing-why-its-essential-for-your-business

SMS Blasting is an instant, efficient and super effective way to reach your customers. However, there are rules!! With great power comes great responsibility. You need to ensure compliance with data protection and GDPR regulations. These laws are there to protect consumers and compliance will enhance the return on investment for your SMS Blast campaigns. At Sendmode we have a number of automatic rules in place to keep you GDPR compliant so you don’t have to worry about it. If you would like to know more about GDPR compliant SMS Marketing please visit https://www.sendmode.co.uk/gdpr-compliant-sms-marketing

Benefits of SMS Broadcasting for Businesses

There are numerous benefits to using SMS marketing software such as Sendmode to broadcast marketing or informational messages to your customers.

  • Instant Communication. SMS services have huge capacity to send millions of messages. When you send out a message, no matter to how many people, the SMS service will be able to get those messages out to your customers in seconds. What other channel can get your message into thousands of customers hands in seconds. AND they are guaranteed to read them. This is the reason SMS Blasting is used for Flash sales and even Emergency updates.
  • High Open Rates. Following on from the above point, when you send an SMS Blast it WILL be read by your customers. Many studies have shown that SMS boasts a 98% open rate with 90% of SMS read within 3 minutes of receipt.
  • Cost-Effective. How much would it cost you to be guaranteed to reach thousands of customers and for them to read the message? This level of customer engagement is second to none in marketing. Compared to ‘spray and pray’ marketing channels where the read rate is as low as 1%, SMS broadcasts have an average response rate of 45%, far higher than every other channel including, email, social and traditional media.
  • Wide Reach. SMS is ubiquitous, it is available on every mobile phone on the planet. It doesn’t need an internet connection. The SMS infrastructure has been evolving for decades and is super robust. SMS are delivered in seconds to your customers phones.

 

Why not Try Sendmode’s SMS broadcasting today and see instant engagement! Click on the image below to get started.

How to Use Sendmode for SMS Broadcasting?

Let’s get into the specifics of how you would go about sending a mass SMS Broadcast. There are many Bulk SMS service providers out there and we encourage you to try a few of them before deciding on the one that will be your ongoing provider. We do hope you choose Sendmode 😊 so here is how you would send an SMS blast with the Sendmode service.

  • Step 1: Create a free Sendmode account. Visit https://www.sendmode.co.uk and click ‘1st 50 SMS Free’ button. Enter some details and your account will be setup.
  • Step 2: You will receive an email with some short tutorials on How to get started with Sendmode. The most important are upload your contact list (ensure GDPR compliance) and sending your first message.
  • Step 3: Craft your message. Keep it short, clear, and engaging AND under 160 characters.
  • Step 4: Schedule the message for a time in the future or click Send Now. The message will be sent immediately and delivered to your customers in seconds.
  • Step 5: It is important to track the response rate of this campaign. Adding a voucher code is a good way to do this. Remember you can’t manage what you haven’t tracked.
    • For Example: ‘Hi [Name], Flash sale on our winter collection. Don’t miss our exclusive 20% off sale! Offer ends tonight. Click here to shop now: [Link] or visit in-store with the code ‘Flash January’

This whole process will take you less than 5 minutes and you will start seeing a return within minutes of the SMS Broadcast.

Sign up on Sendmode.co.uk and send your first SMS blast in minutes! Click on the image below to get started.

Best Practices for SMS Blasting

Like everything there are a few best practices to follow in order to get the best return on investment for your SMS Blasts.

  • Many studies have shown that personalizing your SMS Campaigns to your customers behaviours and preferences will yield a much higher response rate. It shows customers you have listened to them and are crafting offers specifically for their personal choices. We have written a comprehensive article on the value of personalizing your SMS Blasts and if you are interested, it is available here. https://www.sendmode.co.uk/personalized-sms-marketing-why-its-essential-for-your-business
  • Timing Matters. SMS are a powerful medium and with 98% of SMS read by recipients, you can be sure that when you send the message, it will be read. Therefore, it is imperative to send at appropriate times during the day. We suggest mid-morning or mid-afternoon during the week and then mid-morning and lunchtime during the weekend. Avoid sending messages too early or late as it will result in customers opting out of your future SMS campaigns.
  • Clear Call-to-Action. When you are crafting your SMS make sure you have a simple and direct call to action. This can be a weblink or a phone or email to contact you directly. Make sure you put a timeline on your offer for example ‘Offer ends today’ or ‘Offer ends at end of month’.
  • Compliance & Opt-Out Option. Data Protection laws are in place to stop people getting unsolicited emails or SMS. Ensure that you are following these regulations, that your customers have opted in to receive messages from you and can unsubscribe easily from your SMS service. At Sendmode, we have tools to keep you compliant at all times so you won’t need to worry about this.

 

Monitor your SMS campaigns with Sendmode’s analytics tools. Click on the image below to start your free no-obligation free trial.

Conclusion

SMS Broadcasting or SMS Blasting is a hugely popular marketing technique used by millions of businesses globally. Reaching your customers by SMS has proven to be the most effective marketing channel around with its instant delivery and superb read and response rates. SMS services providers like Sendmode can have you all setup in minutes and ready to experience the benefits of SMS Blasting for your business.

Why not try Sendmode for your SMS Broadcasting and SMS Blasting? We have been in the business for 18 years, have tons of experience in how to craft the perfect message and would be delighted to serve your SMS Marketing needs.

Boost your customer engagement and more importantly, your bottom line with SMS broadcasting! Visit Sendmode.co.uk to start sending bulk SMS today. We’ll have you up and running in minutes.

FAQ Recommendations

  1. What is an SMS blast?
    An SMS blast is a bulk text message sent to many recipients at once, often used for promotions, alerts, and customer engagement. SMS Service providers like Sendmode send millions of messages per month and have the IT capacity to reach your customers in seconds.
  2. How does SMS broadcasting work?
    Businesses use online platforms like Sendmode to send bulk messages quickly to their contact lists. SMS Service providers are generally very easy to use and can have you up and running in a few minutes.
  3. Is SMS broadcasting legal in the UK?
    Yes SMS Broadcasting is both legal and extremely popular. However, businesses must comply with GDPR and data protection regulations by obtaining consent before sending marketing messages and giving customers an easy and free way to opt out of future messages.
  4. What industries benefit from SMS blasts?
    Pretty much all industries can benefit from using SMS Blasts but the main ones who use it would be Retail, Healthcare, Hospitality, and Education.
  5. How can I personalize an SMS blast?
    Use dynamic fields like [Name] or [Last Purchase] to tailor messages for recipients. All SMS service providers should provide a way to personalize messages as personalization is proven to give much higher response rates.
  6. What’s the best time to send an SMS blast?
    Mid-morning or mid-afternoon during the week or Mid-morning or lunchtime at weekend is what we have found to be the best times to send an SMS Blast. DO NOT send late at night or before 10 a.m. in the morning.
  7. What’s the difference between SMS broadcasting and email marketing?
    That’s easy. SMS Marketing has much higher open and response rates than email, making it far more effective for marketing messages.