18 Tools for SMS Marketing Plus The Why and the How

What do your favorite bakery, your friends, and successful marketing strategies have in common?

They make you feel like you've known them forever.

And SMS marketing can bring promotional notifications to a whole new level of relatability, making it an effective way to reach and engage with your customers.

Yet, SMS marketing can be tricky if you don't have the right tools. Given that the market is flooded with options in this niche, finding the right one can feel like an endless maze.

What are some of the best SMS marketing tools, how to find them (painlessly), and how to execute mass group texting in seamless integration with email marketing?

Keep reading and find out more.

What is SMS marketing?

Short message service (SMS) marketing is a type of marketing businesses use to send promotional or informational text messages to customers. SMS marketing is also known as text marketing, and like email marketing, it requires compliance with regulations. This means customers must provide explicit consent and opt-in via a sign-up form to receive your messages.



Top 4 SMS marketing use cases

SMS marketing has multiple use cases, including:

Promotions and offers

SMS is an effective channel for announcing limited-time offers, discounts, and promotions. The immediacy of SMS ensures that customers are promptly informed of these time-sensitive deals. Think of it this way: you're more likely to check out an SMS you've received than to check your crowded email inbox. This means you're far more likely to learn about limited-time discounts before they expire when they're promoted via text message.

Appointment reminders

Businesses can use SMS to send automated text messages like appointment reminders, reducing no-shows and enhancing overall customer satisfaction by providing a convenient heads-up. This works particularly well in appointment or reservation-driven businesses, such as dentistry, restaurants, and beauty salons.

SMS reminders via personalized text messages are appreciated by customers who lead busy lives and might forget about an upcoming appointment amidst all the other notifications they receive – an easy and thoughtful way to boost customer engagement.

Product updates

SMS is a great way to notify customers about new product launches, restocks, or updates, ensuring they stay informed and engaged with your offerings. You don't want to abuse this use case with every new patch or bug fix your software might receive or with every new item you add to your stock as an eCommerce business as you might with a monthly email. But when used strategically for significant updates or releases, SMS can significantly bolster customer retention and satisfaction.

Event invitations

Inviting customers via mass group texting to events, product launches, or webinars through SMS provides a direct and personal invitation and increases the likelihood of attendance. As with promotions sent via text, mobile users are more likely to open and read an SMS invitation than one received via email. And with 2-way messaging, the RSVP process can be as simple and easy as responding to a text message. This creates an important opportunity for gathering data on your customer reply rate.

Nurture and drip campaigns

Although less common, SMS marketing software can also be used for drip campaigns and nurture campaigns. As with email drip campaigns, an SMS drip allows you to educate and move your potential customers down the funnel, through the buyer's journey. Use the character limit to your advantage by sending personalized text messages that give your target audience maximum value.



Types of SMS marketing tools

To take advantage of SMS marketing's benefits, businesses need specialized tools that allow mass texting, manage contacts and opt-in web forms, integrate with email marketing tools, and measure the performance of their efforts. Just keep in mind that not every tool is right for every marketing budget.

There are three main categories of SMS marketing tools:

Complex SMS platforms

Also known as legacy tools, these are advanced and comprehensive solutions designed for enterprises that require custom integrations, features, and high-volume messaging capabilities. They also tend to have comprehensive analytics and reporting capabilities, which are quite helpful for data-driven email marketers. That being said, they are (often) difficult to use and require a larger marketing budget for even basic plans, so they're rarely a good fit for smaller businesses.

Point SMS marketing platforms

This type of SMS service offers simple, standalone tools focused on efficiently sending bulk messages and managing contacts. These straightforward and user-friendly tools make them ideal for businesses looking for a quick and easy way to discover the potential of SMS marketing for their vertical.

These applications offer an easy way to send messages to even international customers, provide store contact information, and manage opt-in web forms and contact lists. Many of these platforms also include basic features for automation and integrations with other marketing tools. It's highly recommended that your SMS contact list and your email list stay aligned as much as possible for a more effective digital marketing strategy.

Unified platform (SMS + email)

Finally, an all-in-one platform provides seamless integration between multiple marketing features (e.g., email and social media) alongside SMS capabilities. These are typically more expensive than point tools but they come with a major advantage: they provide the essential features needed to send your email campaigns and SMS from a single platform, which streamlines your work and helps your team collaborate more productively.

The effectiveness of SMS marketing

SMS marketing boasts remarkable effectiveness due to its high open and click-through rates, rapid delivery, and relatively reasonable pricing. Compared to email marketing, SMS typically yields significantly higher open rates, and often within minutes of being sent. This immediacy and direct access to customers make SMS an impactful tool for time-sensitive promotions and urgent communications.

SMS marketing makes a lot of sense for many types of businesses, particularly since the average open rate for marketing messages can be as high as 98%. This is significantly higher than that of, say, marketing emails, which average a little over 22% across different industries.

Of course, there are exceptions, outliers, and vertical differences to consider, but the general trend is clear: the mobile users within your customer base are more likely to open and read promotional texts than emails. It makes sense, then, that in 2022, research showed there's been a 56% boost in SMS marketing use as more businesses take advantage of message marketing campaigns to have more conversations with customers.

What might be even more revealing is that 67% of businesses increased their budget for SMS marketing in 2022, showing clear signs of a growing trend.



Top 4 reasons to use SMS marketing software

Here are compelling reasons why incorporating SMS marketing tools into your strategy is a game-changer:

Fast delivery

SMS messages are delivered almost instantly, ensuring your marketing message reaches mobile users promptly. This quick delivery is vital for time-sensitive offers or crucial updates that require immediate attention.

High open and click-through rates

Compared to other communication channels, SMS commands higher open and click-through rates, ensuring better visibility and engagement. This can translate into increased traffic or sales for your business.

Measurable performance

SMS marketing tools allow you to track and measure the performance of your SMS marketing campaigns, providing valuable insights to optimize future SMS marketing strategies. You can assess delivery rates, open rates, response rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, aiding in data-driven decision-making.



Cost-effective

SMS marketing is a cost-efficient option, delivering a high return on investment due to its affordability and effectiveness. It often requires less investment in basic plans compared to traditional advertising methods while delivering substantial results. You can also try many of them out risk-free on a 14-day free trial (and keep reading to find out who even provides a 30-day free trial!).

Improved customer experience

Delivering personalized and relevant messages enhances the overall experience for your customers, fostering stronger brand loyalty. Customers appreciate timely and useful information, building a positive perception of your brand.

Time-saving

Automation and streamlined processes in SMS marketing platforms save time and effort while ensuring consistent communication. You can schedule your texts per month, segment your audience, and set up automated responses, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business.

Better visibility for your attribution models

SMS marketing provides a clear and traceable path for customer interactions, aiding in a better understanding of attribution models. This visibility helps attribute conversions accurately and refine your marketing strategy among mobile users.

How to Choose an SMS Marketing Software

Selecting the right SMS marketing software is crucial for successful campaigns. Consider the following factors when choosing a tool:

Your goals for SMS marketing

Not all businesses want the same thing from their SMS software or marketing efforts. Some want to be able to reach out to customers for really special campaigns (like Black Friday or winter holidays, for example). Others want to use it as an ongoing way to communicate with leads and their customer base. Or maybe a business might want a mix of both.

Some need their SMS automation tools to have advanced data reporting options, others just want to send the messages and track simple metrics like open rates and click-throughs. Some are cost-oriented, others prefer to pay more for a premium product.

None of these perspectives is wrong, per se. But if you want to make the right decision for your specific situation, ask yourself questions like:

• What's your main goal with SMS marketing?
• How frequently do you plan to use the tool?
• Do you have a specific budget in mind for this software?
• What are the most critical features for your business?

Once you answer these questions, it will be easier to narrow down your search and find a tool that fits your needs.

Features and capabilities

Look for a tool with essential features like message scheduling, contact management, and performance analytics. Advanced features like personalization, automation, and custom integration capabilities can further enhance your campaigns as you juggle different marketing channels.

Most of the SMS tools on the market will cover the basics (like mass text sending, contact management, and basic analytics) on a single platform. Still, some will offer a more comprehensive set of features than others, like the option to create short code cell phone numbers, segment your lists, and create opt-in web forms.

Reputation and user reviews

You want to have as great a customer experience as your customers get from you. Do your research and read user reviews from other businesses that have used the tool. Look for any red flags or recurring complaints. Additionally, consider their customer service and support options in case you encounter any issues.

Keep in mind that not all reviews are legit. There's a whole market out there focused on paying for fake reviews even for SMS marketing providers. Double-check genuine user review sites and ask around in your professional network to get unbiased opinions.



Ease of use and interface

The software you choose should have an intuitive interface that allows easy navigation and use. A user-friendly and unified platform ensures that you and your team can effectively utilize the tool without extensive training. It also allows for optimal list management and opt-out management so that you can unlock the potential of SMS marketing without a sweat.

Don't think of this as a trifle: this is your team's time (and thus, your business' money) at play. You don't want to pay for a tool that looks like it's been created by someone who fell asleep on the keyboard in 2005 and woke up today, right?

Compliance and security

Ensure that the software complies with relevant data privacy and messaging guidelines and regulations. Security measures should be in place to protect sensitive customer information, especially when mass texting. And if you serve international customers based in the European Union, you might have to meet certain compliance requirements too (such as hosting EU customer data on EU servers, and so on).

There's no way to cut corners with compliance and security features – look for the very best to ensure your business and your customers' data is genuinely well-guarded against all sorts of threats.

Pricing and cost structure

Assess the pricing model to ensure it fits within your budget and your desired texts per month. Some tools offer flexible and reasonable pricing based on message volume or the number of contacts; others are based on pre-set plans you pay for monthly or annually. Whatever it is, be sure to read all the details and ensure your pricing includes at least the basic features, and the special types of messages if you need to send those too. One such example is messages from a multimedia messaging service (or MMS).

Short code and toll-free numbers

If you use SMS codes (like short codes or toll-free numbers), ensure the sms marketing platform supports it. These types of numbers can be used for specific campaigns or customer interactions and can enhance your brand's credibility and professionalism. In other words, they can take your conversations with customers to a whole new level.



Customer support

A reliable customer support team can assist when needed, ensuring that any issues are resolved promptly. Look for a tool with multiple support channels, like email, live chat, and a solid knowledge base that enables you to look for answers before you reach out to anyone else.

Reliability and scalability

You might have a small business now and you don't need to send very large volumes of messages. But what if your business grows? Will the SMS tool still work for you? Consider a software that is reliable and scalable, with the capacity to handle unexpected growth. Look for advanced automation options, send rates, pricing adjustments as you grow, and successful delivery guarantees to ensure your messages reach your customers' inboxes on time.

Pricing and fees

Obviously, you need to consider how much your SMS efforts cost too. Avoid the temptation to go for the cheapest option. Instead, find the tool that offers you the highest ROI (return on investment). In other words, you need all the features that make modern SMS marketing effective, within reasonable pricing that makes sense for your business.

Top 17 SMS tools for marketing

It's easy to get lost in the ocean of marketing SMS tools, so we've taken a look at 18 of the most popular ones, what makes them stand out, and how much each SMS software costs. Here's a quick overview of what we found:

Sender



• All-in-one messaging platform (email and SMS)
• Drag-and-drop tool for creating customized pop-ups and forms
• Personalized SMS messages and targeted campaigns

You can try Sender for free, but you'll only have access to limited features that don't include SMS automation. For $10/month, you get access to the SMS marketing capabilities. Each SMS is priced according to where you need to send your text. For instance, one message in the US is $0.015, but one message in the UK is $0.05.

Klaviyo



• Integrated platform for email and SMS marketing
• Smart sending to ensure timely and relevant messages
• Detailed analytics and reporting on SMS campaigns
• Allows for two-way messaging

Klaviyo's pricing is complex but very easy to adapt to specific needs. The email and SMS plan starts at $35/ month if you have between 251 and 500 contacts in your subscriber list. The cost grows as you add more contacts.

You get 1,250 monthly SMS credits for the money, but you can adjust this number too – for a price, of course. For example, if you need 15,000 SMS credits, the price (for 251-500 contacts) will be $155/month. If you need 15,000 SMS credits for up to 30,000 contacts, the price will be $310.

Each type of message costs a given number of credits. One SMS to a US phone number is one credit, one MMS to a US phone number is three credits, but one SMS to UK is 5 credits and one SMS to New Zealand is 10 credits.

Mobile Text Alerts



• Easy-to-use SMS marketing provider
• Supports two-way messaging and MMS
• Integrations with various platforms like Zapier, WordPress, Slack, ClickFunnels, and Mailchimp
• Contact import capabilities and link tracking features

Mobile Text Alerts has a pretty reasonable pricing scheme: four plans, starting with a 14-day free trial with limited features that allow you to send 50 messages, and a first-tiered plan priced at $25/month for 500 messages. These are all text messages for US mobile phone numbers, but you can use international messaging campaigns as well – it's just that the entire pricing plan will be adjusted accordingly. For instance, the lowest-cost plan for UK texts per month is $31, allowing you to send 450 SMS.

In addition to the number of messages, plans also include one, two, or three opt-in/signup keywords, QR code opt-ins, and rollover texts. Also, all paid plans include a one-on-one onboarding session with the team.

SlickText



• Suitable for small businesses for bulk texts-based marketing
• Marketing automation features like workflows and autoresponders
• Website popups, sign-up form builder, and QR code generator
• Integration options with HubSpot, Constant Contact, Mailchimp, etc
• Supports both short codes and toll-free numbers

SlickText's pricing is similar to that of Mobile Text Alerts, except it offers a lot of plans. The lowest-priced one is $29/month and it allows you to send up to 500 texts. The highest-priced one is $1,250/month, and you can send 50,000 texts per month with it. This is only for US phone numbers, but SlickText also has a Canada pricing plan that's structured similarly to the US one.

Like Mobile Text Alerts, SlickText offers between two and thirty textwords (words customers can use to opt in to receive SMS) and rollover texts (the messages you didn't use can be rolled out for the next month).

EZ Texting



• Enables personalized SMS campaigns and contact grouping
• Supports multimedia messages and opt-out options
• Integrations with digital marketing tools like HubSpot, Constant Contact, Mailchimp, etc
• Link tracking and role-based access
• Supports both short codes and long codes (toll-free numbers)

EZ Texting's pricing ranges from $25/ month to $3,000/month spread over four pricing plans. Each pricing plan comes with a maximum number of contacts you can have and a maximum number of texts you can send daily. In addition to EZ Texting's plan, you will also have to pay for each text you send, and the cost per SMS decreases with each plan. As such, on the $25/month plan, you will pay $0.030/SMS, but on the $3,000/month plan, you will pay $0.010/SMS.

Omnisend



• Integrated platform for both email and SMS marketing
• Combines email and SMS in a single workflow for a consistent user experience
• Pre-built automation workflows and SMS message templates
• Integrates with Gorgias for two-way messaging and improved engagement
• Detailed analytics for SMS campaigns

Omnisend's pricing is based on two criteria: your phone number or email list size and one of the three sets of features (plus SMS messages) they offer. For a phone number list of up to 500 contacts, you will pay between $0 and $59/month, while for a list of up to, say, 31,000 contacts, you'll pay between $0 and $542/month.

Also, each plan comes with a number of text messages you can send monthly, which differs according to where you want to send these messages. For instance, on the $59/month plan for up to 500 contacts, you can send 3,933 texts in the US, 1,311 MMS in the US, 1,180 texts to the UK, or 1,311 texts to Australia.

TrueDialog



• Quick setup with native integrations (Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics/D365)
• Cost reduction through direct-to-carrier relationships
• Campaign creation using flows and easy opt-out management
• Reliable infrastructure with short and long codes

TrueDialog has two types of pricing: API-only for those who want to connect TrueDialog with other tools, and full-platform for those who want to use the tool as their main SMS software.

API-only pricing is based on the number of messages you send. For the first 5 million texts, the cost is $7 per 1,000 SMS and it decreases incrementally as the number of texts grows. As such, once you've sent 20 million messages, then 75 million, you enter the last category, which is 150 million messages. The cost per 1,000 messages then becomes $2. A similar pricing scheme applies to MMS messages too. There are also extra fees you have to pay, like a one-time campaign vetting fee of $15, long code fees, and so on.

The full-platform pricing scheme is a bit more straightforward, with four plans to choose from, ranging from $99/month (includes 5,000 text messages) to $2,499/month (includes 250,000 text messages). They also offer a 14-day free trial, which you can use to test the tool and see if it's a good fit.

TextMagic



• Simple and fast setup process for SMS marketing
• Provides API, integrations, two-way texting, and scheduling
• Offers MMS capabilities and international messaging options
• Allows integration with Zapier, WordPress, Slack, Mailchimp, etc

TextMagic's pricing plan is magically simple: you pay for each SMS you send, according to the location of your mobile users. No complicated tiers with limited features. For example, one SMS for the United States is $0.049, one MMS for the US is $0.8, and one SMS for the UK is $0.68. Do note that TextMagic is not available for all countries, and MMS usage is limited to USA and Canada.

ManyChat



• A tool that combines SMS with Facebook Messenger marketing
• Enables automated conversations and broadcast messages
• Supports segmentation and personalization for targeted campaigns
• Integrates with various platforms for seamless automation
• Message templates you can grab and use (just like you would with customizable email templates, for example)

ManyChat's pricing is based on three monthly plans: free, $15, and custom pricing. Each plan includes access to Instagram Direct and Facebook Messenger Direct messages, and the $15/ month plan includes access to SMS marketing features as well. The payment for the SMS features is handled by Twilio (which we will discuss a bit further down in this list).

SendinBlue (now Brevo)



• An all-in-one messaging platform (includes SMS and email)
• Allows automated SMS campaigns and transactional messages
• Offers a user-friendly interface and detailed reporting
• Supports integration with various apps and platforms

Brevo has one of the most flexible types of pricing available. They have four product categories (Marketing Platform, Sales Platform, Conversations, and Transactional). The Marketing Platform is the one you need if you want to send SMS messages with Brevo, and it comes in four pricing tiers, ranging from $0 to $65/month. You can also customize your plan according to your number of contacts.

SMS pricing is based on volume and text destination. For instance, 10,000 pre-paid SMS texts in the US will be $109, but the same number of texts in the UK will be $344.99. Brevo also offers WhatsApp messages, which follow a similar pricing structure to that of SMS. 10,000 WhatsApp messages sent in the US are $315.88, while the same number of messages sent to UK numbers are $891.18.

Clicksend



• A platform that offers SMS marketing along with other communication services
• Focused on the European Union
• Provides SMS API for automation and integration with other tools
• Supports global SMS sending and multiple channels of communication
• Offers features like scheduling, personalization, and reporting

Clicksend's pricing is based on volume and destination. For example, sending less than 5,000 texts in Germany will be €0.0786/SMS, but sending more than 150,000 texts in the same country will be €0.0740/SMS. If you want to send messages to, say, Hungary, the pricing will be between €0.0898/SMS and €0.0676/SMS.

Clicksend also allows for MMS, rich messaging, and even voice messaging, each with its different pricing brackets. Also, if you want to set up a long code, you must pay a fee.

Postscript



• Specializes in SMS marketing for Shopify brands
• Strong deliverability and compliance features, with a focus on non-promotional messages
• Provides SMS phone number list growth tools and segmentation capabilities
• Offers analytics, reporting features, and a wide array of learning resources
• Platform dedicated to Shopify merchants

Postscript's SMS marketing pricing is based on four plans, which cost between $0/month to $500/month or custom pricing for Enterprise needs. Each of these plans has different costs for SMS marketing, but the costs on the free plan are $0.015/SMS, $0.045/MMS + carrier fees, and the costs on the $500/month plan are $0.007/SMS, $0.024/MMS + carrier fees. All plans come with a free 30-day free trial you can use to test out the tool.

SMSBump (formerly Yotpo)



• Combined platform for SMS marketing, reviews, loyalty, subscriptions, etc
• Strong deliverability and compliance features with advanced SMS options
• Provides detailed SMS performance tracking and reporting
• Offers dedicated strategists and eCommerce SMS marketing experts for guidance
• Two-way SMS conversations are enabled

SMSBump has four pricing plans, each with different features and different pricing for SMS and MMS. The plans range from free to $199/month and are inversely proportional to the cost per SMS. For instance, on the free plan, one SMS costs $0.0165, but on the $199/month plan, one SMS is $0.0130. The cost per SMS also changes according to the destination. So, if the aforementioned prices are valid for the US, for the UK, you will pay between $0.0600 and $0.0440, and for Australia you will pay between $0.0850 and $0.0700.

Emotive



• Focuses on two-way texting and conversational SMS marketing
• Offers customizable SMS templates and segmentation capabilities
• Fully managed professional services and support for a personalized experience
• Supports conversational AI autoresponders and SMS personalization

Emotive promises a simple, easy-to-understand pricing scheme adapted to adapt as your business grows. The main pricing criterion is your number of contacts, and the more people you have in your SMS list, the more the cost per text decreases. Thus, if you have between 0 and 10,000 contacts, the cost per SMS will be $0.0100, and the cost per MMS will be $0.0200. If you have up to 100,000 contacts, the cost per SMS will be $0.0015 and the cost per MMS will be $0.0030.

Attentive



• Provides SMS marketing services for midsize to enterprise online retailers
• Strong deliverability and compliance features
• Offers a full suite of list growth tools and segmentation capabilities
• Provides fast, flexible, and shareable SMS reporting options

Attentive's pricing is only available on request – but you can request a demo if you want to see the product in action.

Twilio



• A complete text marketing software solution with advanced features, like segmentation and advanced automation
• Offers APIs and integrations to connect SMS to various applications and workflows
• Provides a visual workflow builder and supports multiple channels for an omnichannel experience
• Provides short codes and local/toll-free numbers
• Can integrate with email tools via APIs

Twilio has multiple products, each with its own pricing. To send texts using Twilio, they will take three criteria into consideration: the mobile user's location, your phone number (long code, toll-free, short code, etc.), and the type of message (SMS vs multimedia messages, incoming messages vs. outgoing).

For instance, sending texts from a long code, short code, or toll-free number to US recipients is $0.0079/SMS, respectively $0.0200/MMS, both inbound messages and outbound. If you want to send texts to UK recipients, it will be $0.0420/SMS from long codes, toll-free, and alphanumeric phone numbers, and $0.0400/SMS from short codes.

5 best practices for SMS marketing

To make the most of your SMS marketing efforts, keep these best practices in mind:

Only send to contacts that have opted in

Ensure you have recipient consent before sending SMS messages to maintain compliance and respect for privacy. Always obtain explicit consent in your opt-in web forms, and provide clear information on how often messages will be sent.

Also, make sure that your regular list management processes address data hygiene as well, so old, inactive, and unsubscribed contacts are actually removed from your SMS list. This is, of course, an absolute must for your email list, as well!

Find the best timing for your messages

Consider your audience's behavior and preferences to determine the optimal times for texting them. Avoid sending messages during odd hours or times when your audience is less likely to be available.

Include relevant links

Incorporate clickable links that direct recipients to valuable content, promotions, or landing pages, enhancing engagement and conversions. Ensure the links are relevant to the message and provide clear calls to action.

Use automation and flows

Implement automation to schedule messages, personalize content, and segment your audience for tailored communication. As in the case of email drip campaigns, automation streamlines the process and ensures that the right message is sent to the right audience at the right time.

Experiment and measure

Continuously experiment with different approaches, message lengths, and timing to identify what resonates best with your audience, and use metrics to refine your SMS marketing strategies. A/B testing can provide valuable insights into what drives better engagement and conversions among mobile users.

SMS marketing tools: your gate to your customers' engagement

Truth be told, no other channel has as much chance of really engaging customers as SMS marketing does. Because it's such an ominous way of communication and because people are used to receiving SMS messages, they are more likely to open them and read their content.

Tools for SMS marketing can help you create campaigns that are both useful and effective. By creating segmented lists of contacts, you can send personalized messages that will engage them with your brand. Automation tools can help you send relevant messages at the right time, while analytics can track how well your campaigns perform and inform the future.

And if they all come packed in an easy-to-use UX, you've got a winner!