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9 Must-Have SMS Marketing Software to Streamline Lead Conversions

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<p>When it comes to marketing strategies, text or SMS (short message service) marketing is easily one of the most effective. Text messages have a<a href="https://www.podium.com/guides/ultimate-guide-to-sms-marketing/"> 98% open rate</a> and a click-through rate of around 80%. Implementing SMS marketing software is a great way to streamline and maximize the wins you get from SMS campaigns.</p>
<p>Podium is an SMS marketing platform that lets you automate text messages while taking advantage of templates and personalization, among other features.</p>
<h2>Benefits of SMS Marketing Software</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.podium.com/article/marketing-tools/">Small businesses</a> with a limited budget may be hesitant to invest in text marketing software, but it is well worth the cost. This type of software lets you take advantage of the following benefits, among others.</p>
<h3>High Open and Read Rates</h3>
<p>As mentioned, text messages have a higher open rate compared to emails. You will not find a comparable open rate with any other communication method. The response rates for text messages are also much higher than those of email marketing.</p>
<h3>Instant and Direct Communication</h3>
<p>Text messages are sent immediately, and with automated texting software, you can even schedule when you want a message sent or an action that triggers a text. On top of that, SMS lets you communicate directly with your audience. Most people always have their phones on them, so this is truly the best way to directly reach your audience.</p>
<p>Best of all, SMS marketing software lets you scale up your ability to send texts, so you can send hundreds of messages in real time instead of one at a time.</p>
<h3>Wide Reach and Engagement</h3>
<p>Texts have an incredibly wide reach because almost everyone has a cell phone. Compared to emails or other methods of communication, SMS marketing doesn’t require your customers to have a data plan – or even a smartphone. Even the most basic cell phones support texting. This makes it a very convenient option for those rare market segments that more commonly use an analog phone.</p>
<p>Even for the average business where most customers have smartphones, engagement, and reach are higher with the best SMS marketing service compared to emails or another communication method. In addition to that high open rate, your audience is more likely to see a notification for a text message than an email, as it is common to have hundreds of unread emails.</p>
<p>On top of that, the best SMS marketing software allows for segmentation. Engagement increases with segmentation as text messages are more relevant to recipients.</p>
<h3>Personalized and Targeted Messaging</h3>
<p>That segmentation also lets you send more targeted messaging. You can group your customers based on the type of products they are interested in, where they are in your sales funnel, whether they are members of your loyalty program, or other common characteristics. This improves your campaign’s effectiveness.</p>
<p>The best SMS marketing software goes beyond segmentation to deliver personalization. It lets you add a customer’s name to the text or even a product name.</p>
<h3>Opt-In and Opt-Out Management</h3>
<p>Legally, you need to get opt-ins for text marketing campaigns and need to offer a simple method of opting out. Text marketing software eliminates the need to handle this manually. By automating opt-in and opt-out management, you reduce human errors and save time while being legally compliant.</p>
<h3>Cost-Effective Marketing Channel</h3>
<p>On top of all the other benefits, text marketing is incredibly cost-effective. As such, even small businesses can find room in their budget for SMS campaigns.</p>
<h2>Top 9 Marketing Software and Platforms</h2>
<p>We’ve carefully evaluated the best<a href="https://www.podium.com/article/business-text-messaging/"> SMS marketing service</a> options on the market to help you make the best choice for your business. Any of the following platforms would be a good choice, although there is a clear leader among them.</p>
<h3>1. Podium</h3>
<p>Podium is easily a top SMS marketing platform thanks to its ease of use and features. To start, the software includes hundreds of templates so you can use SMS for confirmations, appointment reminders, and promos. These save you time, letting you launch a campaign within minutes instead of having to spend weeks on execution.</p>
<p>Thanks to its automation, Podium helps you save time on your marketing efforts. You can use the software to set rules for every campaign, making those rules as simple or complex as you want. This way, your team can spend their time on more important tasks.</p>
<p>As expected from automated texting software, Podium lets you send personalized messages for an improved customer experience. You can segment your audience for more targeted texting campaigns. You can also personalize messages to include names even for group texting purposes.</p>
<p>Use this personalization and segmentation to send targeted offers and promotions. That, in turn, will boost loyalty and engagement. Podium also includes analytics to help you evaluate your campaigns’ success.</p>
<p>While most SMS marketing software includes opt-ins and opt-outs, Podium takes this to the next level by encouraging opt-ins throughout the customer journey. As an all-in-one messaging platform, Podium lets you interact with potential customers on your ecommerce website, via email, in your store, with QR codes, and more.</p>
<p>Each of those touchpoints becomes an opportunity for opt-ins. In addition to opt-ins, the software also handles other aspects of compliance for you, giving you peace of mind.</p>
<p>The included Inbox feature also manages all your communications, including email, text, and social media in a single place. Webchat lets you get leads from your website and add a touchpoint while Phones let you make and receive calls. Or the Contacts feature provides easy access to the customer info you will use to segment your audience.</p>
<p>There are also several pricing plans available, so you can choose the one that best fits your needs. Podium also offers a free 14-day trial without requiring a credit card.</p>
<h3>2. Brevo</h3>
<p>Formerly called Sendinblue, Brevoi can be used as a messenger to send personalized SMS messages. It includes a high level of personalization, including names and company names in the case of B2B businesses.</p>
<p>One notable disadvantage is that Brevo doesn’t include templates, so you will have to craft each SMS text from scratch. Fortunately, it is easy to compose a message on the platform.</p>
<p>Like most platforms, Brevo also includes reporting to help you track your campaign’s success and the efforts of your team members, so you can improve these in the future.</p>
<h3>3. Freshmarketer</h3>
<p>As an SMS marketing solution, Freshmarketer includes CRM features in addition to text marketing. It also lets you manage other communication channels, including email and WhatsApp. Using Freshmarketer also gives you access to useful analytics and metrics on data such as click and open rates. You also get the expected segmentation abilities.</p>
<h3>4. SMSwords</h3>
<p>A unique feature of SMSwords is that it advertises ready-made access to more than 130 million cellphone numbers in 40 countries. This platform focuses on location-based text marketing, with the ability to set your campaign based on the city or even a smaller area. You can set it up to target more than one location.</p>
<p>SMSwords advertises itself as a way to get around ad-blocking tools. Small businesses with non-native English speakers will also appreciate multilingual customer support. One potential disadvantage is that SMSWords offers pay-as-you-go pricing, so you pay for each text message you send. This can make it hard to estimate how much you will spend if you aren’t sure how many texts you need to send.</p>
<h3>5. JookSMS</h3>
<p>JookSMS is a strong option if you want to manage your text marketing via your smartphone, as the platform uses a mobile app. That application lets you build marketing campaigns and access other features. It is also highly intuitive to use.</p>
<p>This platform also includes functionality for drip campaigns, letting you automatically send updates based on a schedule you set. You can also customize your text templates to boost engagement.</p>
<h3>6. Salesmsg</h3>
<p>Salesmsg is worth considering if you want both text messaging and calling. You can get a toll-free or landline number from the platform in addition to using it for two-way messaging. As expected, Salesmsg automates your text messages, letting you start a conversation with your customers and plan campaigns.</p>
<p>The platform also works for team communication and call management. You get common call features, such as call forwarding, call recording, muting callers, and call history.</p>
<p>The biggest advantage of Salesmsg is that it supports call management in addition to texting. This makes the platform a valuable tool for providing customer support via a hotline and for doing sales outreach through calls. The software also lets you text-enable your existing business landline so you can take advantage of brand recall and boost customer engagement.</p>
<h3>7. Omnisend</h3>
<p>In addition to text<a href="https://www.podium.com/article/best-local-marketing-solutions/"> marketing</a>, Omnisend also supports email marketing, pop-ups, sign-up forms, and push notifications. All these features support marketing automation and report generation to help you evaluate your success.</p>
<p>While the software doesn’t have templates, it does let you automatically generate messages and then adjust them, a similar feature that requires a few extra steps. The analytics that comes with Omnisend include segmentation, retention, and lifecycle stages. View advanced reports in addition to the campaign reports and the information available on your dashboard.</p>
<h3>8. TextMagic</h3>
<p>TextMagic is another text messaging service for companies that want to keep things simple. It is simple to install and lets you send mass text messages. Set up your messages to attach files, such as PDFs, images, and even Word documents. You can even use the SMS API or turn an email into an SMS.</p>
<p>Businesses using TextMagic also receive reports including data on reply rates, delivery, text status, and costs. This is another service that charges per text, making it challenging to budget for its use.</p>
<h3>9. EZ Texting</h3>
<p>EZ Texting gives you access to a template editor. One stand-out feature is its design tools and Shutterstock partnership, making it easy to take advantage of multimedia messaging and create image-based text messages. However, these features require upgrading to a more expensive plan.</p>
<p>You get the expected features, such as text scheduling, automation, and opt-ins and opt-outs. The platform also has extensive resources to help you learn how to use it, including video and written guides.</p>
<h2>How to Choose an SMS Marketing Software: 10 Features to Look For</h2>
<p>As you decide which of the above SMS marketing platforms to use, you will want to look for the following features. While most platforms will have some of them, choosing software with all the features will let you get the most out of your text marketing campaign.</p>
<h3>1. Personalization</h3>
<p>Make sure to choose texting software that lets you add personalization to your templates. At the very least, you want to be able to add the recipient’s name. Ideally, you can also add other data, such as a product name or location.</p>
<h3>2. Automation and Scheduling</h3>
<p>Automation is one of the most important features for most companies. After all, the point of using software is to save the time you would have spent manually texting. This automation of workflows should include the ability to schedule text campaigns with ease. Some will even feature autoresponders, although you should limit your use of these as they can feel impersonal.</p>
<h3>3. Integrations</h3>
<p>Your SMS marketing software needs to work with your other software. After all, your leads’ phone numbers and contact lists are likely stored in your CRM, and you need to be able to view text messages and emails without any hassle. The top software offers integrations, with Podium leading the pack with more than 180 integrations.</p>
<p>The absolute best providers go beyond and prevent the need for integrations at all. As mentioned, Podium is an all-in-one system that has CRM, inbox, and phone features, among others. This way, you have fewer programs you need to integrate while retaining the option to easily integrate them as you wish.</p>
<h3>4. Text Campaign Reports and Analytics</h3>
<p>Most texting software offers the ability to generate reports and analytics and for good reason. This data makes it easier for you to confirm that your messaging campaigns are on track to your goals. It also lets you identify potential problems that make your SMS marketing campaigns less effective.</p>
<h3>5. Templates</h3>
<p>Templates make it incredibly fast and easy to get started with SMS marketing campaigns. Only a few SMS marketing platforms come with templates and those that do feature only a handful of them. Podium stands out in this aspect with<a href="https://www.podium.com/texting-templates/"> 500 ready-to-use texting templates</a>.</p>
<h3>6. Bulk Messaging</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.podium.com/article/mass-texting-services/">Bulk SMS</a> is a crucial part of automated messaging, as it lets you send hundreds of texts at once. This maximizes the added efficiency that you get from using texting software and lets you use your time more wisely.</p>
<h3>7. Ease of Use</h3>
<p>The best SMS software will be intuitive and user-friendly. You should understand how to use it in a matter of minutes. There should also be easy access to customer support or a knowledge base if you have any questions.</p>
<h3>8. Effective Customer Support</h3>
<p>Speaking of customer support, you want to look for software with helpful, round-the-clock support. The ability to chat with a support specialist or send emails to a support team can come in handy, too.</p>
<h3>9. Two-Way Communication</h3>
<p>Some text marketing solutions support only one-way communication, so your customers can’t respond to your messages. However, the best ones offer two-way messaging capabilities. This lets you use your texting campaigns to start a conversation and improve customer engagement.</p>
<h3>10.  Other Advanced Features</h3>
<p>You should also be on the lookout for other advanced features, such as drip campaigns and A/B testing.</p>
<h2>SMS Marketing Software Tips and Best Practices</h2>
<p>Once you decide which<a href="https://www.podium.com/article/small-businesses-sms-marketing/"> SMS marketing</a> software to use, be sure to follow these best practices.</p>
<h3>1. Permission-Based Opt-In</h3>
<p>Always get opt-ins before you start sending text messages to customers. You can only send transaction-related texts without an opt-in. You can get opt-ins via texting keyword campaigns, pop-ups, emails, and more.</p>
<h3>2. Segmentation and Personalization</h3>
<p><a href="https://www.podium.com/article/sms-segmentation/">Segmentation</a> has come up a few times in this guide and for good reason. Segmenting your audience lets you target your audience, so they feel as if the message is more personal. You can segment your audience based on shopping behaviors, demographics, customer engagement with marketing campaigns, or other relevant factors.</p>
<h3>3. Clear and Concise Messaging</h3>
<p>Text messages should be short and sweet. SMS messages only have space for 160 characters and MMS can fit 1,600 characters. Keep your message as short as you can while still getting your point across and adding personalization.</p>
<h3>4. Timing and Frequency</h3>
<p>Try to only send messages during standard business hours (9 am to 5 pm), so you don’t annoy your audience during their daily life. Also, avoid sending messages too frequently.</p>
<h3>5. Provide Value and Relevance</h3>
<p>Make sure that the messages you send are relevant and add value to your customers’ lives. Don’t overload them with messages about products they aren’t interested in; segmentation helps with this.</p>
<h3>6. Track and Optimize</h3>
<p>Always track your campaign and analyze the data, so you can optimize future campaigns. The best SMS marketing tools make this easy to do.</p>
<h2>Kickstart Your SMS Campaigns with Podium</h2>
<p>Use Podium to kickstart your text message marketing campaigns and<a href="https://www.podium.com/text-marketing/"> send one text that drives thousands in revenue</a>. Podium supports bulk text messages, shortcodes, and the other top features, along with contact management for easy access to customer data. Thanks to Podium and text marketing, LA Furniture saw four times the click-through rate of email marketing, and Maus Family Automotive saw a 5,000 increase in subscribers in just three months.</p>
<h2>SMS Marketing Software FAQs</h2>
<h3>Q: What is SMS marketing software?</h3>
<p>A: SMS marketing software lets you automate text marketing campaigns, sharing promotions, new products, and more.</p>
<h3>Q: Which industry is best for SMS marketing?</h3>
<p>A: Any industry can benefit from SMS marketing, whether you sell a product or service.</p>
<h3>Q: How to automate SMS marketing?</h3>
<p>A: The best way to automate SMS marketing is with software specifically designed for that task, like Podium, Brevo, and SMSwords.</p>
<h3>Q: Is SMS marketing legal?</h3>
<p>A: Yes! SMS marketing is legal if you get opt-ins from customers and allow opt-outs. You must also follow other minor legal requirements.</p>


9 Must-Have SMS Marketing Software to Streamline Lead Conversions

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