Texting is one of the fastest, most responsive communication channels out there. Ninety-eight percent of SMS messages are read, 90% of texts are read within the first three seconds of receipt, and the average response time for a text is 90 seconds. For large companies, enterprise mass texting is an efficient way to connect with numerous customers in a short amount of time.
The word “mass texting” can summon images of annoying, unsolicited sales texts from decades ago. But with today’s innovative technology—like business text messaging platforms—mass texting is a highly personalized strategy that customers welcome. It’s a great way to engage customers in a valuable, two-way conversation.
Read on to learn about the best practices that will help your enterprise master mass text messaging for business.
Prioritize Compliance For Enterprise Mass Texting
SMS compliance is a critical consideration for enterprises. Your legal team should review key regulations like the TCPA and GDPR before you start an enterprise mass texting program. However, you’ll find that there are three main considerations to take care of across the board:
Clarify Your Texting Service Terms
Before asking customers to opt into your mass text program, let them know what they’re signing up for. At the very least, include the following in your verbiage:
- Details about the opt-in and opt-out process
- Expected frequency of outgoing texts
- Content of outgoing texts
Simplify The Opt-in And Opt-Out Process
Make it easy for customers to opt in—and opt out. First, create simple opt-in web forms. Use straightforward opt-in keywords (SUBSCRIBE, START, AGREE) and opt-out keywords (UNSUBSCRIBE, STOP, CANCEL). To expedite both processes, choose a mass text messaging for business platform that can automate certain actions. For example, your platform should be able to automatically add new opt ins to a list and text them confirmations. Your platform should also be able to automatically opt out customers who send in specified keywords.
Protect Customer Data
Many new regulations, like the GDPR and CCPA, dictate business data use. Even if none of these regulations apply to your business yet, you can assume that there will be similar legislation in the future. Create a data management plan, and allow customers to see or delete their data if they wish to do so.
Provide Value To Your Customers With Enterprise Mass Texting
Once customers sign up for your enterprise mass texting service, you’ll want them to stay on your texting list. The best way to keep them interested is to provide real value with each mass text for business. To do this, your team should:
Focus On Customer Service
A mass text for business used to be synonymous with a marketing message. But to provide real value to your customers, your team should focus on customer service and engagement. Use mass text messaging for business to send helpful items like order confirmations, product or service changes, delivery updates, appointment reminders, chat follow-ups, or survey requests.
Avoid Direct Sales Material
With mass texting, you can send some SMS marketing materials. However, try to make them as customer-centric (as opposed to marketing-centric) as possible. For example, avoid sending mass texts with coupons or discounts that customers can find anywhere online. Instead, send industry-related tips, useful business updates, and in-stock notifications.
Don’t Text Too Often
There are only so many valuable mass texts to send in a certain period of time. Text customers regularly, but not so regularly that customer might become annoyed by the frequency. Consider texting customers who engage with your brand on a regular basis slightly more often.
Personalize Mass Texts As Much As Possible
Because customers use SMS to connect with friends and family, they expect your enterprise mass texting service to offer a certain level of personalization. In fact, personalization is what makes mass texts seem like they’ve been sent individually. To personalize your texts, be sure to:
Customize Messages
Each time contacts text in, update or add 
as many custom fields as possible to their profile. Include data like names, last or upcoming appointment dates, order numbers, contact preferences, locations, and loyalty statuses. Your business text messaging platform will dynamically insert custom fields with this information, using merge tokens to transfer the data.
Create Small Lists
Segmenting SMS lists is a great way to make a mass text for business even more personalized. The narrower your audience, the more you can target your text templates to recipients. Many enterprises segment by custom fields, like loyalty statuses, subscription date, and product interest. Combined with custom fields, targeted templates will make customers feel as though each text was sent individually, instead of in a single click.
Show You’re Human
Customers want to feel like they’re receiving messages from a human, not a bot. Ensure team members add their signature to the end of mass texts. Depending on your brand, you can consider adding engaging items like emojis or GIFs, too.
Understand Carrier Filtering
Your team might experience carrier filtering. Carrier filtering is when the carrier (e.g., Verizon or AT&T) identifies certain types of messages and decides to block them from customers. Ultimately, carrier filtering improves the SMS experience for customers by removing spam.
Carrier filtering processes are different from carrier to carrier, and the carriers don’t publicize them. However, we do know a few ways to help prevent your messages from being blocked. You can:
- Send valuable messages
- Send messages on a one-to-one basis or to very small lists
- Frequently check performance, tweaking lists and messages
If you follow these best practices, you can avoid carrier filtering and provide the best possible enterprise mass texting experience to your customers.
Want more tips about enterprise mass texting? Check out more of our SMS resources.
