{"id":1226,"date":"2022-07-08T08:13:05","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T08:13:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1226"},"modified":"2026-03-02T17:24:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T17:24:55","slug":"sms-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/sms-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"SMS Marketing Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1226\" class=\"elementor elementor-1226\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5f68298a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5f68298a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-228f52c7\" data-id=\"228f52c7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-27ef93a9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"27ef93a9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A guide to SMS Marketing<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>SMS Marketing has been around since the mid 90s.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Despite being just 160 plain text characters, with almost no features compared \u00a0to other messaging apps, the simple\u00a0 text is still the most responsive communication tool available to marketers.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s low cost, immediate and astonishingly effective.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>This guide to SMS marketing takes you through all you need to know.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is SMS Marketing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>SMS marketing is a term used to describe the sending of bulk, promotional, marketing texts to a target group.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The purpose of an SMS marketing campaign is to encourage customers to make some further action or complete a purchase.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Usually the customer or prospect is asked to do one of the following..<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Click a link in the text<\/strong><br \/>Example text<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>Save Now! Gabi\u2019s Gifts is offering 30% off all items up to 7pm Tues. Discount applied at checkout. Don\u2019t miss out. \u00a0Go to Gabisgifts.com. To optout text abcd to 89022<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reply to the text with a specific response<\/strong><br \/>Example text<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>It\u2019s car insurance time already. Reply YES to this test and we\u2019ll call you within 15 minutes with a quote. To optout text abcd to 89022\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Call a number that is quoted in the text Itself<\/strong><br \/>Example text<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>Of course there\u2019s free delivery. And within 40 minutes of order or it\u2019s free. Order your pizza from Pizza Pad now on 01234 56789. To optout text abcd to 89022<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>SMS marketing is permission based, so all recipients must have given their consent to receive texts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Under GDPR, companies that flout the rules and send spam texts,\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/ico-fines-analysis\">risk large fines from The Information Commissioner\u2019\u2019s Office<\/a><\/strong>. (ICO)<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>An SMS marketing strategy shouldn&#8217;t\u00a0be developed in isolation. SMS is just one of many communication channels that you&#8217;ll be using as part of a broader\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.writesonic.com\/how-to-create-a-content-plan-that-drives-traffic-and-leads\/\">content marketing plan<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Make sure that whatever you&#8217;re planning to use SMS for, works in harmony with your other activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is SMS marketing used for?<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-419\" src=\"http:\/\/test.thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Mobile-phone-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"261\" height=\"228\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Mobile-phone-2.jpg 638w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Mobile-phone-2-300x262.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 261px) 100vw, 261px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>There are countless ways that companies use SMS marketing to generate a response from their customers and prospects.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Most companies use SMS alongside their existing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cloudtalk.io\/virtual-call-center-software\">outbound and inbound call centre\u00a0<\/a>strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Often the objective is not to make a sale directly from the text itself but to encourage further engagement that interaction with the brand.<\/p>\n<p>Many marketing agencies offer SMS marketing services to deliver targeted messages for their clients, boosting client satisfaction as well as enhancing <a href=\"https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/agency-operations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/resourceguruapp.com\/blog\/agency-operations&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1694261775753000&amp;usg=AOvVaw24p9iqGn5KQ_UCGmAvGJZH\">agency operations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s just a few of the most common ways that SMS marketing is used:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Sales offer<\/strong>. This might ask the customer to reply, click or call.<br \/><strong>Survey<\/strong>. Use SMS to ask customers what they think of your product or service.<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/sms-appointment-reminders\"><strong>SMS Appointment Reminder<\/strong><\/a>. Inform customer about an upcoming date or event<br \/><strong>Company news<\/strong>. Let customers know about your latest activities<br \/><strong>Customer support<\/strong>. Invite customers to get further help by text.<br \/><strong>SMS Voting<\/strong>. Encourage interaction by asking customers to cast their vote on a topic or issue.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SMS marketing examples and templates<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve put together a complete\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/26-powerful-and-responsive-sms-marketing-templates\">SMS marketing templates library<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>to showcase some of the most successful and innovative texts that we\u2019ve come across.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Some of these have been used by our customers and some we have tweaked, amended and made relevant to a different industry sector.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The key with any marketing text is to be concise about your offer and how the customer should respond.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>If you try and cram in too much information, then your text will become confusing and you\u2019ll be disappointed with your response rate.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/perfect-sms-reminder\">most successful \u00a0SMS marketing messages<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0are the simplest.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>One of the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/best-sms-marketing-message-weve-ever-seen\">best sms marketing messages<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0that I\u2019ve ever received was from Photobox.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>It was short, clear and with a very precise call to action.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-420\" src=\"http:\/\/test.thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Photobox-SMS-marketing-message.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"279\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Photobox-SMS-marketing-message.png 505w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Photobox-SMS-marketing-message-199x300.png 199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/best-sms-marketing-message-weve-ever-seen\">In this article<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0we provide a detailed analysis of what made this SMS marketing message so powerful and also look at ways in which it could have been improved.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a sample of the most popular SMS marketing templates.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>WN Fashion &#8211; Flash sale starts now. 2 for 1 on all accessories. Sales ends Wed 7pm. Only 3 days left. Wnfashion.com To optout text abcd to 89022<\/strong><\/em><br \/>144 characters<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>The Oak Pub, Taunton. Enjoy our roaring fire, real ale and home cooked food. \u00a3129 per double, inc b\/fast. Book now! Call 0123456789 To optout text abcd to 89022<\/strong><\/em><br \/>160 characters<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Free cream tea time! Indulge in a cream tea for a winter\u2019s day. Buy one get one free at Tetbury Tea Rooms. To optout text abcd to 89022<\/strong><\/em><br \/>155 characters<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Groan. Car insurance time again. Let\u2019s get this over with fast. Call Fizz on 0123445678 for great service and affordable terms. To optout text abcd to 89022<\/strong><\/em><br \/>156 characters<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Spend less on insurance and more on fun stuff. Call Acorn and put more in your back pocket. 012345 6789 or reply SAVE to this text. To optout text abcd to 89022<\/strong><\/em><br \/>160 characters<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Fridge stuffed with goodies? Thought not. Come on, have a delicious pizza from Pizza Place. Second pizza free. 01234 56789. To optout text abcd to 89022<\/strong><\/em><br \/>151 characters<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Hello John. Just a reminder that your driving lesson with Mark is booked for 9 35 on Wed. I look forward to seeing you then. Please bring your driving licence.<\/strong><\/em><br \/>159 characters<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How do you send an SMS marketing message?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>There are dozens and dozens of SMS marketing companies based in the UK &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.firetext.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FireText<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.textmarketer.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Text Marketer<\/a> to name a couple.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>On the whole, the SMS marketing industry is reputable and there are very few companies that use low quality SMS grey routes for their traffic.<br \/>Most of them offer 2 ways to send SMS.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>A web-based bulk SMS marketing platform.<\/strong><br \/>Web-based\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/bulk-SMS\">bulk SMS\u00a0<\/a>marketing software allows you to upload your list of contacts into your account.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>You can then simply compose your message and set the date and time that you\u2019d like your messages to be sent.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>After your SMS marketing campaign has run, you\u2019ll be able to download your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/sms-delivery-reports\">delivery reports<\/a>\u00a0which will show the delivery outcome for each and every message that you sent.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Most SMS marketing software is very easy to use and you won\u2019t need any specific technical know how. If you consider a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/jooble.org\/jobs-work-from-home-text-chat\">work-from-home text chat job<\/a><\/strong>, this simplicity makes it ideal for various tasks.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>SMS marketing API<\/strong><br \/>Most providers also off an\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/\">SMS API<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>An SMS API allows you to integrate the sending of SMS into an existing app, software or website.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Using an SMS API allows you to automate your SMS marketing campaigns.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>For example, customers might receive a discount voucher 2 weeks after a purchase. Or a lapsed customer who hasn\u2019t bought anything for over 6 months might receive\u00a0a discount by text.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>An SMS API allows you to target your customer much more precisely. Rather than sending everyone the same generic sms marketing message, you can send personalised messages that talk to the customers as an individual.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-424\" src=\"http:\/\/test.thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Zapier-Logo-832x1024.png\" alt=\"Zaper Logo\" width=\"124\" height=\"152\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Zapier-Logo-832x1024.png 832w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Zapier-Logo-244x300.png 244w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Zapier-Logo-768x945.png 768w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Zapier-Logo.png 860w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 124px) 100vw, 124px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>You do need some technical knowledge to integrate using an SMS API.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The task is made easier by services like\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/sms-works-zapier\">Zapier<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>which allow you to integrate SMS into 1000s of software applications without needing detailed coding skills.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How much does it cost to send an SMS marketing campaign?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Almost all SMS providers have no setup fee, contract minimum term. You typically just buy a block of text credits in advance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>So the only cost you have is for the text credits themselves.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The cost per text credit varies very dramatically between suppliers. The most expensive we\u2019ve found is\u00a0<strong>10 pence + VAT per text,\u00a0<\/strong>and the lowest is\u00a0<strong>2.99 pence + VAT per text.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>There is rarely much difference in the reliability of these services, so it\u2019s really worth shopping around to find the best price.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The reason for the wide price range is historic. Back in the early 2000s most providers charged between about 8 and 10 pence per text.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Since then, prices have dropped very dramatically but some SMS marketing websites haven\u2019t followed the rest of the market. These companies are relying on inertia to keep hold of their existing customers.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Price of SMS marketing since 2001<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The cost to send a business text has\u00a0<strong>dropped an astonishing 71% since 2001<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The number of UK based SMS providers has risen from around\u00a0<strong>8 in 2001 to well over 100 in 2020.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Competition and reduced costs by mobile networks means that there\u2019s never been a most cost effective time to start SMS marketing.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-423\" src=\"http:\/\/test.thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Decreasing-Cost-of-SMS-Marketing.png\" alt=\"Chart showion\" width=\"650\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Decreasing-Cost-of-SMS-Marketing.png 671w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Decreasing-Cost-of-SMS-Marketing-300x186.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td>Year<\/td>\n<td>Cost in pence per text<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>2001<\/td>\n<td>9.80<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2002<\/td>\n<td>9.70<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2003<\/td>\n<td>9.40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2004<\/td>\n<td>8.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2005<\/td>\n<td>8.60<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2006<\/td>\n<td>8.40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2007<\/td>\n<td>8.20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2008<\/td>\n<td>7.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2009<\/td>\n<td>7.20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2010<\/td>\n<td>4.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2011<\/td>\n<td>4.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2012<\/td>\n<td>4.30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2013<\/td>\n<td>4.10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2014<\/td>\n<td>4.10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2015<\/td>\n<td>4.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2016<\/td>\n<td>3.80<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2017<\/td>\n<td>3.80<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2018<\/td>\n<td>3.60<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2019<\/td>\n<td>3.20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2020<\/td>\n<td>2.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Compare SMS marketing pricing<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>So that you can get a quick snapshot of what different providers charge, we\u2019ve compiled an SMS marketing price comparison chart.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Prices quoted were taken from the companies websites and were correct in April 2020<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The price per text is quoted as if you were purchasing a block of 1000 text credits.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The list of companies does not include every SMS marketing service.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td>Company<\/td>\n<td>Cost per text<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Esendex<\/td>\n<td>7.0p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Text Local<\/td>\n<td>4.9p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Clockwork<\/td>\n<td>4.0p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Dragon Fly<\/td>\n<td>3.9p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Bulk SMS<\/td>\n<td>4.5p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kapow<\/td>\n<td>6.25p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Intellisms<\/td>\n<td>4.4p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fast SMS<\/td>\n<td>3.5p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Click SMS<\/td>\n<td>3.7p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>SendMode<\/td>\n<td>3.4p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>FireText<\/td>\n<td>4.9p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Text Anywhere<\/td>\n<td>6.4p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Text Marketer<\/td>\n<td>3.3p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Text Factore<\/td>\n<td>4.9p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Red SMS<\/td>\n<td>4.5p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Text Tank<\/td>\n<td>3.5p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Green Text<\/td>\n<td>3.6p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2sms<\/td>\n<td>10p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Think Message<\/td>\n<td>3.9p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Text Magic<\/td>\n<td>4.0p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Media Burst<\/td>\n<td>4.5p<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" class=\"wp-image-425\" src=\"http:\/\/test.thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Compare-SMS-Marketing-Costs-1024x540.png\" alt=\"Compare SMS Marketing costs\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Compare-SMS-Marketing-Costs-1024x540.png 1024w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Compare-SMS-Marketing-Costs-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Compare-SMS-Marketing-Costs-768x405.png 768w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Compare-SMS-Marketing-Costs.png 1112w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SMS marketing price comparison calculator<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>With so many SMS marketing providers, directly comparing all the costs and quotes that you&#8217;ve received can be cumbersome.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/sms-price-comparison-calculator\">SMS marketing price comparison calculator<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0allows you to directly compare quotes from up to 10 providers, showing you the monthly and annual costs for each.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The lowest provider is highlighted in green for easy identification.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Pricing comparison results can be downloaded and stored for later use and wider circulation.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SMS Marketing rules and regulations<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"305\" height=\"165\" class=\"wp-image-418\" src=\"http:\/\/test.thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ICOlogo_8.png\" alt=\"ICO logo\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ICOlogo_8.png 305w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ICOlogo_8-300x162.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 305px) 100vw, 305px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>SMS marketing has a bit of a reputation for being a bit spammy.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an unfortunate hangover from a few years ago when most of us received dozens of SMS marketing spam campaigns from a range of unscrupulous companies<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The SMS spam was mainly from accident claims companies, PPI insurance and payday loan companies.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The wave of unwanted texts was relentless and is responsible for its somewhat low-brow reputation.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Due to the new regulations under GDPR those dark days are now behind us.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The rules governing SMS marketing have become much stricter and it means that SMS spam has almost entirely stopped.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The Information Commissioner&#8217;s Office (ICO) is the government body responsible for policing SMS marketing laws.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>They have the power to\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/ico-fines-analysis\">hand out massive fines for companies that break the rules<\/a><\/strong>. They can fine companies up to 20 million Euros or 4% of global turnover.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Fines for SMS marketing offences make up 16% of all fines handed out by The ICO.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"558\" class=\"wp-image-426\" src=\"http:\/\/test.thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ICO-fines-for-SMS-marketing-1024x558.png\" alt=\"ICO fines for SMS Marketing\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ICO-fines-for-SMS-marketing-1024x558.png 1024w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ICO-fines-for-SMS-marketing-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ICO-fines-for-SMS-marketing-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/thesmsworks.wpenginepowered.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/ICO-fines-for-SMS-marketing.png 1136w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>They have fined companies a total of nearly \u00a33 million for SMS offences.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ico.org.uk\/media\/for-organisations\/documents\/1555\/direct-marketing-guidance.pdf\">The rules for SMS marketing<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0are very clearly laid out by the ICO on their website.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Any company wanting to send texts to its customers need to understand and follow these very carefully.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The consequences for failing to comply are very serious indeed.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The threat of large fines should put any company off SMS marketing. The rules are fairly straightforward and very reasonable.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The main SMS marketing principles are very simple.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>You can only send SMS marketing messages to people that have opted in to receiving them.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201c<strong>Organisations must not send marketing texts or emails to individuals without their specific prior consent. There is a limited exception for previous customers, known as the soft opt-in.<\/strong>\u201c<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>You must also give people the opportunity to opt out of receiving further SMS marketing messages\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201c<strong>Organisations must stop sending marketing messages to any person who objects or opts out of receiving them.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>You need to be able to prove how they and when they opted in. Although under certain circumstances you can send texts without specific permission, The ICO warns that it is unlikely to be the case.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201c<strong>Indirect consent is highly unlikely to be valid for calls, texts or emails<\/strong>. \u201c<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>While the document laying out the rules on SMS marketing runs to some 57 pages, companies shouldn\u2019t be intimidated.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>A couple of hours spent studying the document will give you the confidence to run your SMS marketing campaigns, knowing that you\u2019re not breaking any of the rules.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How should I choose an SMS marketing company?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Apart from the wide range of pricing, there are a number of other key considerations for anyone choosing an SMS marketing provider.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you have to pay for non-delivered texts?<\/strong><br \/>Almost all companies charge for failed texts. Even though no SMS company has ever been charged for non-delivered texts.\u00a0<br \/>Try and find a company that refunds all non-delivered SMS.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Also check that it only costs one text credit to send a message to a UK mobile number and that there\u2019s no high minimum order value.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do SMS credits expire?<\/strong><br \/>52% of UK SMS marketing companies remove SMS credits if they haven\u2019t been used for a certain period.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Make sure that you select \u00a0a company that doesn\u2019t unfairly remove credits that you\u2019ve already purchased.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>How easy is the SMS\u00a0marketing software to use?<\/strong><br \/>It\u2019s likely that you\u2019ll be spending quite a bit of time logged in to your chosen SMS marketing system, so it makes sense to find a company that matches your requirements.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Some platforms are incredibly involved and have a range of tools that you may never need like mobile ticketing or mobile surveys. Choose \u00a0an SMS company that has a set of tools that match your requirements and has an easy and intuitive user interface.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Check that the instruction documentation is comprehensive and transparent.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>What level of support can you expect?<\/strong><br \/>No one likes to be kept waiting hours for a response to a simple question. You should reasonably expect to get an answer in under an hour or so.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Ask your SMS marketing company how long they take to respond to support requests.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Is the service reliable?<\/strong><br \/>Almost all SMS marketing companies now use tier 1 routes for all their SMS traffic. This means that all texts are delivered straight to the networks and don\u2019t get routed via low quality international or grey routes.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Make sure this is the case with whichever company you choose.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SMS Marketing facts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>These SMS\u00a0marketing statistics and facts might come in useful if you ever need to convince people in your organisation to get involved in SMS marketing.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>9 out of 10 consumers globally want to use SMS messaging to talk to businesses<br \/><strong>Twillio<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Only 48% of businesses are equipped to connect with customers through a text message.<br \/><strong>Twilio<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>SMS has an opt in rate of 86% in US,\u00a0<strong>82% in Europe<\/strong>\u00a0and 77% in Asia, respectively<br \/><strong>Twilio<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The number of\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/why-business-sms-still-so-popular\">business SMS<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0being sent via SMS gateways is increasing. Business SMS volumes are set to rise to 2.8 trillion by 2022, that&#8217;s a 68% rise over a four year period.<br \/><strong>Mobilesquared<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>49% of consumers would prefer to receive marketing material via text than any other channel.<br \/><strong>Telefonica<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>76% of consumers have received communications from businesses such as banks, healthcare and retailers via an SMS gateway.<br \/>The Mobile Ecosystem Forum<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Fraudulent SMS traffic, sent via SMS grey routes, costs the international wholesale Carrier industry US$17 billion annually.<br \/><strong>The Global Leaders\u2019 Forum<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>More than 90 percent of people read a text message within the first three minutes.<br \/>Mobile Squared<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>SMS has a 98%\u00a0open rate vs 22% for email<br \/><strong>Frost &amp; Sullivan<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SMS Marketing Quotes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>If you need a little more evidence to back up your push for SMS marketing, then these quotes may be just the thing.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em><strong>&#8220;Our ongoing research into the global\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/A2P-SMS\">A2P SMS\u00a0<\/a>market has cemented our belief that SMS is by far the most powerful channel a business has to connect with its customer.&#8221;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Nick Lane Mobile Squared<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em><strong>If you\u2019re not using mobile marketing to attract new customers to your business, don\u2019t worry \u2014 your competitors are already using it and are getting those customers instead.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Jamie Turner, 60SecondMarketer.com<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em><strong>&#8220;The mobile phone is a bit like God \u2013 it\u2019s omnipresent.&#8221;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Joana Picq, Jampp<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>&#8220;Mobile is not the future, it is the now. Meet your customers in the environment of their choice, not where it&#8217;s convenient for you.&#8221;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Cyndie Shaffstall, Spider Trainers<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em><strong>\u201cThe magic of mobile marketing lies in the fact that people are seldom separated from their mobile phones. Like Gollum and the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, people are loath to be away from their precious technology, which keeps them connected to the world and provides them with timely information.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Rich Barber, former marketing manager at Blackstone Media,<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em><strong>\u201cWith our phones acting as supercomputers in our pockets, we can find, learn, do, and buy whenever the need arises\u2014or the whim strikes.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Lisa Gevelber, VP of Marketing for the Americas at Google<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>&#8220;The mobile phone is reshaping our lives in ways we couldn&#8217;t imagine even a few years ago.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Foti Panagiotakopoulos, Founder\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/\">GrowthMentor.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SMS marketing still a dominant force<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Despite being so clunky and outdated, nothing has yet come close to challenging the dominance of SMS.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/email-vs-SMS-open-rates\">Nothing can beat the responsiveness and immediacy of text.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the reason that so many companies still use it when there would appear to be\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/problems-facing-business-RCS\">better alternatives like RCS messaging<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Whatsapp or an number of other\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/OTT-messaging-apps\">OTT messaging apps<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>If you like to use an SMS API for your SMS marketing campaigns, then please help yourself to a\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/auth\/signup\">free account.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>It comes with 50 free test credits for testing and as much support as you need.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A guide to SMS Marketing SMS Marketing has been around since the mid 90s. Despite being just 160 plain text [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":421,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesmsworks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}