2-Way Bulk SMS
2-Way Bulk SMS
2-Way Bulk SMS lets you send and receive messages to and from hundreds of people at once through a web-based platform that uses API. Your customers can reach you by sending simple keywords via a short code or long code. In response, you get to reply to these messages through your computer or phone application that uses the system. In terms of using bulk SMS for business, the capability of communicating to clients or potential customers in bulk is quite an efficient way of reaching your target especially when you have limited resources or manpower to carry out your promotional strategies. The added convenience of receiving replies directly (and instantly) from your recipients, increases the possibility of quick sales, repeat business or increased conversion.
Why Should You Use 2 Way Bulk SMS
2-Way Bulk SMS provides a quick solution to customer concerns. With a single keyword, you get to know what they need and promptly give them a suitable response. You are also highlighting convenience and practicality on the part of your end-users. In the past, people had to contact businesses through phone calls or snail mail and both methods were too time consuming and counterproductive to queries and concerns that needed immediate attention.
The possibilities are endless when you begin to maximize the advantages of two way communication in honing B2C relations and expanding the influence of your business. Here are some of the biggest benefits that you can possibly gain from 2-Way bulk sms: 1. 97% Read Rate 2. Practical and Budget-friendly 3. Convenient and foolproof 4. Enhanced Communication with Customers 5. Fast and Hassle-freeresses. IP addresses filter . Sending messages will be possible only from the whitelisted IP addresses (attempts at sending messages from other IPs will result in the following response: ERROR:105). IP addresses should be separated by semicolons
There are several companies that provide 2 Way Bulk SMS applications for you to read, reply, and even monitor the messages you send and receive. Some interfaces are also available for both web and smartphone. You don’t need rocket science or additional software to operate it or deliver your message, in the same way that text messaging is an activity that is already a staple in your customers’ daily routine. Simple, quick, and easy. Out of all the constantly changing advertising trends, SMS is something that has been quite constant and flexible throughout. It is a simple and immediate exchange of messages. By using 2-Way Bulk SMS, you can send a message to a hundred customers within minutes. You can upsell more products and even convert more leads without having to stress out your marketing and support representatives.
Regardless of size, every business could use a helping hand from their customers. Since 2-Way Bulk SMS lets recipients reply directly to businesses, it effectively bridges gaps between the two. The more customers get the chance to interact with brands they support, the more likely they are to willingly participate in future promotions and efforts to sustain the business.
Conclusion
Quite frankly, there are several more advantages of 2-Way Bulk SMS marketing awaiting to be discovered. The key is to have a clear vision of how you want to grow your business so you can incorporate 2-way bulk SMS accordingly for your company’s objectives and customers’ demands. Once you decide to promote your business and reach out to customers using text messaging, be sure to the New Media Services team a message. Our very own LOOP (Live Online Operator Platform) platforms have helped countless companies carry out accessible communication channels, including bulk sms service for business, for long-term growth and stability.
SMS Unicode
SMS Unicode
Conventionally, SMS Unicode (Short Message Service) messaging is recognized to be one of the most used mediums of communicating. The techniques used in constructing SMS Unicode messages shape the way messages are sent and received by recipients. With that noted, understanding some concepts and integrating some of the best practices will be key in ensuring that messages are delivered the way it is expected and also reduce the risk of unexpected costs. Getting answers to these and many other information would definitely keep us all well informed and appreciate the way to properly put out text messages going forward. We start by taking a brief look at texts and how they play a role in SMS Unicode messaging. First of all, it is important to note that all characters that we see on our screens are just symbolic representations of data being fed to computers for human understanding. Every character on your keyboard is encoded in GSM 03.38 when it is being used to create an SMS including the spaces between words. SMS Unicode basically supports two standards of character set: GSM-7 and UCS-2(Also known as Unicode).
A single payload of an SMS message can only contain a capacity of 140 bytes . Hence for a message of more than 140 bytes (i.e. for 160 standard GSM characters), it is considered as a longer message and hence it is split into individual messages called segments . This is described as a concatenated message/multi-part message. In a multi-part message, some of the allocated bytes from the payload are used to create a user data header (UDH). This provides identification and ordering information so that the receiving device knows how to order the separate payloads, which may arrive at the handset out of order into a single readable message. The UDH takes 6 bytes or 48 bits. Hence for multi-segment messages, this leaves 153 GSM-7 characters or 67 UCS-2 characters per segment.
Messages that are not encoded by GSM-7 (Unicode) are limited to 70 characters. Here are a few points to note which will be of benefit to us as we continue:
GSM-7 : This character encoding standard uses most but not all, characters for languages that use the Latin-based alphabet, such as English, Spanish, French. The GSM character encoding uses 7 bits to represent each character. One SMS message that uses GSM can contain a capacity of 160 characters (packed in up to 140 octets) in one SMS Unicode message in the GSM network. The basic character set GSM & can be found here.
Beside the standard GSM characters, characters such as “€ ^ { } [ ] ~ | “ symbols can be used in SMS Unicode messages. The 160 segment count remains, though these characters use additional space; twice the amount of space per character.
Unicode Encoding: Wikipedia describes this type of character as encoding which allows use of a greater range of characters and languages. Unicode also known as UCS-2 can represent the most commonly used characters including punctuation marks, mathematical symbols, technical symbols, arrows, and characters making up non-Latin alphabets, such as Thai, Chinese, or Arabic script and Emojis characters at the cost of a greater space expense.
When UCS-2 characters are included in the body of a message(using GSM/UCS-2 encoding ), the message automatically changes to UCS-2 encoding (which will change the message body limit to 70 characters each).
So going forward we do understand that the character limit for an SMS Unicode is 160 or 70 per message segment depending on the type of characters being used. So for instance if an SMS is sent with texts of about 170 character limit, the message is going to be segmented into 2 parts if it is using GSM encoding (i.e. 153+17 ) or 3 parts if it is Unicode encoding (i.e. 67+67+36). The character length of an SMS message is 160 only if it is GSM encoding. If special characters are used in a text message, it will be a Unicode encoding, and it will reduce the character limit to 70 per segment.
An SMS Unicode message is charged per segment, so with the above example the sender is charged respective to the total of the message segments. With that in mind, we do realize it can be very worrying for individuals who would want to communicate with as much freedom and flexibility and not worrying so much about the cost involved, and usmsgh takes care of just that! usmsgh provides a platform where users are able to send as many messages with as many characters for the users’ satisfaction at very affordable rates.
Source: Arkesel SMS Unicode
Conventionally, SMS Unicode (Short Message Service) messaging is recognized to be one of the most used mediums of communicating. The techniques used in constructing SMS Unicode messages shape the way messages are sent and received by recipients. With that noted, understanding some concepts and integrating some of the best practices will be key in ensuring that messages are delivered the way it is expected and also reduce the risk of unexpected costs. Getting answers to these and many other information would definitely keep us all well informed and appreciate the way to properly put out text messages going forward. We start by taking a brief look at texts and how they play a role in SMS Unicode messaging. First of all, it is important to note that all characters that we see on our screens are just symbolic representations of data being fed to computers for human understanding. Every character on your keyboard is encoded in GSM 03.38 when it is being used to create an SMS including the spaces between words. SMS Unicode basically supports two standards of character set: GSM-7 and UCS-2(Also known as Unicode).
A single payload of an SMS message can only contain a capacity of 140 bytes . Hence for a message of more than 140 bytes (i.e. for 160 standard GSM characters), it is considered as a longer message and hence it is split into individual messages called segments . This is described as a concatenated message/multi-part message. In a multi-part message, some of the allocated bytes from the payload are used to create a user data header (UDH). This provides identification and ordering information so that the receiving device knows how to order the separate payloads, which may arrive at the handset out of order into a single readable message. The UDH takes 6 bytes or 48 bits. Hence for multi-segment messages, this leaves 153 GSM-7 characters or 67 UCS-2 characters per segment.
Messages that are not encoded by GSM-7 (Unicode) are limited to 70 characters. Here are a few points to note which will be of benefit to us as we continue: GSM-7 : This character encoding standard uses most but not all, characters for languages that use the Latin-based alphabet, such as English, Spanish, French. The GSM character encoding uses 7 bits to represent each character. One SMS message that uses GSM can contain a capacity of 160 characters (packed in up to 140 octets) in one SMS Unicode message in the GSM network. The basic character set GSM & can be found here.
Beside the standard GSM characters, characters such as “€ ^ { } [ ] ~ | “ symbols can be used in SMS Unicode messages. The 160 segment count remains, though these characters use additional space; twice the amount of space per character. Unicode Encoding: Wikipedia describes this type of character as encoding which allows use of a greater range of characters and languages. Unicode also known as UCS-2 can represent the most commonly used characters including punctuation marks, mathematical symbols, technical symbols, arrows, and characters making up non-Latin alphabets, such as Thai, Chinese, or Arabic script and Emojis characters at the cost of a greater space expense. When UCS-2 characters are included in the body of a message(using GSM/UCS-2 encoding ), the message automatically changes to UCS-2 encoding (which will change the message body limit to 70 characters each).
So going forward we do understand that the character limit for an SMS Unicode is 160 or 70 per message segment depending on the type of characters being used. So for instance if an SMS is sent with texts of about 170 character limit, the message is going to be segmented into 2 parts if it is using GSM encoding (i.e. 153+17 ) or 3 parts if it is Unicode encoding (i.e. 67+67+36). The character length of an SMS message is 160 only if it is GSM encoding. If special characters are used in a text message, it will be a Unicode encoding, and it will reduce the character limit to 70 per segment. An SMS Unicode message is charged per segment, so with the above example the sender is charged respective to the total of the message segments. With that in mind, we do realize it can be very worrying for individuals who would want to communicate with as much freedom and flexibility and not worrying so much about the cost involved, and usmsgh takes care of just that! usmsgh provides a platform where users are able to send as many messages with as many characters for the users’ satisfaction at very affordable rates. Source: Arkesel
Bulk SMS: Tips for successful bulk SMS marketing || USMS-GH
BULK SMS: TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFULL BULK SMS MARKETING
Bulk SMS API is a high-quality SMS platform, enabling you to integrate any of your applications with our SMS message sending and receiving system. The main advantage of our system is its simplicity of implementation. The SMS message may have your company name or any phone number you own as sender name. Every message sent from our system has its own unique id, which allows you to receive confirmation of its delivery. Our Platinum Partner Operator status guarantees the highest quality text service at up to 8,000 messages a second. What’s more, our Bulk SMS API can personalize messages, receive delivery receipts, schedule messages and pull results from mobile forms and surveys into your app. Our SMS gateway can also handle tickets, enabling you to send individual vouchers or tickets. Try sending a message using our Bulk SMS API today.At usmsgh, we are dedicated to helping you get the most from your SMS marketing activity. We understand the importance of achieving your goals and can advise on the best practices to maximize the potential of your mobile marketing campaigns, in addition to providing a comprehensive marketing toolkit on usmsgh platform. We help businesses use mobile marketing effectively, whether it is to build prospective customer database, to generate leads with effective campaigns, to convert them with special offers or to retain existing customers through loyalty points and timely feedback process. The results you achieve are often based on what you learn from previous campaigns and big data. And that’s why we recommend you to conduct campaigns that can be easily tracked and give you granular analytics. It is imperative that you use this data to make key decisions, gain valuable insights into customer behavior and campaign effectiveness and continuously optimize your mobile marketing campaigns to achieve the best results. Take a look below at our top tips to increase the performance of your next mobile marketing campaign…
1. Include a clear call to action
Ensure that the reason for the SMS is made clear. You want the recipient to act on your SMS, so tell them what they need to do to benefit from the information they have been sent.
Make sure you measure how effective your bulk SMS marketing campaign has been so you can improve it further next time. How many responses did you get? What was your return on investment? Try texting different offers, at various times of the day, days of the week, or target different groups of customers, to find which works best for you. Usmsgh provides granular click through metrics for webpages, files, and coupons attached with your SMS campaigns.
3. Know your audience
Make sure that the recipient is going to be interested in what you have to offer. It’s likely that each offer or message will need to be tailored to individual customer groups. Age, gender, location and past purchases should all be taken into account when you send out your messages. For example you wouldn’t offer free lipstick to men, because it’s likely the response rate would be next to zero and some of your customers may choose to unsubscribe as a result. Paying attention to a customer’s purchase history and collecting her demographic data will help target effectively. When working with bulk SMS marketing, just as with anything, the details are all important. In order to get the most out of your bulk SMS, you have to make sure that you include certain elements. So let’s look through a list of tips, tricks, and details that will help you get the most out of your SMS marketing.
4. Use analytics to keep refining your SMS marketing campaign
The key here is to keep doing it. Your analytics will tell you how people have responded to your SMS campaign so far, so you can try to watch the trends and adjust your SMS marketing campaign to match. Analytics may seem a bit techy, but there’s really no way around it if you want your marketing to be effective. They’re basically a measure of how well your messages are being received. What kind of ROI are you getting? How many responses? Test different times of the day and days of the week, as well as different subgroups of your demographic. This feedback generates valuable insights into campaign effectiveness and customer behavior. Keep watching these results, and adapt your SMS marketing to fit.
5. Short and Sweet!
Very few people want to spend more than a minute looking at a message. The goal in bulk text messaging is to figure out what you want to say in 160 characters or less. Get clear on what you really want to say. Get to the point straightaway and show the customer how great what you offer is for them. With as few words as possible.
Bulk SMS Marketing in Ghana
Bulk SMS
Marketing in Ghana
Bulk SMS marketing in Ghana is a form of mass communication that allows businesses to engage with their contact database via an online SMS platform. To implement bulk SMS marketing, users must pre-craft text messages containing marketing material (often a special promotion or timely offer) to send to a database of numbers.
Tips to improve your Text Message Marketing
Once you’ve legally collected subscriber numbers, you can send out an SMS text message marketing campaign. Here are some helpful SMS marketing best practices.
PROVIDE VALUE
In both SMS marketing and MMS text message marketing, there’s a reason your subscribers signed up for your texts. It may be to receive updates and information, but most of the time, it’s to receive value in exchange for them giving you their phone number. It’s essential to provide value in your SMS text message marketing campaigns to prevent subscriber churn and increase subscriber satisfaction. Providing value by offering an incentive to sign up is also a great way to build SMS subscriber lists.
Tip: State the offer first, then the texting details. For example:
Take [discount amount] off when you [take an action]. EXP [date]
GIVE A CLEAR CALL TO ACTION (CTA)
As a best practice, every message should include a clear call to action directing the recipient to take action. This is your chance to help your subscribers take the next step. A good call to action should include the action they need to take to receive the value.
Tip: The call-to-action should be cohesive with the offer provided. For example:
A store might want to increase foot traffic, so their call to action could be, “Visit a store today, save 15% w/code 67859.”
ADD AN EXPIRATION DATE TO INCREASE URGENCY
Especially for promotional text messages, including an expiration date is a text message marketing best practice to increase urgency and strengthen conversion rates. Without an expiration date, subscribers might not know when to redeem the offer, or worse, they might never take action.
Tip: Experiment with the language and placement of your expiration date. For example:
Try “END” or “EXP” for urgency and mix up the date notation; “END Midnight” or “EXP 12am Tonight.”
USE SUBJECT LINES
With MMS messages, you can include a subject line, a perfect way to add even more effective mobile marketing. The subject line can be up to around 40 characters, which allows you to really hook customers and entice them to keep reading the message. On some mobile phones, the subject line appears in bold type, so it attracts the customer’s attention to the message. In an SMS message, a subject line isn’t an option.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CHARACTER LIMITS
SMS messages have a limit of 160 characters per message. So be sure you get straight to your message to avoid long chains of SMS.
Get started with bulk SMS makrting now. Learn how to register on USMS-GH