Mass Text Messaging Guide & How to Send A Mass Text

What is Mass Text Messaging & Why Use It?

Mass text messaging is sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message simultaneously to thousands of phones using a bulk SMS service provider. Employers, restaurants, service companies, churches, and political parties send mass text messages to keep their contacts informed with relevant, helpful, timely and personalized information as a way of demonstrating their value to their audience. Even sports teams use mass text messaging to send out game-day traffic information and score updates.

Sending a mass text message is as simple as logging in to a platform like EZ Texting, choosing a group of contacts you'd like to send to, composing your message, and scheduling it to be sent.

One of the distinguishing factors of text messaging compared to other marketing channels is the extraordinary open rates. An internal EZ Texting study recently revealed that the open rate for messages sent through the EZ Texting service is 98%, compared with just 21% for emails. Why such a high percentage? We live on our phones and quite simply, text messages get read. While our filled email inboxes tend to make us treat email as something we’ll deal with later, a text notification on our phone is read almost immediately.

How to Send a Mass Text Message

Create Message Screenshot

Mass text messages are sent through a bulk Short Message Service (SMS) service provider. These services have significant advantages over messaging apps and other forms of mass marketing; they are simple to use, have friendly pricing options, and offer a variety of features. There are no graphics to design or technical optimizations to make. Sending a mass text message is as simple as logging in to a platform like EZ Texting, choosing a group of contacts you'd like to send to, composing your message and scheduling it to be sent. For more on this process, check out How To Send Bulk Text Messages: A Step by Step Guide.

Mass Texting Features & Integrations

Mass text software like EZ Texting can be used for more than sending plain text messages. All worthwhile mass texting platforms have been developed to generate engagement and encourage feedback. Here are a few of the most popular and effective examples.

scheduling texts

Schedule Texts and Reminders in Advance

  • Schedule each message to be sent when it will attract the maximum attention.
  • Prepare and run automated recurring marketing campaigns.

Personalize Messages Automatically

  • A text message can be personalized with information unique to each recipient's first name and last name, or any additional info like purchase date, appointment date, etc.
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integrations

Sync Messages across Platforms

  • For large businesses and organizations, EZ Texting offers tools that sync EZ Texting with popular web apps like Constant Contact and MailChimp.

Send Images, Videos & Voice Files to Increase Engagement

  • To generate engagement and develop relationships, top marketers use multimedia messaging services (MMS). Mass MMS messaging gives you the ability to increase the impact of your text message./li>
  • EZ Texting offers hundreds of free MMS templates for all types of occasions.
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reporting

Message Tracking & Analytics

  • Once you send your message, our SMS software keeps you informed about delivery rates, opt-out rates, and spikes in engagement. By using these analytics, you can fine-tune your text messages to create a greater impact when you send your next message.

Sending Mass Text Messages to Different Target Groups

As your database grows, you'll want to send targeted text messages to smaller groups rather than the entire contact list. Some things to remember:

  • Contacts can be divided into groups so that your contacts only receive messages which are relevant to them.
  • Different groups may be segmented by the roles, interests, or location of your contacts.
  • You can use different Keywords as you develop your database to establish segmented groups.
  • If you have an existing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, you can sync your contacts with EZ Texting.
  • Safeguards exist to prevent an individual who may appear in multiple groups (for example, a church volunteer who also attends Bible study classes and sings in the choir) from receiving the same message two or three times.

Mass text software like EZ Texting can be used for more than sending plain text messages. All worthwhile mass texting platforms have been developed to generate engagement and encourage feedback. These are a few of the most popular and effective examples.

Mass Text Messaging for Retail Stores

In a congested direct marketing environment, mass text messaging for retail stores is an efficient and cost-effective way for businesses to communicate with their customers.

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Benefits of Retail Mass Texting:

  1. More personal than TV, billboard, or magazine advertising.

  2. More effective than direct mail and online advertising.

  3. Attracts a response rate up to eight times higher than the same message sent via email.

  4. Allows businesses to broaden their promotional reach, increase brand awareness, and stimulate customer engagement more effectively.

  5. Redemption rates for discount coupons attached to a mass text message are typically 8 times higher than those normally achieved by retail businesses that engage in mass email marketing.

Why Retail Stores Love EZ Texting for Mass Texting:

  1. Forward-plan marketing campaigns and schedule when the campaigns are to be sent.

  2. Run recurring marketing campaigns or drip-feed a promotion over a period of time.

  3. Create compelling messages and save them as templates to be used in future campaigns.

  4. Personalize messages to customers by including their name in the text message.

  5. Incorporate QR codes, coupon codes, and tiny URLs to stimulate customer engagement.

  6. Forward customer responses from the platform to a dedicated mobile device.

  7. Integrate web applications such as SalesForce, MailChimp, and EventBright directly into EZ Texting's platform for convenient use.

Mass Text Messaging for Employers and Recruiters

As an employer, when you need to make an important announcement, event, or meeting reminder, usually, time is of the essence. You can't assume that employees or prospective employees will read every email in their inbox, or pay attention to what's posted on the bulletin board. Mass text messaging for employers helps you stay on task, be more productive, and most importantly, maintain communications.

Benefits of Using Mass Texting for Employers:

  1. Automates job candidates communications.

  2. Maintains contact with workers and gig workers who are on the field.

  3. Provides an effective communications channel in times of emergency when data networks have been overloaded.

  4. Does not require employers to gather their workforce in order to make an announcement, thus saving time and money.

  5. Creates a positive company culture by allowing employers to send out “kudos” to acknowledge a job well done.

  6. Helps solicit feedback or approval from employees in a timely, discreet way.

Why Employers and Managers Love EZ Texting for Recruiting:

  1. Quick to create and send mass text messages.

  2. Receive individual replies in one single inbox that can be used to manage and organize mass text message threads.

  3. More discreet than sending a group text in which mobile numbers are visible to all recipients.

  4. Very cost-efficient and flexible pricing even when sending high volume mass texts.

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Mass Text Messaging for Churches

Mass text messaging for churches is quickly being adopted as a viable tool for communicating with congregations, developing community engagement, increasing event attendance, and advising on special events.

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Benefits of Using Text Messaging for Your Church or Ministry:

  1. Promotes spirituality within the community by encouraging inspirational messages to be shared.

  2. Provides a way for community leaders to request prayers and assistance for those in need.

  3. Helps reach out and build connections with students and their parents in a way they are comfortable with.

  4. Aids in building relationships that will help solidify the futures of their congregations.

  5. Helps promote volunteer opportunities.

  6. Promotes fundraisers, raises awareness on certain issues, and helps to share donation details.

  7. Collects feedback from congregation members, helping you to improve your services, increase attendance rates, and better organize events.

  8. Helps to connect with those members in search of guidance on a deeper level.

Why Ministries Love EZ Texting for Mass SMS:

  1. Reaches everyone where they're spending time already — on their phones.

  2. Less expensive and more sustainable than printing flyers and leaflets.

  3. Creates a sense of community because recipients can respond individually to mass text messages.

  4. Informs congregation in a timely way about last-minute service changes.

  5. Keeps up with the mobile-reliant youth population.

Mass Text Messaging for Schools

Cell phones have become an integral part of our lives, so it's only logical to harness the power and influence of mobile devices in our schools . From emergency alerts and reminders to cancellations and closings, mass text messaging for schools is an efficient way to communicate with students and parents at the click of a button.

The Most Effective Ways Schools Can Use Mass Text Messaging:

  1. School Closures and Weather Delays

  2. Permission Slips

  3. Donation Links

  4. Educational Tips

  5. Extracurricular Activity Cancellations

  6. Project Reminders

  7. Submit Feedback

  8. Organize Faculty and Staff Meetings

  9. Year-End Fundraising

  10. Emergency Alerts

  11. Volunteer Recruitment

  12. Class Communications

  13. Strengthen Admission Process

  14. Streamline Student Recruitment

  15. Increase Parent Responses

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Mass Text Messaging for Political Groups & Campaigns

In tight races, turnout can make or break a campaign. Text messaging is an essential tool in every political campaign to generate the best possible results.

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How Political Campaigns Can Use Mass Text Messaging Most Effectively:

  1. Voting Day Reminders

  2. Communicate Policies to Voters

  3. Event Alerts

  4. Coordinate Political Rallies

  5. Solicit Donations

  6. Issue Media Responses

  7. Release Important Announcements

  8. Organize Volunteers

  9. Mobilize the Youth Vote

  10. Staff Communications

  11. Opinion Polls

  12. Event Management

  13. Campaign Updates

Mass Text Messaging Analytics & Segmentation

Activity Report

Analytics

As with any marketing platform, the best bulk text messaging services provide easy-to-consume reporting features that give you insight into how mass texting campaigns are working, which keywords are performing best, and which contact groups are most engaged.

Keep a close eye on delivery rates, open rates, and spikes in engagement. Use the insights you glean from this data to fine-tune your future mass texting campaigns and generate a better response from your contacts as you discover what makes them tick.

Make sure to look for a bulk texting platform with reports that can be customized by date range. Check to see that they also offer colorful, easy-to-read graphs that display the data visually for easier analysis.

Segmentation

Segmentation

​As your contacts database develops, you'll quickly realize that not every text should be sent to all your contacts. For example, if you own a pizza store, don't advertise a new meat lover special to customers who responded to the 'VEGAN' Keyword! You pay for every text you send out, so it makes sense to reach customers with an appropriate message that will deliver ROI.

Your platform should make it easy to both manually and automatically sort contacts into subgroups based on interest, purchase history, Keyword use, etc. If your use of the 'DISCOUNT' Keyword nets you 500 new contacts, the platform will automatically sort them into their own group. If you upload 1,000 contacts, you can manually sort them into customizable groups.

FYI: In EZ Texting, there is no limit to the number of Groups you can create. :)

For example, imagine you want to send a mass text message advertising a weekend-only promotion to nine groups that in total were 2,000 contacts. You draft the following copy: "Get 20% off any purchase at the Main Street Mall, this weekend only! Use the code PROMO20." You may want to select groups whose preferences, interests, and purchasing patterns would be reflected in the stores at the mall. While every text you send costs as little as a few pennies, you still want to get the maximum return for your spend, so avoid sending it to groups who are unlikely to convert on the offer.

You can even save your texts as a template for future marketing. If you plan on holding that same promotion at different times of the year, such as Black Friday or Valentine's Day, your mass texting service should enable you to create a recurring text that is sent out at scheduled intervals. Like any other message, create the copy, select your groups, then set your recurring preferences. Your message will be sent out with the groups and delivery schedule you select.

FYI: EZ Texting has a built-in feature that ensures a contact only receives a message once, even if they're on multiple lists. If a member of a church is in a group for choir, as well as for youth activities, that contact will still only receive one message.

Is Mass Messaging Legal

Yes, it is legal to send mass text messages. With that said, it is strictly a permission-based activity and subject to a few rules and regulations, including:

  • Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991: Prevents organizations from sending spam text messages.
  • Mobile Marketing Association's Code of Conduct: Protects consumer privacy and prevents abuse of the communication channel.
  • Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA): Prohibits using language likely to cause offense and stipulates that businesses and organizations cannot use their mass text messaging service to endorse pornography, profanity, violence, hate speech, or illegal drug use.

Just use common sense and make sure you are only sending messages to contacts who have opted into the service. In addition to consent, be sure to provide a way for them to opt out to maintain a good user experience.

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5 Compliance Tips From the CTIA

  1. No Unsolicited Messages
  2. Use Proper Opt-In Methods
  3. Explain You Recurring Text Program
  4. Allow Customers to Opt-Out Easily
  5. Your Content Must Be Appropriate

Why Choose EZ Texting?

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Smart

Flexible and affordable payment plans to meet any budget and FREE no-risk trial

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Fast

No sales call, special technical knowledge, or developers needed to operate

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Easy

Simple, feature-rich platform

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Reliable

Trusted by over 165,000 businesses and named a top 20 Best Product for Marketers

Mass Texting FAQs

Mass text messaging is sending a Short Message Service (SMS) message simultaneously to thousands of phones using a bulk SMS service provider.

Mass texting gives businesses and organizations the fastest and most engaging way to reach their customers, clients, and followers. And with a 98% open rate — versus email's 18% open rate — you can be sure your messages will be seen.

Yes, mass texting is absolutely legal. And your customers likely want to recieve text messages from your business or organization, but remember, you can only send text messages to people who have given written consent to receive your texts.

Mass texting is one of the most cost-effective and affordable marketing channels. See EZ Texting Pricing.

Get Started Today Using Mass Text Messaging!

If you would like to know more about mass text messaging or to learn about our free trial options, give us a call at 800-753-5372.

Our friendly and experienced team will answer any questions you have and give you a demo of the platform. We'd be glad to provide advice to help you maximize the size of your database, generate engagement, and build relationships.

iphone image of political texts
SMS Texting for Marketing & Sales

Introducing New Generative AI Features!

Now it’s even easier for your team to connect with your audience and collaborate on inbound messages. Yes, that means fewer missed messages!
Welcome to texting transformed.

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