Using a free business text messaging service or app is a great way to communicate with customers and employees. Regardless of the metric, the majority of individuals prefer communicating with others via text messaging. Compared to emails, text messages are viewed more frequently and quickly. These days, both your customers and your staff members are likely to have their phones within easy reach at all times. Reminders, tasks, and company events are all well-suited for business texting.
What is Free Business Text Messaging?
A free business text message is the sending and receiving of SMS messages between a company and its leads, clients, or staff. The experience of receiving a text message for business is comparable to texting with a friend. However, a commercial text messaging service’s server may also include sophisticated recipient segmentation, workflow automation, analytics, and many other features.
In order to improve customer service, free business text messaging also makes use of well-liked mobile communication channels like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, as well as SMS. Text message marketing is a crucial aspect of corporate text messaging, but it goes well beyond that.
Considerations for Free Business Text Messaging
Here are things to consider with free business text messaging:
#1. Text Message Volume
Sending a few texts or hundreds at once? Only a small number of the free SMS choices allow you to send several messages at once (e.g., uploading your contacts from an Excel spreadsheet). Using the bulk tools, keeping extensive lists of contacts is a breeze.
#2. Text Message Responses
Do you want or require replies from your connections via text message? Free texting services that also allow for replies are not universal. The advice is to plan ahead for how you will gather replies to your messages.
#3. Text Message Personalization
Will the message be conveyed the same to everyone? Will every message be unique? Your text messages may have wildcard fields if you use certain free messaging software choices.
How Does Free Business Text Messaging Work?
Free business text messaging functions similarly to personal texting, with the exception that, in this case, it is the company’s phone system that keeps a log of all messages sent and received. A free business text message may be a one-way message from a company to a customer, or it may be a two-way message exchange between the company and the customer, depending on the system’s capabilities.
To send out notifications or updates to customers, businesses need to get their customers’ permission first.
How Can I Send a Free Text Message to a Company?
Using a Sender ID, you can send SMS messages using a fake company or brand name. What appears in your phone’s “from” section for incoming text messages is the Sender ID, which might be a custom name or a regular mobile number. With a Sender ID, you can use a corporate or brand name while sending SMS messages.
The Benefits of Free Business Text Messaging
There comes a point where integrating free business text messaging into your business’s workflow is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Here are the benefits:
#1. Relationship Management With Clients
The most obvious advantages of texting are its familiarity, ease of use, lack of intrusion, and convenience. Every day, we text our closest friends and relatives.
In terms of connecting with your target audience, this is arguably the best option. Texting your clients and having a two-way discussion with them shows that you value your relationship with them and are interested in their feedback, both of which will keep them coming back to your business.
#2. Convenience
Numerous problems that arise from interactions with clients can be solved via texting. It’s true that telephone conversations can be taxing at times. Calls always seem to come in at the worst possible moments, whether they’re coming from your end or the customers’.
Furthermore, adopting a text message strategy can help you avoid leaving a message or being ignored. Customers can reach you 24/7 with an SMS-enabled landline. You can send them non-intrusive, convenient texts.
#3. Eases the Stress of Managing Communications
There are a plethora of channels via which businesses can reach their target audience and hear what they have to say. Most of the time, this necessitates the use of multiple phone numbers.
The time and effort required to effectively manage a crisis can quickly pile up.
In spite of this, you can increase the pressure by combining your landline with a texting service. Doing so ensures that interactions between your company and the consumer are centralized and, thus, simpler to handle.
This not only helps your company be heard more clearly in the industry but also prevents important details from being overlooked during conversations with clients.
#4. More Success in Getting the Message Read
Despite all the lauded accolades they receive, only 22% of marketing emails are opened, according to a GetResponse survey. Contrast that figure with the 98% open rate that text messages experience.
It makes sense that SMS channels should be taken into account if you want your message to be received by the widest possible audience, like about a sale or any other information you feel is crucial to your consumer base.
Emails are still effective and should be taken into consideration, but disregarding text messages will prevent your company from reaching its full potential.
How Can I Get a Free Text Number for My Business?
Using Google Voice, a business can send and receive text messages for free.
Without knowing the recipient’s carrier, you can send a single text message to them for free using Google Voice’s online app. Either your current mobile number or a new one can be used with this program’s flexibility in number selection.
Free Business Text Messaging Service
Free business text messaging service and telephone solutions are being put to increasing use by companies around the country. With Text-Em-user-friendly All’s platform, businesses are able to cut costs, enhance customer service, reduce response times, enhance communication, and boost revenue.
The free business text messaging service for companies automates SMS marketing campaigns and appointment reminders. Most apps also enable SMS and MMS, or multimedia messaging services (MMS). However, not all services allow for international messaging, and some have restrictions on the number of users or connections. In order to assist small businesses in finding the best option for their needs, we reviewed texting services based on features and pricing. Here are the best text messaging services for business:
- Clicksend: Appropriate for teams desiring pay-per-use messaging through several media
- TextMagic: An effective message for businesses looking to attract clients from abroad
- Salesmsg: Ideal for small organizations and sole proprietors who require text and voice services
- Podium: Ideal for businesses that want to oversee the complete customer experience
- Text Request: An excellent account receivables management option for small service-based organizations
How Do I Create Business Text?
Whether you own an e-commerce company, a neighborhood hardware store, or a medical practice, a free business text messaging service has the power to alter how you communicate with your clients, patients, suppliers, and even staff members. But when done correctly, business texting is the most productive.
Therefore, if you’re going to be using a free business texting service to communicate with your clients or staff, there are some common standards to follow to create a business text.
#1. Set Your Communication Objective
Before you begin composing your message, know your purpose for sending a business text message. Consider this to be the “why” behind your business text’s stated purpose. Generally speaking, if you are messaging a client, you are attempting to make contact with them.
The purpose may be to receive a reply, guarantee complete client happiness, or present a workable solution. The purpose of a text conversation with an in-house worker, contractor, or field employee could be to coordinate logistics or establish a timetable. Step two, tone, comes into play after the communication aim has been established.
#2. Determine the Tone of Your Conversation, and try to Keep It Cordial
The tone of your company’s communications should be appropriate for the purpose, audience, and brand of your messages. Even though business texting is instant and feels more intimate than email, the tone should still be consistent with the company’s brand.
If you’re discussing legal, medical, or financial business, avoid emojis. Keeping brand messaging means being more serious than a retail or food service brand. Seriousness doesn’t imply that your message can’t be easygoing. You want to use the same confidence, even, and calm tone in a text message as you would with a customer about test findings or a court matter.
#3. Introduce Yourself
When utilizing business texting, it is important to always identify yourself and your company. Include the customer’s name in the message if you have it to increase the likelihood of a reply.
Furthermore, don’t assume a consumer has saved your number just because you’ve texted them before. You’ll gain your clients’ trust and increase your response rate with this introduction and correspondence.
#4. Avoid Ambiguity by Keeping Your Communication Concise
Texting requires brief messages. You can’t copy and paste a customer email as text. It has its own set of rules. First, you have a limited number of characters to communicate. SMS enables one to 160 characters. If you send more than 160 characters in a standard SMS, the message will be broken into multiple parts. These criteria offer even more motivation to rapidly get to your text’s “why.”
In addition to brevity, your communication should be clear so that the receiver has no need to ask for clarification. In some cases, a picture or a link can help better convey your argument than words alone, but doing so will reduce the number of characters available for your message. Before hitting the send button, take a moment to proofread your messages and, if required, rephrase them so that you can get your point through more swiftly.
#5. Add Pertinent Files or Links
To illustrate a point or enrich the discourse, you and your recipients can both add images or links to your messages. You might wish to add things like using MMS to send pictures of products, staff work schedules, or even screenshots for troubleshooting.
There are two contexts in which links and images are particularly helpful. As a first-use case, it’s fantastic for receiving inbound communications from clients or workers who wish to send visual aids to clarify their arguments, such as photographs or links.
Free Business Text Messaging App
Finding an online free business text messaging app is rare. However, both true SMS and messenger apps that transmit messages but don’t use your phone’s SMS service are available for free.
Texting is still the most popular method. You don’t need to worry if they use SMS/MMS because most people do. Free texting apps are questionable. Free messages in return for ads are popular. Apps with monthly limits and extra fees are the second most frequent.
Whichever model you can live with the best is up to you; they are still free in any scenario. Because operating these services costs money, there is no service that simply sends you SMS or MMS for free, indefinitely. As a result, free business text messaging apps require a way to make money, and advertising is typically that way. Here are the top free business text messaging apps.
- Text Free
- Textplus
- Google Voice
- TextMe Up
#1. Text Free
Text Free is one of the most popular free business text messaging app. It also functions on iOS, which has a large user base. The app fulfills its promise. You register for an account, take possession of a phone number, and begin texting others. This one offers free calls as well. However, the number of free minutes per month is restricted to 60. If you need more minutes, you can watch video advertisements or buy more.
Subscriptions are $2.99 a month to remove ads or $4.99 to remove ads and reserve your phone number. As the service reclaims inactive numbers, you can reserve yours for a monthly fee. Anyway, the app works. The app is global.
#2. Textplus
Textplus is another app for free business text messaging. You can send and receive SMS messages to and from the US and Canada at no cost. Additionally, it provides totally free phone calls. The catch is that it’s based on a credit system. Simply watching advertisements grants you credit. Add voice calls and text messages without data for only $9.99 a month! (GSM phones only). To avoid advertisements, you can pay the lowest monthly fee of $0.99. At long last, you’ll be able to purchase call credits separately. We had no issues with the free texting feature and found the UI to be rather pleasant.
#3. Google Voice
One of the best free business text messaging app is Google Voice. You can use it to make free phone calls to landlines in the United States or Canada as well as send free SMS messages. Outside of such places, coverage is, at best, patchy. In any event, you do receive a few extra benefits, such as a respectable Google Chrome extension for computer use, a cool app with Material Design, and some really lovely call-related voicemail settings. The SMS and MMS support is strong, but it isn’t all that different from what we’ve seen on this list. It’s a dependable choice, and you should probably try it first. Please be aware that this app requires a Google account to use.
#4. TextMe Up
If you’re familiar with Text Free, you won’t notice many differences between TextMe Up and Text Free. The software provides a contact number for use. Messages are sent and received via text messaging. While the app’s overall ad load is lower, there are more opportunities to view adverts on each individual screen. If everything comes down to personal taste. Like that one, this one lets you make phone calls using a credit system. You do have a small supply, to begin with.
However, pricing starts at $4.99/week for 7 days of unlimited access (including free calls) and $7.99/month for unlimited access for the entire month. Each plan also includes unlimited free phone calls and ad removal. The United States and Canada are the only countries where you can send an SMS message for free with this app. Additionally, the Material Design UI is a lovely touch.
Is There a Free Text Message App?
Yes, there is a free text message app, and Google Voice is one of them. You can see their descriptions above.
Can You Do Business Text Messaging From a Computer?
Yes, you can use a computer to send a business text message. The majority of contemporary business text messaging services offer a desktop client through which you may send texts. Additionally, you can send text messages using your help desk software, which many corporate messengers integrate with.
When Should Businesses Use Text Messaging Services?
When a company has to send out time-sensitive updates and alerts, such as delivery notifications or order status updates, they should employ text messaging services. Offer promotional offers and discount codes. Engage in brief customer service conversations with internal or external parties. Obtain client feedback. Reach out to clients who favor SMS for communication.
Who Can Use Business Texting?
Business texting is advantageous for anyone who has to connect with a group of people consistently. Support, sales, marketing, recruiting, internal communication, and many other uses are all used by our customers. Visit our success stories to find some inspiration.
Why Should Businesses Use Text Message Marketing?
Text message marketing is a fantastic method to establish a personal connection with your audience and deliver tailored messaging. Additionally, texting is quicker than other forms of communication, enabling you to solve problems and interact with clients right away.
What Industries Benefit the Most From Text Message Marketing?
Text message marketing can help any company that needs or wants to communicate with customers directly. It’s a fantastic approach to engage your customer base and give your customer service and business interactions a more personal touch. The hospitality and service sectors, appointment-based firms, and retailers that frequently run promotions and special offers are some particular businesses kinds that frequently need to text clients.
How Can You Send Bulk Text Messages?
While each service provider has a somewhat different process for sending bulk text messages, in most cases you need to import the contacts list. After that, you would prepare a mass text message to send to this contact list and schedule it for delivery at the right moment.
Is It Legal to Send Marketing Messages via Text?
If companies adhere to the rules set forth in the CAN-SPAM Act and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), they are permitted to send clients promotional text messages. These laws, which are enforced by the Federal Communications Commission, prohibit companies from sending marketing communications to customers who don’t want to. Businesses that violate rules like the TCPA risk receiving fines of up to $1,500 per willful infringement.
Is Bulk Texting Software Secure?
The top bulk texting software applications offer a variety of security levels, like other software kinds. You should look for security features like two-factor authentication or multifactor authentication (MFA), documentation that demonstrates regular security updates and patches, intrusion detection, the ability to track user activity, data encryption, and privacy protection when selecting this kind of software.
Conclusion
Per the Pew Research Center, the vast majority of American adults have access to a text-enabled mobile device. It’s no wonder that firms are exploring free text message marketing strategies since the amount of time people spend on their phones continues to rise. Although there are dozens of good services available, just a select number really shines, especially for smaller companies that care about their customers.
Free Business Text Messaging FAQs
Is text message marketing effective?
70% of consumers believe that SMS marketing is an effective strategy for companies to get their attention. Your company will be more likely to notice engagement and receive a reaction if you communicate with clients in the manner they prefer.
When should businesses use text messages?
The best use for text messaging is when a customer needs to receive a message quickly.
How long should a business text message be?
Keep it Short and Informative
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