Increasingly, businesses of all sizes are reaping the benefits of low-cost, instant communication via bulk SMS messaging for clients and colleagues alike. And while a large corporation will have access to an IT department to provide this communication tool, what are smaller companies supposed to do? The good news is that you don’t need to be a computer whiz kid or have an in-house IT department to take advantage of SMS technology. Instead, businesses can turn to a bulk SMS gateway provider to find easy ways to send their text messages. An SMS gateway provider will provide you with a point of contact, an AZ price list, and an easy-to-use interface to send your bulk SMS messages.
However, if you are new to bulk SMS messaging, you may still be wondering if there are different ways to send SMS messages and how easy it is to use this technology. With that in mind, here’s a quick breakdown of three different ways businesses can send text messages through a bulk SMS gateway provider. All of these methods can be sent from a standard computer and require no specialized knowledge…essentially as easy as sending an email.
Sending text messages online
This is by far the most popular way of texting as users just need to log in to the website from a computer and they are good to go. Once they’re in, texting online is a lot like sending an email. With online SMS, users are not tied to any computer; they should be able to use any computer and any browser (be it Explorer, Safari for Mac, Firefox or Chrome) to access their account and send their messages. This gives the user more flexibility as they can send text messages online from home or office, wherever suits them best. Good gateway providers will offer a feature-rich online SMS service, such as allowing the sender to receive replies, scheduling messages, real-time delivery reporting, and even managing your contacts.
Sending text messages from a desktop app
Another common way businesses send SMS messages is through an app downloaded to your Mac, PC workstation, or Linux computer. This system is as simple to use as online SMS messaging, allowing you to write your message just like you do with an email or instant message. Users often prefer this method of sending bulk SMS, as the application can be accessed through an icon on the desktop. Some desktop apps are actually web apps. Keep an eye out for two-way SMS messages, message delivery receipts, plus being able to schedule when your messages were sent. Using a desktop SMS application can also allow the user to reduce the cost of sending bulk SMS messages by optimizing their routing.
Sending messages from a spreadsheet
Perhaps the easiest way to send bulk SMS messages is through a plugin for a spreadsheet application. Although only a few gateway providers offer this service, it makes texting a breeze. It allows businesses to make use of the information contained in your spreadsheet application (be it names, phone numbers or message templates) to send their text messages. With this method, you don’t have to exit the spreadsheet app to switch to the SMS app; the plugin allows users to send text messages directly from the spreadsheet. All you need to do is highlight your contact details, type or highlight your templates message and click “send”. You can customize your messages and recipients from information stored in your spreadsheet. This approach also generally provides useful features such as SMS delivery reports and job scheduling.
Of course, sending text messages online, using a desktop app, or a spreadsheet plugin are just the easiest methods of sending bulk SMS. If you have access to a bit of technical expertise (or can hire a freelancer to provide it), then the world is at your fingertips when it comes to messaging. Then you can set up a system to dynamically send text messages, such as automatically sending a business card every time a potential client contacts you or sending appointment reminders, bringing a whole new level of mass messaging to your business.