Non-profits have every reason to leverage the benefits of SMS campaigns to grow. Using a bulk SMS campaign can serve several purposes: fundraising or promoting specific events related to organizational activities.

Sending group SMS is becoming an increasingly popular digital mobile marketing practice. With SMS open rates nearly 60% higher than email, it is no surprise that more and more companies are choosing a bulk SMS messaging application as a way to communicate with their customers.

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What is bulk SMS messaging?

It is safe to say that, of all marketing channels, bulk SMS has the highest open and response rates.

The open rate for bulk SMS is 98%, a staggering figure, meaning that out of every 100 people you message, at least 98 will open it and, at the very least, read the content.

And that’s not all. Bulk SMS also boasts a 45% response rate. To say the least, the conversion rate for bulk SMS is impressive.

When should you use bulk SMS messaging?

Get feedback and communicate easily

Receiving feedback will allow you to understand your company's weaknesses and, consequently, improve them.

You can also receive responses to discover your customers' preferences and use these statistics to develop new products or services.
Engaging with your customers can lead to better customer loyalty if done correctly.

By making your contacts feel valued and heard, you increase the likelihood that they will return to your business, knowing that you are capable of solving their problems.

Cross-sell and upsell

If you manage to engage in a compelling conversation with the customer, they are likely to listen to you and trust your recommendations.

In other words, you can suggest that the customer purchase other products or propose upgrades for a product or service they have already purchased from your company.

Octopush offers plugins to make your job easier, which you can also integrate into your application using our API.

Engage with customers to boost word-of-mouth

Building a strong relationship with your customers means they will not only return to you whenever they need something, but they will also recommend your business to their friends.

Word-of-mouth is an essential tool for the success of any business. Your customers are likely to trust you from the start if you were recommended to them by a friend.

And earning your audience's trust is crucial if you want to build a long-term relationship.

Personalize your bulk SMS campaigns

Your customers may lose interest in maintaining two-way communication with you if they feel like they are talking to a robot.

You should address them by their first name when sending bulk SMS to create a more human connection.

However, personalizing your messages by manually adding the recipient's first name to each SMS before sending is time-consuming and complicated. It is more efficient to look for an application online that can make this task easier for you.

That is why Octopush offers features such as sending SMS to multiple recipients instantly or at a scheduled time. You will no longer have to enter each name manually.

If you let Octopush help you, you also won't have to manually keep track of people who have opted out of receiving your bulk SMS.

Schedule reminder messages or review requests

It is easy to plan your messages in advance with Octopush. You can schedule a message requesting feedback or a review, for example, two hours after an appointment, or a reminder one day before a meeting.

Tips for creating the best professional SMS

But even if a well-written SMS can bring a lot to your organization, you need to follow a few rules to get the most out of your campaign.

We are going to reveal 7 tips to boost your bulk SMS campaigns.

Tip #1: Recruit new subscribers via traditional marketing channels

Don't hesitate to attract new contacts using traditional marketing communication channels like social media, your own website, flyers, advertising space, and almost anything else!

Tip #2: No spam! The opt-in rule prevails

In France, it is prohibited to contact a list of numbers without prior authorization (the opt-in rule).

Avoid spam by obtaining consent from every subscriber on your list before sending promotional information. You can secure this prior authorization using a sign-up form, for example, by including a checkbox or a field for users to confirm their subscription.

Tip #3: Timing is everything…

To ensure a successfulSMS campaign, take the time to select an appropriate send date using your chosen platform’s service and pricing options.

It is best to avoid sending promotional messages on Sundays (in fact, the law prohibits mass marketing SMS on Sundays, as well as during specific time slots such as at night or on public holidays).

Also, be sure to respect your subscribers' time zones, which you should know in order to reach them exactly when they are active.

This can be determined by the prefix of each phone number (for example, a number in Guadeloupe is preceded by the +590 prefix). The area code therefore provides valuable geographical information about your customer.

Feel free to supplement this system with IP-based geolocation (possible using PHP5, for example). An IP address is extracted as follows:

$ip = $_SERVER[‘REMOTE_ADDR’];

This IP address is then used as a reference for geolocation by comparing it against a database or using a specific API.

Tip #4: Engaging mass SMS

Mass SMS does not mean impersonal, and certainly not irrelevant. You must consider the interests of your contact list and provide useful information to your community.

Simply sending mass SMS can be used to share your organization's successes, community events, association news, election updates, and more. You can communicate the benefits of a product or offer to your audience, but always in a measured and intelligent way.

Integrating the PHP5 API into your software allows you to fully personalize your messages. This tool lets you include numerous variables (up to three per message, in addition to the recipient's first and last name).

At the time of registration, you should extract as much data as possible from your list and create subscriber statistics: first name, last name, date of birth, marital status, etc.

Tip #5: Be transparent about your intentions

If the sole purpose of your mass SMS campaign is to raise funds for your organization or to list your brand's advantages over competitors, you must clearly state this when users sign up.

Communication via SMS from a platform online should be a simple solution for contacting your subscribers. We recommend limiting overly promotional content, reserving it for rare occasions and using a very indirect approach.

Be sure to specify how you use your audience's personal information and data on your registration form, as well as the frequency of your messages.

Tip #6: Schedule automatic sending via the PHP5 SMS API

Send your SMS using the power of the PHP5 SMS API. This web tool enables direct, automated communication between your server and Octopush's servers.

With this messaging system, you can automate your SMS sending (automatic sending, whether via mail merge or not, based on your configured settings). Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in PHP is specifically designed to simplify bulk SMS sending through its class-based management system and its PHP features.

Tip #7: Coordinate your promotional campaigns

Take the time to coordinate all your bulk SMS campaigns to achieve better open rates. Do not send multiple campaigns simultaneously: take the time to get your initial feedback. Optimize your website for mobile devices ("mobile-friendly").

With Octopush, you can send SMS without being restricted by the 160-character limit or the need to have a mobile phone, for example.

If you choose Octopush's Pro SMS, you can send bulk SMS containing up to 1224 characters. The Pro SMS service is a highly effective way to convey your desired message to your target group. To send and receive bulk SMS even without a mobile phone, the Octopush SMS gateway is at your service.