SMS for small and medium businesses

18 replies
I've done some searching and I've read where a few people are consulting with small and medium businesses and offering them SMS services. What I'm confused about is how it's all managed. Is there an SMS company that allows you to create accounts for each of your clients or are you telling them about a service and then they must sign up and facilitate it themselves. If the latter, what service are you offering, other than con them about SMS... Is that affiliate based? Private label?
#businesses #medium #small #sms
  • Profile picture of the author freemen14
    Originally Posted by lewiswharf View Post

    I've done some searching and I've read where a few people are consulting with small and medium businesses and offering them SMS services. What I'm confused about is how it's all managed. Is there an SMS company that allows you to create accounts for each of your clients or are you telling them about a service and then they must sign up and facilitate it themselves. If the latter, what service are you offering, other than con them about SMS... Is that affiliate based? Private label?

    I am doing this pretty much full time right now. Offering SMS campaigns to small businesses, organizations etc. There are many company's which offer this service online. You have one account, you use their platform to upload your excel spreadsheet (or whatever you use).

    You then purchase credits (texts) from these company's and mark up your price however much you want. Then send out the sms/ text message for your client.

    To give reference I buy about 5000 credits per day at .025 cents per credit and sell for about .10.

    This gives a little background.

    Google "bulk sms" and many company's will show up.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      There are literally millions and millions of SMS providers, and it can be highly competitive especially in the small and medium business market depending on your location. In the LA metro area, I offer SMS as a free service as a lead-in to my main products and services.
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      • Profile picture of the author freemen14
        Originally Posted by myob View Post

        There are literally millions and millions of SMS providers, and it can be highly competitive especially in the small and medium business market depending on your location. In the LA metro area, I offer SMS as a free service as a lead-in to my main products and services.

        Good point. I live in a more rural area with a city size of only 50K so no competition at all.
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    • Profile picture of the author lewiswharf
      Originally Posted by freemen14 View Post

      I am doing this pretty much full time right now. Offering SMS campaigns to small businesses, organizations etc. There are many company's which offer this service online. You have one account, you use their platform to upload your excel spreadsheet (or whatever you use).

      You then purchase credits (texts) from these company's and mark up your price however much you want. Then send out the sms/ text message for your client.

      To give reference I buy about 5000 credits per day at .025 cents per credit and sell for about .10.

      This gives a little background.

      Google "bulk sms" and many company's will show up.
      Thanks guys! I somehow missed your responses the other day. Freemen, I was thinking along those lines and believe it will work in my area as well.

      My only confusion that sort of still exists is how the businesses customers sign up to receive an SMS. From all my reading it sounds like they text the keyword to a number, but these keywords are limited per account for most providers. If you upload an Excel sheet with numbers from the business, how do you get a customer's consent?
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      • Profile picture of the author KenHammond
        Lewis,

        You're right, having their customers text a keyword to a shortcode is one way to add to the businesses list.

        We're also integrating existing auto-responders to offer followup with both text's and voice broadcasts.

        Let me know if you're interested and we can give you a beta account to test.

        - Ken
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    • Profile picture of the author xichabodx
      Originally Posted by freemen14 View Post

      I am doing this pretty much full time right now. Offering SMS campaigns to small businesses, organizations etc. There are many company's which offer this service online. You have one account, you use their platform to upload your excel spreadsheet (or whatever you use).

      You then purchase credits (texts) from these company's and mark up your price however much you want. Then send out the sms/ text message for your client.

      To give reference I buy about 5000 credits per day at .025 cents per credit and sell for about .10.

      This gives a little background.

      Google "bulk sms" and many company's will show up.
      Are you charging a set monthly fee, or by the message? What is your average monthly if you do? What about up-front fees?
      Also, I'd like to hear how you obtain your clients.

      Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author axelbrian
    Hi,
    your information is good for all members who are running business.I am doing online business and I want to create account on this website .I ask you please clear that where I can do this.
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    • Profile picture of the author DolainUK
      Ken

      Is this service applicable to only US customers


      Regards

      Dola
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  • Profile picture of the author HorseStall
    You can purchase software to manage your own SMS comunications. Have a look at PageGate PageGate - SMS Server and Network Paging Gateway Software

    The caveat is that it must be opt in so you have the information to send the messages to the proper phone.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      A real simple way for getting businesses to have their customers opt-in is to just post a sign with a free offer. There really is no big secret and not much different than email. For example, some of my clients are fast food franchises and we set up a free system to incentivize customers to send a text message to receive discount coupons and specials. They optin, and easily may optout anytime. If the business has an email list, a message may be sent out as well as voice broadcasts (must be an existing customer).
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      • Profile picture of the author freemen14
        Originally Posted by myob View Post

        A real simple way for getting businesses to have their customers opt-in is to just post a sign with a free offer. There really is no big secret and not much different than email. For example, some of my clients are fast food franchises and we set up a free system to incentivize customers to send a text message to receive discount coupons and specials. They optin, and easily may optout anytime. If the business has an email list, a message may be sent out as well as voice broadcasts (must be an existing customer).
        paul, you're correct in that it's not really that complicated. My clients use much the same method and it works well. Clients use a number of different methods to collect incentive based opt-ins.
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  • Profile picture of the author coach
    The answer to your question, Lewis

    ... I use and recommend:

    Trumpia

    It does autoresponder-like SMS and email. You can create a form for the clients site or people subscribe by sending a text message.

    And yes, you can set up accounts for clients and private label.
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    • Profile picture of the author TrumpiaTim
      Originally Posted by coach View Post

      The answer to your question, Lewis

      ... I use and recommend:

      Trumpia

      It does autoresponder-like SMS and email. You can create a form for the clients site or people subscribe by sending a text message.

      And yes, you can set up accounts for clients and private label.
      Thank you for the recommendation Coach.
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      www.Trumpia.com

      Trumpia: The Most Completed SMS Text Messaging Software & API Solution.
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  • Profile picture of the author zapp1com
    I must admit I've gained loads from adding SMS to my customers businesses.



    Obviously you have to think outside of the box a little on it, As the more creative you are with using it for your customers to drive business through their door, the more business you will gain from you customer.



    I've used SMS messaging to great effect with restaurants and hairdressers of all things, and it's always lead to me gaining more work from them.


    I tend to set it all up on my service 1st and manage to get it all underway and then when it all starts to take off I migrate it to them for self-management. And of course I charge as setup and training service for this & not to mention as I set it up through my affiliate link every time they buy credits I earn 25% ..... And if they don't want to self-manage then I charge them an on-going management cost & SMS fees.


    And the best thing of all it all works just like an auto responded so you can set up a month's worth of messages in a few hours and sit back & smile...


    Take care and every success
    Rob
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    • Profile picture of the author krzysiek
      Hi Rob,

      How do you actually profit from the SMS marketing you set up for them though? Minus the initial fee to set it up for them, once they are doing it themselves, it seems like you have given them a gold-mine for a one time fee?
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      • Profile picture of the author zapp1com
        Hi,


        The way you do it is to find an SMS service that you use that offers affiliate links, semi or full white label writes.



        Then when you set this up for your client for as long as they are buying credits you are earning money...


        Now admittedly you will earn more money out of them if you are managing it totally, but I don't know about you but I want to enjoy life a little and not be stuck behind a computer all day long... And sometimes it's good not to be greedy as if your client feels they are getting value for money from you, they tend to give you more work as you would have gained there trust.


        Take care
        Rob


        Originally Posted by krzysiek View Post

        Hi Rob,

        How do you actually profit from the SMS marketing you set up for them though? Minus the initial fee to set it up for them, once they are doing it themselves, it seems like you have given them a gold-mine for a one time fee?
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        • Profile picture of the author krzysiek
          Hi Rob,

          Thanks for that. Just a last question, what is the average amount of SMS messages your clients send out per month? I think SMS marketing is a pretty damn good idea, for those businesses who are not yet using it.
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          • Profile picture of the author zapp1com
            Good question ,
            But one not easily answered as it really depends on your client...


            Examples...

            I tell restaurants not to send out more than one or two offers a month as any more than this and people will unsubscribe as they don't want to be hassled.. (This type of client I tend to manage, as you can set up the texts in advance)


            But


            I will tell hairdressers that if your bookings are low around a specific time of that day then send out a quick SMS and you will be amazed at how quickly they get booked up... (These types of client I tend to set up the service and collect the affiliate commission, as I don't want to be hassled every time they need to send a text)


            I hope this helps you
            Rob
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