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B2B SMS marketing: Definitions, examples, use cases, and tools
Learn how to put the speed and efficiency of B2B text messaging to work in your marketing strategy.
Learn how to put the speed and efficiency of B2B text messaging to work in your marketing strategy.
B2B SMS marketing is quickly becoming the dominant marketing channel for business-to-business organizations.
SMS grew by nearly 200% as a B2B strategy from 2015 to 2017 alone and is expected to continue to grow as mobile users do.
What that means is that you’re going to want to get the hang of it. Not only is B2B SMS marketing popular with businesses across every industry, it’s unmatched for speed and efficacy (but we’ll get to that shortly).
Let’s break it all down.
Business texting is the process of using SMS as a business for marketing, sales, customer support, recruiting, and more.
B2B text messaging is the use of those business texting functions to sell or market to other businesses, as opposed to B2C (business to consumer) texting.
Short answer: yes, B2B text messaging is effective.
Of course, I don’t expect you to just take my word for it. Let’s break down a few of the major benefits of B2B text messaging.
And sure, we could throw statistics at you all day long, but the biggest question is, does this actually work for real business owners?
Yes. Let me introduce you to Sydney McDonald (professionally known as sydneyonsocials), a business owner who sends a single daily text to her subscribers and earns over $4,000/month doing it.
I believe that I’ve had so much success with this because I am texting my customers instead of emailing them. Honestly, I think email stresses people out, and we just get too many every single day to go through.
Sydney McDonald
Social Media Coach
So, now you have a few good reasons to get curious about B2B texting. Now I’ll show you how this tool looks in the real world with some B2B SMS marketing examples.
This can refer to a couple of different use cases.
The most common is to let clients and partners know that you’ve restocked a product they’ve bought or shown interest in before.
The other is to send out a message announcing new products you’re launching in the near future.
Restock alert! We’ve just added more [PRODUCT NAME] to our inventory, be sure to grab yours before we run out again.
Skip the phone tag and endless emails and send your scheduling link straight to your contacts’ text inboxes.
They can easily click through and schedule or confirm their meeting, saving a lot of hassle for everyone involved.
Hello! I saw your request for a meeting about [TOPIC], feel free to schedule a time at [LINK].
On the same note, reduce no-shows with a reminder text 24 hours ahead of the scheduled appointment or meeting.
Just include the time and date of the meeting with instructions to cancel or reschedule if needed.
Friendly reminder that your meeting with [NAME] is coming up on [DATE] at [TIME]. Feel free to call our office to cancel or reschedule.
If you sell a product that needs occasional or frequent maintenance, remind your clients to bring it in for service.
Time for regular maintenance on your [PRODUCT]! Visit our calendar at [LINK] to get your service appointment on the books.
Get your audience’s opinion on your current product and service offerings with a text message survey.
Adding a link to your favorite survey site makes it easy for your contacts to take action, and you’ll be able to track your engagement afterward.
We’d love to hear your opinion on our upcoming seasonal lineup! Weigh in using our survey at [LINK].
Another easy way to get valuable feedback on your business and future plans would be to send out a poll (or text-to-vote survey).
These are simple multiple-choice questions that your audience can answer with one tap.
What should our VIP gift be next month?
Keep your partners and clients in the loop about important goings-on in your business by sending out text updates when you have something interesting to present.
You can even set up and automate a text newsletter or weekly/monthly recap.
Is it already [MONTH]? Last month we launched a new [PRODUCT] line, expanded our [TEAM NAME] team, and much more. Get all the updates at [LINK].
Although you hear the term “SMS marketing” thrown around, texting can be used for more than just marketing. It’s also a powerful sales tool.
Help your subscribers stay informed about the industry as a whole by sharing crucial updates or significant developments over text.
Did you hear that stock prices on [PRODUCT TYPE] are soaring today? Check out the latest updates at [LINK].
Don’t lose momentum when a lead gets interested. Send out a text immediately after a lead fills out your web form, expresses interest in a product of yours, or any other major touchpoint (some businesses can even automate these using third-party integrations).
Hi [NAME]! I saw that you requested more information on our [PRODUCT]. I’d love to take you through a demo! Feel free to book a time at [LINK] or reply to this text with any questions.
Client feedback can give you indispensable insight into how your current products, marketing, and team perform and how you can best improve.
The best way to gather that feedback is, of course, to ask (with a text).
How was your experience buying from us? If you have a moment, let us know how it went at [LINK].
Make sure the people you do business with know how much you appreciate them with a thank-you text after they make a purchase or a deal with your organization.
This leads to stronger relationships with your partners and clients and a stronger brand reputation for you.
Thank you for continuing to support us, [NAME]! We’re grateful to work with you.
With so many B2B SMS tools out there, how do you know which one to choose for your business? Here’s a breakdown of the top three B2B texting tools on the market to help you decide.
SimpleTexting is a straightforward platform with a holistic set of features available across all pricing plans:
Pricing
SimpleTexting’s plans start at $29/month, which comes with 500 messaging credits. Unused credits from one month roll over to the next month (for one month only). If you need more credits, you can add them using the self-serve billing dashboard.
You can try SimpleTexting free for 14 days, no credit card information required.
If you’re new to SMS marketing or aren’t yet comfortable with B2B text messaging tools, you’ll love EZ Texting‘s intuitive messaging platform and helpful features.
Pricing
EZ Texting offers four different pricing tiers to choose from: Launch ($25/month), Boost ($75/month), Scale ($125/month), and Enterprise ($3,000/month).
Each plan comes with 500 free credits, except for the Enterprise plan, which comes with 200,000 free credits. You can also try EZ Texting for 14 days free.
Textedly is a solid choice for small businesses with a tight budget. This platform is simple but powerful, offering a well-curated set of features to help you get your messages out without overspending.
Pricing
Textedly features eight pricing tiers, from $26/mo. for 600 message credits and one keyword to a $349/month plan, which comes with 18,000 credits and seven keywords.
You can also try it out free for 14 days with 50 credits. Custom plans available.
Don’t forget to set up a compliant welcome message to let contacts know who’s going to be texting them, how often, and why.
This article was originally published on April 30, 2019 and updated on August 1, 2023. Meghan Tocci contributed to this piece.
Lily is a content marketing specialist at SimpleTexting. She specializes in making helpful, entertaining video content and writing blogs that help businesses take advantage of all that texting has to offer. When she’s not writing or making TikToks, you can find Lily at roller derby practice or in a yoga studio in the Seattle area.
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