The Basics of Setting Up a Text Message Service (With Videos)

Texting is easy. We text our family, friends, and colleagues nearly every day. 

So, it should be easy for a business to text its customers. Then again, companies like to say things are straightforward when they aren’t. (We’re looking at you IKEA.)

We built SimpleTexting so that you don’t need to be a tech person to send text messages. You don’t even need to be tech-savvy. It’s why customers often comment on how easy to use our platform is.

If you need more convincing, then this article covers the basics of setting up a text message service. We cover:

• How to sign up for our free trial
• SimpleTexting’s main dashboard
• How to import or grow an SMS contact list
• How to send your first SMS campaign or manage incoming text messages

1. Sign Up for a SimpleTexting Account

The first step of your SMS text messaging journey involves signing up for a 14-day free trial. You can explore the platform and send your first text message. We won’t even ask for your card.

If you like what you see, you can upgrade to a paid plan, where you’ll get full access to our texting features.

2. Familiarize Yourself With Your Account

It’s worth taking a couple of minutes to familiarize yourself with your home dashboard once you’ve completed the process of signing up. Here’s a quick overview of the main elements. 

1. You can find your phone number on the dashboard of your account in the right- and left-hand corners.

If you want a different type of phone number, select “Settings,” then “Numbers” at the bottom left and follow the steps. 

📌Here’s how to pick the right number for your specific use case.📌

2. Here you’ll see a quick snapshot of all incoming text messages.

3. In the top right corner, you can click the question mark icon to chat with support, visit our help center, or read about recent product updates.

4. The “Plan” element of the home dashboard offers you a quick view of how many credits you have available and how many you have used during your current billing cycle. 

5. The analytics view in your dashboard provides a quick snapshot of how many messages you’ve sent. You can also see changes in the number of people who subscribed and unsubscribed by selecting “Contacts.”

6. The left-side panel is your menu and offers you the ability to access all of SimpleTexting’s features quickly.

You can also schedule a demo here and ask all of your burning questions during the Q&A session.

3. Import a List, Create a Keyword or Add a Click-to-Text Button

If you want to use SimpleTexting for text message marketing, we can’t stress the importance of growing your SMS contact list enough.

Import a Contact List

If you already have people who have subscribed to receive texts from you, then you can import them into SimpleTexting. You can learn how to do this in our step-by-step help center article, or you can watch this two-minute video if you’re a visual learner.

⚠️ Compliance and consent are essential when adding contacts. If you plan to send messages to groups, you must ensure that all your contacts have provided express written consent. ⚠️

Create a Keyword

Text-to-Join using a keyword is an excellent way to grow the number of people signed up to receive your text messages.

A keyword is a word or phrase that people can text to your number to sign up for future messages. (E.g. Text SHOP to 900900.)

This video walks you through how to use keywords to gain contacts.

Creating a keyword isn’t enough. You need to promote it, too. The more places you show off your keyword, the more contacts you’re likely to add to your list. This article provides you with ten places to advertise your SMS keyword.

Add a Click-to-Text Button

If you plan on using SimpleTexting to provide SMS customer service, then you’ll want to promote your new customer service channel. With our Click-to-Text Button Generator, you can add a button to your website that instantly launches your customer’s messaging app.

4. Send Your First SMS Campaign or Respond to Incoming Customer Texts

Send Your First SMS Campaign

Now that you’ve created a keyword or imported a list, it’s time to send your first SMS marketing campaign, text alert, company update, or whatever your heart desires. You can send the text immediately or schedule a text for later. 

Respond to Incoming Texts

If you plan to use SimpleTexting for sales or customer service, then you’ll spend a lot of time in our inbox. 

The SimpleTexting inbox lets you prioritize conversations, make notes, and set up templates so that you never have to rewrite the same message twice. In this two-minute video, we cover the basics of how it works:

Still Have Questions About How to Set Up a Text Message Service?

Our team of texting experts would love to help. We’re available 7 days a week. Text or call us at (866) 450-4185 or use the chat at the bottom of your screen. Alternatively, schedule a demo or sign up for a 14-day free trial, and–as we mentioned above–no credit card details required.