Yuan Yang

Emails infiltrate almost every minute of our lives. They call to us from our phones, interrupt us on our desktops and threaten to topple an already hectic schedule. 

Inboxes are overflowing with unbeatable offers, must-see demonstrations, and faster, better ways of doing things if we would just click the link. Email is so pervasive that it’s become a low priority and one of the most ignored forms of business communication.  

According to Gartner, the open rate for emails has dropped to a dismal 20%. 

Fortunately, there’s a new king in the communications stakes, SMS text messages. These short blurbs show up on people’s phones and enjoy a massive 98% open rate.  

The numbers make it pretty clear; If you want your business to be heard, you need to incorporate SMS messaging into your marketing strategy.  

Similar to how software has sprung up to serve email marketers, SMS apps help you connect with customers personally, send automatic texts based on data from a calendar, or use the information in a marketing list.

1) Salesmsg

Salesmsg is created with the small business person in mind, giving business owners the capacity to engage with leads and connect with customers. 

Main Features 

Tag Segmentation: You can segment your contacts into distinct groups with tags so you only send relevant information. You can also use the tags to filter, sort, and send messages at specified times.  

Automation: You get intuitive automation features with Salesmsg. Integration with Zapier lets you connect with third-party apps to connect with instant conversations. 

Mass Send: Mass texts can be sent with ease. Merge fields allow you to add the personal touch to each message and stats are available for measuring performance.

2) Simple Texting

SimpeTexting is designed for marketing campaigns that rely on compelling images and attention-grabbing videos.  

It has a while to go before it can go toe to toe with the likes of textmagic, but it still has compelling features that make it worth a look. 

Main Features 

Extended Messages: If 160 characters just aren’t enough, then the 300 characters available in Simple Texting will be a welcome addition. When you have a lot to say, then Simple Texting might be your business group texting app of choice. 

Text to win: Creating engagement through SMS is a lot easier when you use it to create competitions. Simple Texting also has a text to vote feature that helps you gather critical information about your audience.  

MMS Marketing: Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is the technology behind sending videos and images via SMS. You can use all sorts of rich media to get your audience’s attention and make your message stand out, including animated gifs, audio files, images, and videos.  

3) TextMagic

If all you need is a simple yet professional-grade business group texting app to communicate with staff, customers, and suppliers, then TextMagic will provide all the features you need.  

Main Features 

SMS Surveys improve the customer experience by finding out what your audience wants.  

Carrier Lookup and Number Validation allow you to easily identify invalid carriers and phone numbers so you can achieve better delivery and open rates on your campaigns. 

Global SMS Coverage means you can reach your audience wherever they are in the world. You get access to 200+ countries via 1,000 mobile networks. 

4) Mood Messenger

Mood Messenger provides an aesthetically pleasing interface and a straightforward way to connect with personalized conversations and share YouTube videos. If the best SMS app on Android is the one with the coolest emojis and excellent predictive text, Mood Messenger should go to the top of your list.  

Main Features 

Customized Conversations give you changeable backgrounds that fit the mood of the conversation, whether it be with a client or work colleague.  

Double Sim Support for phones which support dual sims. Set up separate profiles for each number.  

Animated Content is a feature that allows you to quickly share videos directly with a contact, making Mood Messenger a fantastic business group text app for organizations that thrive on video content.  

5) EZ Texting

EZ Texting doesn’t have any standout features that haven’t already been done in any other business group texting app, but it does everything well and delivers users a ton of guidance along the way. Everywhere you look on the screen, you are offered guidance on how everything works, making EZ texting a top contender for the best SMS app on Android.  

Main Features 

Create campaigns. Send contests sweeps, offer coupons and vouchers, and deliver in store and online promo codes.

Lead Generation. Build your marketing list and develop customer behavior profiles through market attribution. Expand your market reach by giving current customers text opt-ins.  

Alerts and Notifications deliver instant alerts about office closures and automated event notifications like appointment reminders.  

6) MightyText

If your business relies on fast, up-to-the-minute, reliable communications from phone or desktop, then MightyText should fit the bill.  

Main Features 

Templates and Bulk Messaging. Save time by creating templates and sending out tailored messages to different groups like clients or team members.  

Keep Everything Synced Between Devices. Send messages from your phone, tablet, or computer and effortlessly move from one device to the next without missing a beat, or just leave your phone in your bag or pocket while you do everything from the desktop.  

Message Scheduling. A Gmail plugin allows you to set a specific time for messages to go out according to data in the calendar. Your messages won’t arrive in the middle of the night while your clients are asleep or a team member is on vacation.  

7) Flock

If you need a simple method for sharing files, then Flock might be the best SMS app on Android for your team. Flock is a fully-featured business group texting app used by large internationals like NameCheap and McDonalds, so it’s got some good pedigree.  

Main Features 

Does just about everything. Start a one-on-one, deliver group texts or start a group chat. You can also do video calling and share your screen.  

File storage. Never lose a file again with Flock’s ability to store your files in a secure location and hand out permission as required.  

File share. You can share files up to 5GB for no charge. This size should be plenty for most applications.  

Connect with social media. Social media marketers will appreciate the way Flock can integrate with social media platforms like Twitter.  

8) Handcent Next SMS

When you need a messaging app for teams that are always on the go, then Handcent Next SMS is worth a look. It’s got all the features you need, and possibly one or two you wondered how you ever lived without.  

Main Features 

Handy extra features. You have theme support, a robust spell checker, and password protection to round out an already loaded feature set.

Cloud backup. Cloud backup is one of those features you didn’t think you needed until you did. You can lose your phone, but if you’ve been using Handcent Next SMS, you will be able to quickly get back on track with the app’s handy free cloud backup service. 

Privacy. Keep your confidential texts for your eyes only. Everything done in a private messenger box is secured through encryption and can only be accessed with a password.  

9) Chomp SMS

Businesses requiring something straightforward, but not too simple should check out Chomp SMS.  

Main Features 

Stop Mid-Send. When you notice an error at the last second, Chomp SMS lets you quickly cancel out of it. Now you won’t have to worry about sending the wrong SMS to a client. It’s like email recall, but for text.  

Extreme Customization. You get access to 100 free themes, and more emojis than you can poke an index finger at. It’s got them all, including Android, Emoji One, Twitter, and iOS. You can also get a selection of ringtones, font sizes, and text styles. 

Message Scheduling. You don’t want to be that annoying team member that sends work texts in the middle of the night, but you also don’t want to forget your great idea. It’s not a problem because you say what you have to say and schedule to go out during business hours. 

10) Android Messages

Google’s Android Messages maybe a little bare-bones for some businesses. It is free and already installed on most phones. If you don’t need any of the bells and whistles featured in other text apps like Text Magic and EZ texting, then it should do the trick.  

Main Features 

Most people have it and know how to use it. The advantage of using an app that everyone is using means no learning curve.  

There’s a desktop app. Google conveniently makes a desktop app you can access through just about any web browser.  

It might have everything you need. If you are running a business with a small team, there’s a good chance Android Messages has everything you need for now. Google Duo now even gives Android Message the capacity for video calling. 

11) Textr

Textr is more than a business group texting app, because the service combines a business grade phone system you can use from your phone or a desktop application. The service works in 48 US states and 10 Canada Provinces.

Select multiple local area phone numbers. Textr lets you select multiple local area phone numbers using real phone numbers. Customers don’t need to install a specialized app to connect with your company. Plus, you can also add Toll-Free numbers.

Work in Teams and improve customer service. Different users can be assigned different handles for messages from specific phone numbers. This feature means you can assign a team member to a customer so no SMS message can fall through the cracks and leave a client hanging. 

Shareable contacts between team members. Teams deliver better customer service when they can collaborate and share information. Textr information is shareable so all team members have access to the latest information and are updated so customers don’t have to keep repeating themselves.