What is bulk SMS?

Bulk SMS is sending one text message to many phone numbers at once, usually from a web dashboard rather than your phone. A shop announces a weekend sale to 2,000 customers, a school reminds every parent about fees, a clinic tells patients about new opening hours. You write the message once, choose the list, and the SMS provider delivers it to every number.

It works on any mobile phone, with no app or internet connection needed, which is why it remains one of the most reliable ways to reach customers, especially where data is expensive or patchy.

Why bulk SMS matters for small businesses

Email can land in a promotions tab. Social posts reach only some of your followers. A text message goes straight to the phone’s inbox, and most people glance at their texts. For short, time-sensitive news (a flash sale ending tonight, a delivery on its way, a changed appointment), bulk SMS is hard to beat.

It is also simple. You don’t need design skills or a big content plan. A clear sentence, a reason to act and a link or number are enough.

How bulk SMS works

1. Build your list. Collect phone numbers, with country codes, from people who agreed to hear from you.
2. Choose a sender ID. This is the name or number the message shows as coming from, such as “GlowSkin”. In many countries sender IDs must be registered with your SMS provider before you can use them.
3. Write the message. Keep it short, personalise it with the person’s first name if you can, and include one clear action.
4. Send or schedule. Send now or pick a time when people are likely to read it.
5. Track delivery. Delivery reports show which messages arrived and which failed.

Characters and segments

A standard SMS holds 160 characters. If your message uses special characters or emoji, the phone switches to a different encoding and one SMS holds only 70. Longer texts are split into segments of 153 characters (or 67 with special characters) and joined back together on the phone, according to Twilio’s guide to SMS character limits. Each segment is usually billed as one message, so a 200-character text with an emoji can cost you several credits per person.

Example: a phone accessories shop in Port Harcourt sends “Hi Ada, our Black Friday sale starts tomorrow: 30% off chargers and cases until Sunday. Shop: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.” It stays inside one segment, is personalised, and tells people how to leave the list.

Bulk SMS rules to know

Every country has its own rules, so check where your customers are. In Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission runs the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) service: subscribers can text STOP to 2442 to block promotional messages, or choose categories they still want. In the UK, the ICO treats texts as “electronic mail” under its PECR guidance, so marketing texts generally need consent. This is general information, not legal advice.

Best practices and common mistakes

• Only text people who opted in. Bought lists lead to complaints, blocks and poor delivery.
• Always offer a way out. “Reply STOP to opt out” keeps you compliant and your list healthy.
• Mind the length. Stay within one segment where you can, and avoid emoji in cost-sensitive sends.
• Time it well. Nobody wants a promo at 6am. Send during normal waking hours for the recipient.
• Use country codes. Numbers saved as 0803… may fail from some systems. Store them as +234803…
• Don’t overdo it. A few useful texts a month beat daily blasts that push people to opt out.

Related terms

SMS marketing is the wider strategy of using texts to win and keep customers, and bulk SMS is its main sending method. A WhatsApp broadcast is the WhatsApp equivalent, with richer messages but stricter template and opt-in rules.

Bulk SMS in startbuddi

In startbuddi, bulk SMS lives in Marketing under SMS. Click Create SMS, name the campaign, pick an audience or segment, check the sender ID and write your message. Insert Merge Tag adds details like first name, a live phone preview shows how it will look, and a counter shows characters and SMS segments. Then send now, schedule it, or save a draft.

Messages go out through startbuddi’s built-in SMS with nothing to set up, or you can connect your own Termii, Africa’s Talking, Twilio or Brevo account with your own sender ID. When someone replies STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END or QUIT, they come off your SMS list and every campaign skips them (reply reading works for built-in SMS, Twilio and Africa’s Talking). SMS is included from the Starter plan, with a monthly allowance that grows on Growth and Scale. Texts sent through your own provider account are paid to that provider. See the SMS marketing page, the help guide on how to send an SMS campaign, or our page on bulk SMS marketing in Nigeria.

Next step

Write your next offer as one text under 160 characters, with a clear action and an opt-out line. If you want to send it to your whole list with names filled in, compare plans on the pricing page.