Top 6 SMS Apps for Salesforce
Check out the best SMS Apps for Salesforce that help you build a connection between your business and your customers through text messaging.
We all know that the world is getting more and more complicated with billions of people using thousands of channels to communicate with each other. As a business, it is important to make sure that the investment you are making to reach your customers and prospects is effective, and sometimes this means leaning a little bit less on older channels (such as email) and building a connection through modern channels (like SMS and Instant Messaging). In a world teeming with communication channels, businesses need to evolve to connect with customers effectively. In this article, discover the top 6 SMS apps directly integrated with Salesforce, enhancing your business's ability to build meaningful connections.
Email is the New Snail Mail
Think about your email inbox right now. When was the last time you checked it? How many unread emails you've got there? You may have multiple email accounts, some personal (maybe an older one that receives quite a bit of spam) and maybe a work-related one.
Now think about how your friends, family, and colleagues get your attention. I can almost guarantee that the first thing that came to mind was an instant messaging service of some sort. SMS text messaging and services like WhatsApp are the way we communicate with each other these days. According to a 2015 Pew Research study, 97% of Americans used texting at least once a day.
So if your business is looking to get the attention of your customers, then you need to start implementing SMS apps for Salesforce and other instant messaging channels into your communication strategy.
Beyond SMS: Exploring Channels
While SMS and MMS are crucial, WhatsApp is where a large share of buyers outside the US actually reply. Understanding where your audience engages the most is key to crafting a comprehensive communication strategy.
Top Text Messaging SMS Apps for Salesforce
Salesforce's out-of-the-box functionality can be easily extended thanks to the best enterprise marketplace known as the AppExchange. You can find all kinds of solutions that fit your business requirements and have them installed in a very short period of time. Below are some of the best SMS apps for Salesforce that you can use to connect with your customers directly from your CRM.
1. ValueText
If you need an easy-to-use texting app with great customer support at an affordable price, then ValueText is a great option to consider. It is one of the leading Salesforce messaging apps when it comes to SMS, MMS, and WhatsApp integration. Which makes it a complete multi-channel messaging app, natively built for Salesforce.
Whether you need simple 1-to-1 conversations or bulk texting from list views and reports, advanced automation or full-featured chatbots, ValueText will get you covered. And your users can choose different chat view layouts based on their preferences.
ValueText also offers the ability to create Dynamic Templates that use Salesforce Merge Fields to pull data from Salesforce directly into your messages, minimizing manual work and making your messages more personal. And you can schedule messages based on a specific time, timezone, or even business hours.
While there is plenty of additional functionality for end-users, your management can simply use standard Salesforce Reports and Dashboards to track the performance of your messages. Super handy!
And to improve the efficiency of your team, with ValueText you can automatically send SMS and WhatsApp messages in Salesforce through native automation tools. This way you can instantly confirm scheduled appointments, send reminders to customers, special personalized offers, and more!
Unlike some of its competitors, ValueText also offers the ability to run without storing any data on the server. This allows customers with strict data privacy requirements to be able to communicate with their customers and prospects while still meeting security requirements.
Last but not least, ValueText offers outstanding customer support and affordable pricing. Check current ValueText pricing for plans and rates, or request a personal demo with their product experts.
2. SMS Magic
SMS Magic allows businesses to communicate with their customers and prospects via SMS, MMS, WhatsApp, LINE, and Facebook Messenger. The app runs natively on Salesforce and supports omnichannel messaging on both Sales Cloud and Service Cloud. Even though SMS Magic is among the well-known SMS apps for Salesforce, it doesn't focus exclusively on Salesforce. The company also offers integration with Zoho CRM as well as its stand-alone portal.
The pricing of SMS Magic starts at $7 USD per user per month for its lowest plan.
3. Mogli
Mogli allows you to communicate with your customers and prospects via SMS, MMS, and WhatsApp. This native tool is simple to use and can be set up in a very short period of time. You can send SMS and WhatsApp surveys and polls using Mogli with any standard or custom object to help your business quality new leads easily. Mogli works with Pardot, Marketing Cloud, and Omnichannel. The app also allows you to either record and send an audio file of a human voice or have your text read in your chosen language and accent.
Mogli pricing is structured in a different way where all the plans include unlimited users. As of this post's original publish date (November 2023), the Starter plan started at USD $3,950 per year for US and Canada only, and more expensive plans, as well as paid add-ons, were available for additional functionality and coverage.
4. Twilio
Twilio SMS claims that its Salesforce package will allow your business to communicate with customers via SMS in just a few minutes. The product offers two-way SMS conversations with Contacts and Leads, personalization with merge fields, scheduled SMS messages, and more.
However, the app seems to have some mixed user reviews on AppExchange so make sure to read them to be aware of any potential issues.
Twilio SMS starts at $15 USD per user per month. It also requires a Twilio account with a payment method.
5. Blackthorn Messaging (Formerly, Textey SMS)
If your business doesn't need multiple channels, then you can leverage the Blackthorn Messaging solution to send and receive SMS communications with your customers and prospects. Blackthorn also supports the ability to automatically send text messages using Salesforce Flow, track links, and enable call forwarding.
Blackthorn Messaging was once known as Textey SMS. Additionally, it starts at $45 USD per company per month.
6. Mercury SMS
Last but not least, Mercury SMS also offers the ability to send and receive SMS text messages natively through Salesforce. You can configure bulk SMS from Campaigns, or communicate one-on-one with a specific Lead or Contact. Mercury SMS allows you to configure templated messages using merge fields. It can also automatically create a lead, member, and case through Inbound 'Keyword Actions'. If needed, you can integrate Mercury SMS with Cirrus Insight Inbox App.
While Mercury SMS pricing starts at $10 USD per user per month, please note that a MessageMedia account is also required for full use of this application. As of this post's original publish date (November 2023), the basic MessageMedia accounts started at £25 per month.
Choosing the Right SMS App for Salesforce
As you embark on the journey of selecting the ideal SMS app for Salesforce, it's crucial to consider several key factors to ensure that the chosen solution aligns closely with your business objectives. Here's a detailed breakdown:
Start With the Team and the Problem
Before you compare apps, name who is going to use it and what breaks today. Support, sales and marketing want different things out of the same product, and a shortlist built without that answer tends to optimise for the wrong one.
- Which team is this for? Customer support, marketing, sales, or all three.
- What actually goes wrong today? Replies arrive too late, nobody is available outside business hours, emails go unread, or some combination.
- Which of those does messaging fix? Support usually needs chatbots and automated replies; marketing usually needs bulk sending and templates; sales usually needs one-to-one conversation from the record.
- Which channels do your customers already use? SMS and WhatsApp behave differently on cost, opt-in and rich media, and not every app carries both.
Answering those four narrows the list before you read a single feature table.
Functionality Coverage
Ensure that the SMS app's functionality covers your specific business needs. Different businesses have distinct communication requirements, so confirm that the chosen app supports the channels you intend to utilize. Questions to ponder:
- Does the app support not only SMS text messages but also other channels like WhatsApp?
- Can you send messages in bulk directly from Salesforce List Views, Reports, or Campaigns?
- Does the app allow you to schedule messages based on timezones or business hours?
- Is there support for automation features or the implementation of chatbots within Salesforce?
Ease of Implementation
Would the app require a complex implementation and onboarding? Would it take several weeks, or several days, or just a few minutes? What about the configuration, do you need your Salesforce Admin to figure out the setup on their own, or would the vendor team support you? For example, in the example of ValueText, their product experts would configure the app for your specific use case and provide training so that you can get up and running in minutes.
Are SMS apps for Salesforce user-friendly?
No matter how great your SMS apps for Salesforce are, they are only useful as long as your team is using them. That is why at ValueText we pay a lot of attention to the intuitiveness of our app, which results in great user adoption for our customers.
Affordability
Pricing transparency is key to avoiding surprises and ensuring the chosen SMS app fits within your budget. Take the following into account:
- Carefully review the pricing structure of the SMS app. Are there any hidden fees?
- Compare pricing quotes from different vendors to find the best fit for your business.
- Consider the overall value offered by the app in relation to its cost.
Security and Compliance
Check where the data sits and which rules the app helps you keep, not just which logos it prints. Ask the vendor three things in writing: whether message content is stored on their servers or only in your Salesforce org, what encryption and access controls apply, and which certification they actually hold (ask for the certificate, not the claim). ValueText holds ISO 27001:2022 and can run without storing message data on its own servers.
Compliance is the part a buyer inherits, so read it before you sign, not after: the rules differ by market and the obligations land on you, not the vendor. The detail lives in the dedicated posts on TCPA and US opt-in rules, CASL in Canada, GDPR in Salesforce and WhatsApp's own business rules. If consent has to be auditable, check the app records it against a Salesforce object you can report on, such as ContactPointConsent.
Reviews and References
Vendor pages describe the product the vendor wants to sell. AppExchange reviews describe the one customers installed. Read them, filter for orgs that look like yours in size and industry, and then ask the vendor for two references you can speak to directly. The questions worth asking a reference are how long implementation actually took, what support response looked like after go-live, and what they would not buy again.
Integration With What You Already Run
An app that only speaks to standard objects stops being useful the moment your process lives somewhere else. Check that it works with your existing stack and your custom objects before you buy: ValueText, for example, is built natively on Salesforce and runs with Propertybase Salesforce Edition as well as standard Sales and Service Cloud.
Additional Considerations
Depending on your unique business requirements, there might be specific features or considerations that are paramount. These could include data privacy concerns, customization options, or integration capabilities with other tools in your tech stack. Evaluate:
- Does the SMS app adhere to strict data privacy requirements, especially if you need to avoid storing certain data?
- Are there customization options available to tailor the app to your specific use case?
- Does the app integrate directly with other tools and platforms within your organization?
Are You Ready to Get Started with SMS Apps for Salesforce?
The beautiful thing about Salesforce is that it is super easy to extend the functionality of your org with the solutions from AppExchange. There are thousands of apps that you can easily install into your org, including SMS apps for Salesforce.
As a business, you need to decide which tool is right for you. Some apps only support SMS while others, like ValueText, support the ability to connect across SMS, MMS, and WhatsApp, in one solution. Your business will also need to decide if they need to avoid storing data, in which case the ValueText no-server option would work a treat.
If you are ready to get started, the easiest way to learn more about ValueText is by booking a personal demo with one of our product experts. You can also check out our AppExchange listing and install a free trial of the ValueText SMS app for Salesforce into a Sandbox today to give it a try.
