Reviewing ClearSMS
Note: The following is a paid review
I don’t do too many sponsored posts, even though I get dozens of approaches a month, directly, indirectly and in all sort of ways. Although the revenue is nice, I’m very picky in what I choose … I mean a pay out of $40 - $100 … though nice, big deal. I really have to have an affinity with the product/service that I’m being paid to review. Today, I have come across one of them.
Today, I am reviewing ClearSMS.
Lets go straight to the source and it’s a pretty clear explanation of the service being offered…
ClearSMS is a Web-based application that lets you send bulk SMS messages to your customers, contacts, or just about anyone.
SMS marketing is an area that all businesses should look more closely into. It’s a great way to keep in touch with customers with short text messages - remembering we are in an area of the mobile/cellphone revolution.
SMSing has grown worldwide over recent years and it’s not just your friends texting you. Marketers and business are using it to keep in close contact with their customers.
From a business point of view, sms marketing is a cost-effective way of advertising, keeping customers up-to-date, doing short follow-ups and essentially keeping your brand in front of your customers and prospects.
ClearSMS offers an extremely easy-to-use service, yet sophistacted enough to text messages out to millions.
With a very clean interface, it’s a simple website that is very focused on what it offers - no cluttered website here.
The main area of the service is the “dashboard” area, which although does what it intends to do, I believe needs a little web 2.0 spit n’ polish - but that’s just looks, setting up messages sending them takes only minutes and there’s little learning required.
You can schedule future send-outs at a date and time of your choosing, but more importantly is the pricing structure.
They use a “Pay as you go” system, where there are no monthly contracts, no minimum fees - you simply buy credits as needed. I like this structure as you are not tied into the one provider and only spend your money when needed.
Here’s how the credit system works:
I message costs 1 credit. The cost of a credit are based on scale on the amount you buy - the more credits you buy the cheaper it becomes.
For example: buying 200 credits costs 9.1 cents per credit, whereas if you buy 1,000 credits it will cost you a lower 8.2 cents a credit - and down to 50,000 credits will cost you just 7.6 cents a credit.
For international send-out the credit system is different than sending out into America. For example, it costs 1.77 credits to send a message to the UK. To Australia its 1.18 credit and all the way to Belgium where it costs 2.24 credits for the one message. Canada is a 1 for 1 and France is a rather high 2.60 credits.
Buying credits is a breeze. Their shop is so basic yet does the job with ease.
I personally like that they have gone the route of a good web2.0ish company and have a blog - though they need to get more active with it - 3 posts since its launch in April. A tips, testimonials, case-studies etc., would do wonders for the uptake of this service and more importantly some authoritative posts on sms marketing could give them some leadership in the industry.
All-in-all I like the whole setup of ClearSMS. It’s a simple service that does what it says it will do and nothing more.
For me personally, I will be seriously looking at offering a SMS update service to my customers at my “real” business. I especially envision being able to quickly make special time-limited offers on the go.
ClearSMS is one company I will be watching closely over the coming years, as one part of my marketing channels and overall business strategy.
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ClearSMS is run by Amyntor Limited, a London-based company, with a presence in Nova Scotia Canada and New York.
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