Bulk SMS (Short Message Service) refers specifically to the simultaneous sending of many SMS messages to a database of consenting contacts for marketing purposes.
SMS marketing is a powerful way to increase customer engagement and enhance brand experiences, as it enables businesses to send high volumes of text messages directly to a large number of customers and prospects;
From large businesses to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), government agencies to corporate companies, and community groups to educational institutions, SMS messaging provides a cost-effective solution for sending promotional campaigns, sales alerts, authentication, customer support updates, notices and news.
What is the difference between bulk SMS and normal SMS?
The difference between regular SMS service and bulk SMS is that you can use bulk SMS to send thousands of texts simultaneously at a low and affordable price, unlike in general mobile SMS, in which the single messaging feature is time-consuming and expensive.
Most businesses and organisations opt for text marketing through SMS due to its higher open rates than email campaigns. Thus, they can effectively and in real-time engage with their audience.
With that said, let’s look at the cheapest bulk SMS providers in Kenya and their cost of service:
The 5 best cheapest bulk SMS services in Kenya – 2024
Bulk SMS refers to sending large numbers of SMS messages at once. Because of this, SMS providers use the bundle pricing technique to reduce costs, increase efficiency and encourage take-up.
The cost per text credit varies dramatically between suppliers. On average, SMS marketing services provided by big telecommunication companies like Safaricom and Airtel cost between Ksh0.5 and Ksh0.8 per message sent. However, a few bulk SMS providers, like Olickhom and others, offer bulk SMS message bundles that are cheaper at a very low and affordable price of Ksh0.3 per SMS for local traffic.
Take a look at the most affordable bulk SMS providers of 2024;
| Rank | Bulk SMS provider | Cost per unit |
| 1 | Olickhom | Ksh0.30 |
| 2 | Move SMS | Ksh0.50 |
| 3 | Telkom Kenya | Ksh0.60 |
| 4 | Airtel Kenya | Ksh0.70 |
| 5 | Safaricom | Ksh0.80 |
The above are just the basic plans of the bulk SMS providers mentioned. Otherwise, SMS pricing is based on many other factors such as the destination of the messages, the length of the texts you’re sending, as well as the carrier to which the SMS is being sent.
Usually, they charge less for bigger packages, and sending texts to international traffic is more expensive than local traffic. Further, pricing and profitability are influenced by costs such as SMS gateway fees, software licensing, and general market demand.
Tips for choosing a good bulk SMS provider
Firstly, before choosing an SMS provider, compare their pricing plans based on your messaging volume and frequency to find an affordable provider offering the best value for your pocket.
Secondly, while researching their prices across different package offerings, you should know that a good SMS system is user-friendly, can send long messages with instant delivery, and reports in real-time. A high delivery rate ensures that your messages reach the intended recipients as soon as they are sent for efficiency and reliability.
That is without mentioning that the platform should offer scalability and high throughput capabilities or Throughput Per Second (TPS) of at least 5,000 SMS per second, allowing you to send thousands or even millions of messages quickly with a guarantee of privacy and regulatory compliance.
Additionally, they should have SMS automation and scheduling functionality and, for marketing effectiveness, support SMS branding using alphanumeric Sender ID characters and their distribution via Unicode character sets to the recipients.
Lastly, a good SMS company should be able to provide analytics and reporting for tracking campaign performance to measure and monitor key metrics that will give valuable insights into how your business is performing and where improvements are needed.
