MOBILE TEXT MESSAGING ALERTING APARTMENT COMMUNITIES 

For many, the days of neighborhood block parties and Homeowners Association (HOA) meetings have subsided due to residents’ increasingly busy schedules. These gatherings have been an essential tool to impart important information to families regarding many aspects of their communities, including their safety. While these face-to-face opportunities are diminishing, the importance of communication has not gone away.

Just as universities and government agencies use SMS bulk messaging to communicate with large groups regarding campus safety notifications and natural disaster alerts, apartments, gated communities and neighborhoods can benefit from the quick and convenient communication of bulk texting.

Why text messaging?

With a nearly 100% open rate within the first three minutes, messages are practically guaranteed to be received and read, immediately. For a neighborhood or other community, this assurance gives peace of mind that residents are staying informed, and for the recipient, the immediacy and personal nature of receiving a text message enhances the importance of the information being disseminated.

More and more, communities are harnessing the power of bulk mobile communications to notify residents of essential information, such as weather emergencies, power outages, upcoming construction, special events, deadlines for HOA dues, etc.

This tool can also be life saving in the event that a child disappears, a pet goes missing or property has been vandalized or burglarized. The ability of being able to reach the masses quickly during a desperate time has the potential to keep people safe.

On a practical level, SMS texts work better than any other kind of communication as it does not require a good signal to carry on a conversation. Unlike voice messages, a text will still be received as there is no probability for a full voice mailbox. And, unlike email, it is less apt to be ignored or dumped into a Spam folder. SMS bulk messaging also eliminates the need to dial each number by hand as campaigns can be created and scheduled at the sender’s discretion. SMS campaigns also provide valuable data that show how many messages were successfully sent and which ones have and have not been opened.

How and where to begin

Signing up communities to receive these messages is easy. Recipients must first consent to receiving these messages, also known as opting-in. It begins with a keyword and shortcode that can be posted in a common area, sent on a flier to each home, filling out opt in form during lease signing, or opt in on website form.

For example, a landlord running an apartment named the The Sunset Towers wants to start sending SMS text messages. They can post a sign that says “Text the word SUNSET to 81818 to receive building notifications.”

Residents text the keyword to the shortcode and are now added to a list to receive bulk SMS notifications. The landlord can then create various campaigns ranging from fire drill alerts or window washing notices so that all opted-in residents can stay in the loop and know what is going on in their building.

By opening up this line of communication, should a resident have an emergency such as a burglary or should a child or pet go missing, they can notify their landlord who can deploy an emergency alert to the same list of recipients so that the community as a whole can be on the lookout and join in on the effort to help solve the problem.

Apmartment text alerts provides the conduit for efficient, affordable and easy-to-use SMS text messaging. And, with society constantly on the go with its billions of cellphones in tow, governments, schools, businesses and residential communities alike are increasingly implementing emergency alert programs via bulk SMS messaging. Learn more about group text message marketing here.