How To Start A Bulk SMS Service Business In Nigeria

According to the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), there were over 206 million total mobile telephone (GSM) subscriptions in Nigeria as of June 2022.

Back in 2018, Nigerians sent and received a staggering total of 20.92 billion SMS.

If you’re wondering if SMS is still a thing in Nigeria, you should remember that not everyone has access to alternative messaging platforms; and many who do still use SMS. There’s definitely a large user base for this means of communication.

That’s why Bulk SMS services are in high demand. Diverse groups of persons and organizations connect with their target audience using mobile text messaging.

People send SMS to, and receive it from colleagues and loved ones; businesses send out numerous text messages to large numbers of people at once as part of their marketing campaigns, and religious institutions are ‘broadcasting’ SMS to the public in the area they are located.

The bulk SMS business just entails sending SMSs to a large number of people, and getting paid for it. Businesses, religious organizations and public sector bodies use this service to reach hundreds or thousands of people. It’s a service in high demand, so you can be certain that there will be a need for your services if you’re involved in this business.

Here are three steps you can take to get started as a bulk SMS retailer.

Determine Your Profit Margin

How much money will you be taking as profit per SMS sent through your platform?

Let’s say each SMS sent from your platform cost you ₦1.00 to purchase from the wholesaler. You could add an extra ₦1.00 to it and resell it at ₦2.00. In other words, anyone who wants to send out 10,000 SMSs to their target recipients through your platform will pay you ₦20,000 to do so.

Register with Wholesalers

As is the case with every other retail business, you’ll have to purchase your product (in this case the SMS service) from wholesale suppliers. In case you’re wondering, they’re actually easy to find on the web.

Registering with wholesalers often requires that you create an account with them online (on their website). When you have done this, you’ll purchase a specific number of SMS units from them as your starting stock.

It’s advisable that you find out about the prices and quality of service available at these wholesale platforms before registering or buying units from them.

Market Your Business

Your business’s primary presence will be your website. But you’re not very likely to start getting orders from people and organizations for your services off the bat. You’ll have to draw them to you by marketing the business on the social media handles you set up for it. Contact individuals, businesses, and religious organizations that may be in need of your service. Pitch to as many potential clients as you can.

When you pitch, be sure to note the benefits that would accrue to your potential customers from using your services. This, more than any other thing, will make them interested in what you’re offering and may convince them to patronize you.