How Much Does a Mass Notification System Cost?

When it comes to employee alerts, there’s no room for methods that result in employees missing messages—especially when emergency situations arise. But traditional company email addresses can be costly, and they’re not practical when you work in an industry where a percentage of your staff doesn’t sit at a desk all day. So what’s the answer? There are a variety of alternative mass notification systems available, like texting platforms or communication apps.

As you’re shopping around for solutions, we know that price is a big factor. You need a system that not only fits your needs, but also one that fits your budget, too. In our latest blog, we’re taking a look at what an employee notification system is, why they’re so important, and how much you can expect to spend on a system that fits your needs.

What Is a Mass Notification System?

A mass notification system is an alert system that’s designed to share real-time information to a large number of people. To narrow our focus: a mass notification system for business is specifically designed to communicate these types of messages to employees.

What is the purpose of a mass notification system? The primary point of one of these systems is to communicate quickly and effectively to your employees. Whether you need to alert them of an emergency situation—when time is of the essence—or you’re simply reminding them of a company-wide initiative, their ability to see and respond to the notification is important. 

In general, mass notifications in the workplace can be divided into two main categories: emergency and non-emergency.

• Emergency notifications include things like workplace hazards, emergency weather alerts, or health and safety warnings. Essentially, these communications require immediate notice.
• Non-emergency notifications, on the other hand, include things like shift or schedule changes, benefit enrollment reminders, or company events. These communications are still important, but they don’t require immediate notice or response.

What Is Mass Notification Software?

Mass notification software platforms empower employers to communicate with their employees in a timely manner. The fact is, whether your employees are desk or non-desk workers, you need to be able to quickly get messages out, especially in emergency situations. Here are some of your options for mass notification systems:

Email

Email is one of the more standard notification systems. For office settings where everyone has an email address and consistent computer access, this can work well. However, for industries that employ non-desk employees, email may not be the most effective method.

Messaging Apps

Internal communication platforms like Microsoft Teams or Slack have become popular over the past several years. And while they can work well in certain circumstances, they require non-desk employees to download apps on their smartphones (assuming all of your employees have access to a smartphone), a data plan, and/or an internet connection.

SMS Text Messaging

For businesses that employ non-desk workers, SMS works wonderfully as a mass notification system. Not only do text messages have a 98% open rate, but they don’t require your employees to have a smartphone or download an app. And, an SMS texting platform—unlike simply texting from phone to phone—eliminates pesky group chats and better maintains employee privacy. Because of their ease of use and high open rates, we’ll focus the remainder of this article on SMS text messaging platforms.

How Much Does a Text Alert System Cost?

Mobile text alerts pricing varies from platform to platform. And, the way that the pricing is calculated varies as well. Here are the two primary pricing models for texting platforms.

• Message Credits: In this model, you’ll pay a monthly or annual fee for a specific number of messages. In this type of contract, you may also have the option to buy additional message credits should you run out. Sometimes, you may also receive a nasty overage bill with additional fees at the end of the month. While this pay-as-you-go method may be appealing initially, this type of system actually hinders employee communication because the number of messages you have is finite. What’s more, you may end up in a situation where you need to message your team but you’ve already met your allocated number of messages. Now, you’ve got to spend precious time adding more credits to your platform or finding another way to get ahold of employees when necessary. Moreover, having a limited number of message credits stops effective communication from happening because it discourages businesses from allowing employees to message back. Effective internal communication is about listening to your employees too, not just talking at them.
• Unlimited Messaging: In this model, you’ll pay a monthly or annual fee for a specific number of users, and you’ll have the ability to send as many messages as you’d like. Using this model works particularly well because you won’t have to worry about how many messages you are sending or receiving—you can communicate as much as necessary with your employees. This helps to foster an environment of open communication between HR, the front office, managers and employees. And, the best platforms like Yourco even prorate your monthly charges. When your workforce experiences turnover, you’ll only pay for employee seats while the employees are employed with your business. If an employee is terminated, you only pay for that employee’s seat at the end of the month for however many days they were in the Yourco platform. What’s even better, all of the historical messages on a terminated employees stay stored in the system for your future reference. With Yourco, you have access to unlimited groups, unlimited message storage, unlimited files, and unlimited file storage.

So how do you complete a mass notification system pricing comparison? Depending on the quality of the system and the functionality you are looking for, pricing varies dramatically. A lower-end tool with less functionality can be relatively inexpensive, while a higher-quality tool with advanced functionality can cost a couple hundred to tens of thousands of dollars per month, depending on the structure or your organization and the size of your workforce. Essentially, rather than thinking solely about cost, consider what features are must-haves and look for a platform that will meet your communication needs every single day.

Yourco: A Mass Notification System That Works

Are you ready to implement a mass notification system that works? SMS text messaging has an average open rate of 98%, and an average text response time within 90 seconds. With an SMS text messaging platform like Yourco, you can rest assured that your message is getting out there. 

At Yourco, you’ll have access to a robust web app for your leaders to manage text communication with their employees, unlimited messaging that stimulates effective internal communications, unlimited storage for operational and legal reference, and so much more.

Stop wasting time with bulletin boards, emails, handouts, and flyers. Communicate with your employees and send alerts when and how you need to. With no downloads, no passwords, and no learning curve, your employees are sure to love it. Ready to find out more about the Yourco platform? Contact us or try for free —we’d love to hear from you.