Inside SimpleTexting Archives - SMS Marketing & Text Services Fri, 01 Dec 2023 03:20:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 About SimpleTexting’s new look https://simpletexting.com/blog/brand-refresh/ Tue, 10 Oct 2023 09:25:18 +0000 https://simpletexting.com/?p=43894 You may have noticed our site looks different today. Here's why.

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SimpleTexting started over 10 years ago. 

What was once a three-person startup now serves over 17,000 businesses. And, importantly, we’re now part of Sinch, a global cloud communications company with over 4,000 employees across 60 countries.

One thing hadn’t changed much over the last 10 years: our look. 

We were long overdue for a makeover. Today, we unveiled refreshed branding to better reflect our company’s mission to help small businesses win.

What’s different and what isn’t

Our goal was to honor what people love about SimpleTexting. So, while a few key elements have been brought into the 21st century, a lot has remained the same.

The logo
Some folks used to see our name as “SimpleTextin'” because the chat icon doubled as the letter “G.” Well, fear not, the chat icon is here to stay, but it’s retiring from its role as the “G.” 

You’ll also notice our wordmark proudly bears the Sinch name. We wanted customers (and potential customers) to know that we’re part of a company with deep experience in cloud communications and a strong reputation around privacy, security, and deliverability. 

In fact, Sinch was recently named a leader in the first Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS).

The font
We’ve adopted Clash Grotesk and Instrument Sans as our new brand typefaces. Clash Grotesk shows a little more of our company’s personality but is still highly legible and sophisticated. Instrument Sans is classic and readable.

The colors
Blue is still our primary color. But we’ve updated our palette to be more vibrant and flexible. We also introduced “chatty yellow,” a bright color we’ll use sparingly to draw attention when needed.

Other elements
In the past, nearly every photo on our site showed a person on their phone. It didn’t reflect all of the exciting things our customers do on a regular basis. While you’ll still see people on devices (after all, we’re a texting company) we’ve introduced more photos that reflect the true nature of running a small business. 

Finally, you’ll notice a unique yellow line here and there throughout our updated site. We call it our communication line. Texting provides businesses with a direct line to their customers. We provide a simple, direct path to getting started with texting. This is a subtle, visual nod to that idea.

The outside now matches the inside

We wanted this brand refresh to feel like a step forward, not a step in a different direction. At our core, we’re still the same SimpleTexting. The inside of our customers’ accounts has remained the same. We’re still focused on building an amazing product to make it easier for marketers, small business owners, and other professionals to do their jobs. Now the outside matches the inside. Thank you to all of the businesses who have turned SimpleTexting into what it is today. We can’t wait to see what you’ll do next.

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How Do We Stay Accountable and Supportive Remotely? https://simpletexting.com/blog/stay-supportive-remotely/ Tue, 22 Mar 2022 12:36:57 +0000 https://simpletexting.com/?p=27913 Everybody deserves to feel supported at work. Here's how we maintain accountability and encourage our team while working remotely.

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SimpleTexting prides itself on having a hands-off approach to daily work. With an international team, nobody can breathe down the necks of employees. Instead, we trust all of our team to work their hardest, and value speaking up when problems arise.

https://www.tiktok.com/@simpletexting/video/7156642831669464326?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

However, there’s a fine line between feeling entrusting employees to do their job and making sure everyone feels supported day-to-day.

Here’s how we hold each other accountable and support our team.

Weekly 1-1s to Check In

Weekly 1-1s are held between team members and their managers. The goal of the 1-1s is to alleviate any blockers, manage workload capacity and discuss current and upcoming goals.

As we’re fully remote, these 1-1s are also an opportunity to connect with our team members. They’re informal and revolve around updates that aren’t urgent and can wait to be brought up. Everyone has communication with each other via Slack for more pressing issues if they arise. 

1-1s are structured so that managers know what their team members are working on in the week ahead, and to discuss the previous week’s work where necessary. 

SimpleTexting Careers

Looking for a new challenge? We’re currently recruiting for a number of roles.

Monthly 1-1s for Higher-Up Support

Some teams have more levels than others. Our marketing team is divided into three areas; Content, Web and Growth. All members of the marketing team have weekly 1-1s with their direct managers, however, there’s also monthly support from our Chief Marketing Officer.

1-1s with members of the leadership team are an important part of upholding our open-door policy. We encourage the team to reach out to those who can help with a task directly, no matter what level that may be. 

Having 1-1s with a member of the senior team SimpleTexting builds confidence in this outreach and further enables senior leadership to build relationships and assist their team where possible. 

Quarterly Goals (Rocks) to Unite Us

Every quarter, SimpleTexting team members work with their managers to develop ‘rocks’, or quarterly goals. 

These tasks are unique to each team member and are created to upskill and develop employees, while also being crucial to the growth and development of SimpleTexting. 

Rocks are in addition to the day-to-day expectations of each role. They enable team members to be a part of the bigger picture of SimpleTexting’s journey and work towards the united goal of growing our business.

How we successfully run an international remote team

We have over a hundred team members spread across 13 timezones. How do we make it work? READ MORE

Quarterly & Annual Reviews for Feedback

Whether it’s customer reviews or employee satisfaction surveys, feedback is crucial for any business. At SimpleTexting, every employee has the chance to share their opinions, provide feedback and ask for support in the quarterly 1-1s.

We assess professional and personal goals, keep on top of work/life balance, and build out a plan for anything that may need to be worked on. 

Open Door Policy

One of our values is “set egos aside”. No matter who you are or what you do, we expect our team to be communicative and kind to everyone who reaches out to them.

We don’t believe in going from person A to B to C to D to ask one question when you can go straight from A to D. Regardless of our company’s hierarchy, it’s a priority that everyone feels comfortable talking to each other, no matter their position.

Become Part of the SimpleTexting Team

We are always on the lookout for new SimpleTexting team members. To find out more about open positions and our hiring process, take a look at our careers page.

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A Statement on Ukraine https://simpletexting.com/blog/a-statement-on-ukraine/ Fri, 18 Mar 2022 10:04:26 +0000 https://simpletexting.com/?p=27994 How we’re supporting colleagues affected by the invasion of Ukraine.

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For customers and competitors alike, we make no secret of our international team. We are incredibly proud of our colleagues; they’re the heart of SimpleTexting.

When circumstances arise such as the global pandemic, or the invasion of Ukraine, it is our responsibility as an international company to support those affected as best we’re able. As part of the Sinch team, we are working together to strategize how best to support our colleagues in the region and, more broadly, the people of Ukraine.

Please see below an overview of our current strategy, and the actions we have taken so far.

Safety and Security of Our Colleagues

First and foremost, our primary goal is to try and ensure the safety of our team members in the region. We have taken a number of actions, including:  

  • Providing additional financial support, where possible, to our team members in Ukraine as they work to secure safety for themselves and their families. 
  • Continuing conversations with the affected team members to understand if there is any additional support that we can provide. 
  • Consulting a professional advisor experienced in relocation, visas and communication with local authorities. 
  • Supporting team members and their families who have already relocated.   

Global Approach and Sanctions Implementation 

We believe that the best way to contribute to the ending of conflict in the region is by following the implementation of global sanctions that have been imposed on Russia by government bodies. 

As such we are now analyzing and acting upon:   

  • All mandatory sanctions.
  • Any customers, suppliers, or partners cited in the sanctions and ceasing business with them immediately.
  • Where and how to turn off access to platforms or services as necessary. 

Team Member Hotline Support 

In addition to providing individual support to those in Ukraine, we also want to provide a clear path for all team members to request support for themselves or their families who are affected by the conflict.

All employees have been provided with points of contact should they, or people they know, need support. 

Financial Support

Beyond our colleagues and their families, we recognize that countless lives are being upended as this war unfolds, and we want to support those most in need.  

With this in mind, Sinch has launched a ‘“company match” campaign to a non-profit organization supporting the people of Ukraine. Employees have the opportunity to donate, and Sinch will match donations up to $100,000. SimpleTexting itself has donated $10,000 to this effort. 

There Is No Easy Answer, But We Can Contribute Together

For those in Ukraine, there’s no easy solution. We remain hopeful that the combined efforts of businesses, governments and individuals around the world will bring this conflict to an end.

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How we successfully run an international remote team https://simpletexting.com/blog/international-remote-team/ Wed, 23 Feb 2022 13:13:26 +0000 https://simpletexting.com/?p=27662 We have over a hundred team members spread across 13 timezones. How do we make it work?

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The SimpleTexting team began building an internationally remote company long before 2020 made it a necessity. 

Spread across 21 countries and 13 timezones, we’ve continued to grow and scale SimpleTexting while only meeting in person a couple of times per year. We’ve never wanted to limit our talent pool to one location — as a result, we’ve found the best people for the job in every corner of the world. 

While we’re a big believer in remote working, we know that it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. And it also takes a lot of work. Over the last six years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to building a successful remote working environment by exploring new tools, taking on feedback and by recognizing what’s not working (yes, it happens!). 

So what can you expect if you’re looking to join the SimpleTexting team? 

Here’s how we maintain a motivated and productive international remote team. 

SimpleTexting Careers

Looking for a new challenge? We’re currently recruiting for a number of roles.

The communication tools we use 

When your team is spread out around the world, communication is key. And not just active communication — knowing when to switch off and let people know you’re not around is equally as important.

Our weapon of choice for day-to-day chatting is Slack. 

There are two reasons we typically use instant messaging instead of emails:

  1. Nobody wants their email inbox clogged up with simple requests that can be solved in minutes.
  2. Whether we’re chatting about our weekends or sharing pictures of our families, text-based messaging is a much more natural way to bond as a team than email. 

We use Slack to share non-work-related things too. Some of our team are yet to meet in person, which makes humanizing each other even more important. 

We have Slack channels for photos of family, friends, vacations, and weekend activities, as well as a random topic channel for anything we want to share. That includes our Wordle scores, which many of us shared for around two weeks straight (and some are still going).

We also have allocated channels for each team, and we are big believers in only joining channels that are necessary for you. If a team member feels they no longer need or want to be in a channel, they’re welcome to dip out anytime.

The SimpleTexting Slack channel

For collaboration and project management, we use Notion.

Due to its flexibility, Notion is our primary workspace. Each team within SimpleTexting has additional tools and apps that they use to best manage their workload. However, everyone is set up with a Notion on day one of joining the team.

We find Notion the most effective way to share projects across teams, keep each other updated on workloads, and tag other team members in upcoming assignments. 

For HR purposes, Notion is the go-to. All of our onboarding resources are held in Notion, and we even have a personnel directory for each new team member to share a little bit about themselves. With a team of over one hundred people, the directory is a great resource to get to know those you don’t interact with regularly.

The SimpleTexting team home page in Notion

How we champion a work culture remotely

Time zones are hard. There are no two ways about it – we have team members on the West Coast of the U.S. and in East Russia. We use our tools, communication, and emphasis on checking in with each other to help build a collaborative work culture within SimpleTexting.

At the end of each quarter, we host an all-hands meeting. Every member of our team contributes to SimpleTexting’s success and growth, and our all-hands cover the activities and wins of the quarter across all teams. 

During our all-hands is when we also announce the winners of our SimpleTexting values prizes for the quarter.

Take a look at just how international our team is.

A map of SimpleTexting employees' locations

What are the SimpleTexting values?

As a remote team, you have to walk the talk when it comes to values. Every quarter, team members can nominate one another for one of our five core values.

  1. Set Egos Aside
    We know we’re all human, nobody is perfect and that’s okay. We recognize achievement, but don’t let it go to our head. This is a safe space to be an imperfect person who is always striving to be better.
  1. Push Your Boundaries
    We’re never satisfied with the status quo and always searching for ways to take things to the next level. Evolutionary improvements are our bread and butter; revolutionary improvements are our North Star.
  2. Plan to Pivot
    We’re versatile learners who observe the reality around us, orient ourselves accordingly, make decisions, and act.
  3. Own It!
    We heed the call, step up, and own it. We build trust through our actions, with a steadfast commitment to our teammates and our work.
  1. Extend Kindness
    We believe that kindness is the not-so-secret key to forming strong relationships. We choose to be generous in spirit with our coworkers and clients, which has the potential to create forever relationships.
Our values at SimpleTexting

We announce the winners in our quarterly all-hands, while those who nominate others are entered into an annual draw to also win a prize. Values matter in every company, but even more so when each team member works independently. We have to trust each other completely.

On top of our core values, we also ensure every new hire has autonomy, shows initiative, and demonstrates a positive attitude. As a remote team, our work culture is built on the interactions we have each day online. Sometimes these interactions are the only “human” contact of the day, so how we speak to and treat one another is vital. 

For this reason, we have a thorough hiring process, but that gives us full confidence in every person who joins our team from the start.

Our talent knows no borders

To put it simply, we get the best. We know talent and ability isn’t found in one location, and by employing an international team we’ve hired those who can do their job best not just in one city, or one country, but in the world. Obviously, we’re incredibly proud of this, but it works both ways.

As remote working has become more and more common, we’ve had to build a work environment that people want to join. We don’t believe in micro-management, and we know productivity is best where you’re most comfortable. We attract awesome new team members because our current team has worked hard to build a successful remote work environment.

Do you think you’d make a great SimpleTexting team member? Check out our careers page to find your next career move.

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