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SMS group text messaging is an incredible way to communicate with your existing customers and fellow employees. You can set up groups for an invigorating chat about a hot topic or to make sure everyone is on board for an event. Group texting is usually a temporary situation set up for a specific purpose. It is better used in this fashion because long-term groups can create problematic situations. It is possible to commit a faux pas when participating in group texting if you are not careful. Here are some problems to avoid in order to keep your groups professional and courteous.

1. Know who is in your group.

Even for professional group texting, it is important to know who is in your group. Groups should always know the identity of every participant, and ensure that their language remains professional throughout the conversation. The group text is a record of what you are saying to each other, and can come back to bite you if your group moves from professional to questionable behavior. You can always call or text your personal friends later after the group text messaging is over.

2. Don't text anything that you wouldn't say out loud.

A group text is like a group meeting via text messaging. You need to stay courteous and ultra careful about what you say. It is easy to offend people in person, and even easier in print when people can't hear your tone of voice or see your face. Remember too that your group members may forward the texts on to someone else in their company after the fact. This person can also judge your behavior as unprofessional for future communications.

3. Be aware that you are replying to all.

Those unfamiliar with group texting may not realize that every time they text, they are replying to all group participants. Therefore, everyone gets their text messages. That can be a lot of text messages in a short period if your group is more than a few people. Less is more with group texting. Keep your responses short and to the point. You can follow up with team members privately if you have any questions. For business groups, you may want to limit the times of day that the group can communicate with each other. Or create a new group each time you meet.

4. Group texting can create problematic situations.

Once a group text has been formed, you cannot opt-out or add anyone to the group. You have to create a brand new group to add someone. If your group is large and you forget someone, they may get hurt or feel left out. If you add someone who shouldn't be there, they may hear information that they shouldn't. Keeping groups smaller helps control some of these issues, and you can find other ways to communicate with groups such as online chat or create a discussion group on Google+. Group texting can be the perfect solution to your business communication for a specific purpose. For long-term group communication, it is often not the best bet.

5. Mixing up your texting groups is easy.

If you have a lot of groups that you text with, it is easy to mix them up and post private or proprietary information in the wrong group. Texting is a quick response type of communication and if you are doing more than one thing at a time, you or someone in your group may let the cat out of the bag in a big way. Group texting is better used for setting meeting times, locations of appointments or sending back a quick "yes, I am coming." For heavy-duty or private business discussions, group texting is not the appropriate venue.

Group text messaging has some excellent value for quick group communication, but should be used professionally and carefully to keep your groups sorted properly. Make sure you follow business etiquette as if you were together in person, and know who you are talking to.

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