Q: I want to create some "groups" in my contacts

I want to create a group or more than one in my contacts.   I want to be able to send the same text or e-mail to several people at once without typing it more than once.  Do I need some "extra" program to do this?   If I have to go to the iCloud to access my contacts, how do I do that?  I've tried but it seems to think I have no account.   I'm a newbie and often confused. Any thoughts would be helpful.   Thanks.