As times change, brands continually look to connect with their consumers in a personalized and targeted way. Fortunately, SMS has become a natural and integral part of multi-channel marketing by proving to be successful in increasing communication and the return on investment for many businesses.
You may be wondering what exactly SMS marketing is and how to use it in the first place, so we’ll be going over just that in this article. The goal is to help you better understand what it really is and decide if it’s something you’d want to implement into your marketing strategy.
What is SMS marketing?
SMS marketing is the use of sending promotional or transactional messages to your intended audience through the use of text messages. Most of the time, these messages would include updates or time-sensitive offers that your recipients have opted into getting.
What are the benefits of SMS marketing?
Sending a text message is one of the most available and immediate methods of marketing. 3.8 billion people own smartphones, and 60% of customers open text messages in less than 5 minutes after receiving them. When done right, there’s enormous potential to be found with SMS marketing, primarily when it’s used to support your other marketing channels. For example, it could serve as a reminder for customers to check their email for a promotion or update you may have sent to them and help increase the open rate for your email marketing campaigns. Using SMS can also help you understand your customers more by allowing them to give you feedback through provided surveys which enables you to learn more about their preferences and boost customer engagement.
What are some of the best practices for SMS marketing?
It’s essential to keep in mind that a text message sent to your customer is direct, and although it can be highly effective, some may perceive it as intrusive. To avoid this sentiment, include your company’s name in the message and be sure to always receive permission from your contacts, so they won’t be surprised when they see a text message from your business in their inbox.
Consider how often you send out text messages as well. It’s true that people typically open their text messages within a few minutes of receiving one but abusing this method of communication by sending them too frequently or at odd times can deter someone from thinking positively about your SMS marketing campaign.
What are some common uses for SMS marketing?
1. Time-sensitive promotions
Oftentimes, businesses will use coupons or discount codes to increase traffic to their website or their store which is why SMS marketing is so beneficial. It’s a great way to communicate to as many people as possible what promotions you’re offering and how much time they have before it ends.
2. Updating details for purchases
SMS makes it easy to notify your customers about any changes or updates you may have with whatever they purchased from you. Text messages can reach people on the go, so there’s much higher real-time engagement using SMS than with any other method of communication.
3. Reminders
Some businesses have their customers schedule meetings or appointment times online. By sending out reminder messages, not only does it ensure customers don’t forget their appointments, but it also saves you from having an empty time slot from a customer not showing up. You may have had to turn down other potential customers due to that time slot being filled up and if they fail to show, that’s potential revenue lost.
Now that you have a clearer picture of what SMS marketing can do for your business hopefully, you can determine if it fits your needs and if implementing it into your marketing strategy is worth it.