With approximately 5.22 billion smartphone users in the world, representing 66% of the global population, it’s no surprise that SMS marketing has surfaced as a dynamite tool to directly reach leads and customers. SMS marketing is skyrocketing as more businesses adopt it as a channel to engage their clients and promote their products and services. And with the ability to select (opt-in) who they’d like to receive promos, deals, etc. from, many every-day-texters prefer it.
But what exactly is SMS marketing and how can you utilize it for your business?
SMS stands for Short Message Service and is more commonly known as texting. Knowing this, SMS marketing is much simpler to understand. It’s a type of marketing involving sending promotional messages to customers via text message.
Why Your Business Should Utilize SMS Marketing
One of the main advantages of SMS marketing is its ability to reach customers instantly on their mobile devices. With most people carrying their phones at all times, SMS marketing makes it easy to target customers with personalized messages.
Yes, everyone also has access to email on their smartphones, and can see just about every other form of advertising there as well. But how often is your customer-base actually reading what you’re sending?
Not as often as you’d like.
SMS marketing has a 98% open rate, making it an exceptionally effective way to reach customers.
Message Automation
Another key advantage of SMS marketing is the opportunity to automate messages. This allows businesses to send messages at specific times or in response to specific triggers.
For example, if you own an e-commerce store, you could send an automated message to customers who have abandoned their shopping carts, reminding them to complete their purchase. Or if you own a restaurant, you could send an automated message to customers who have made a reservation, confirming their booking and providing additional information.
You can get as creative as you’d like. SMS marketing can support it.
How Your Business Can Use SMS for Marketing
SMS marketing can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
- promoting sales and discounts
- sending alerts and reminders
- providing customer support
- as a dispatch channel
- and much more!
By crafting compelling messages and reaching out to the right customers, businesses and brands across industries can amplify their engagement and foster faithful clients with text-based marketing.
KISS: Keep it Short & Sweet
It is important to keep messages short and to the point, as text messages usually have a limited character count. Typically, SMS messages should be no more than 160 characters in length. However, this can vary depending on the country, mobile network, and messaging platform. Even with longer character-count capacity, remember that your audiences will likely take a quick glance at your message, so it’s best practice not to overwhelm them with too much, or confusing, information.
Obtain Consent & Stay Relevant
When implementing an SMS marketing campaign, obtaining consent from customers before sending messages is crucial. Without clear opt-in or out messaging, senders can not only get blocked by mobile carriers, but also face legal repercussions as well.
This can be done by having customers opt-in to the service or by including opt-out instructions in messages.
Once they’ve opted in, you can keep them subscribed and engaged by only sending relevant messages.
If your customers don’t see value in your messages, they’ll opt-out. And the same goes for over-sending messages. Don’t annoy your customers with spammy messages, unless your goal is to lose them as customers and damage your business’s reputation.
We’re willing to bet you don’t want that.
Get Started With SMS Marketing
Wondering how to get started with SMS marketing? When searching for the right fit, look for productivity features and potential for scalability so your messaging platform can grow with the changing needs of your business or brand. Features like integrations can help connect your SMS to your CRM, social media, etc. Some platforms offer “per text” credits, while other text messaging companies sell monthly or annual plans with contracts or cancellation fees. Whatever your needs, the vast array of SMS marketing platforms available are likely to have the right solution for you.
Check-out robust tools like keyword campaigns, customizable text templates, auto replies, personalization, visual voicemail, and more with String, an intuitive voice and text marketing platform to boost your brand and help you cultivate a loyal client-base.
