Text Message Marketing was one of the primary methods of reaching out to customers when cell phones became common. Through the years its popularity has only risen, with options to add links and the ability to provide high conversion rates.
If you are a business who is looking out to having an omnichannel presence, don’t just think in terms of social media. While numbers of Instagram are great, most ads that you come across while browsing the platform are viewed while you are in an idle state. SMS marketing has urgency and personalization. If used correctly, it can go a long way in getting you exceptional results.
With that being said, businesses also need to understand that it is a risky form of communication. Since communication happens via an SMS Broadcast, you need to nail the message and capture the customer in limited words and images.
SMS marketing can help you fulfill many goals including but not limited to:
1. Increased Brand Awareness
2. Increased Engagement
3. Sale generation
4. Coupon Redemption
5. Appointment Confirmation
Before you start planning an SMS Campaign, you should know that sending out a broadcast is permission-based. Without having permission, you can end up with penalties and fines for disregarding the law. SMS Marketing is also cost-effective and you can reach out to your audience instantaneously. This puts small businesses at an advantage too as it uses a very basic, entry-level budget.
Whatever SMS Marketing Service you choose to use, it is important to remember that campaigns are easy to set up and you will be surprised how simple the process is. With the majority of Americans using cell phones more than ever, not utilizing the power of text marketing campaigns is unwise.
Advantages of Text Message Marketing
Businesses are not the only entities that use Text Message Marketing to send their message across. In fact, political campaigns, not-for-profit organizations and government agencies have been utilizing the tool increasingly because they have realized its power. In other words, text message marketing works for all types of organizations.
If you are using other forms of marketing such as emails and direct mail, their numbers aren’t as promising as that of text messages. Not only has it become the most convenient way of reaching customers, but it is also more likely to get opened than an email.
The open rate of SMS is not the only impressive part about it. As per statistics, the response rate is also higher than that of a Facebook Ad or a Phone Call. Most consumers find it easier to redeem and apply a coupon code through SMS than any other medium. With all the advantages that come with SMS Marketing, it is only fair that we include it in our promotional tools. The time spent on the phone is also higher than ever. As per KPMG’s 2017 Me, My Life, My Wallet Report, millennials check their phones every 5 minutes even when there are no notifications or prompts.
We’ve seen a strange pattern where B2B brands use SMS Marketing less than B2C brands but it doesn’t have to be that way. For receiving an SMS, the recipient doesn’t even have to download an app. So, your message is just a click away – always.
One thing you’ll notice about SMS marketing is that it can be used at all stages of marketing. Whether you are new in the industry, have a promotion you want to tell people about, or just want your customers to sign up for a loyalty program; everything is possible.
How to use Text Message Marketing?
Marketing doesn’t exist in silos and neither does developing customer relationships. SMS, which is a lucrative method to improve communication with the customers and improve user experience should be used with care. As you progress through the buying and selling process, you need to ensure value at every step of the way. Some businesses send out an SMS once a week and some use it even more sparingly.When planning a marketing campaign, a smart way of inculcating text message marketing is to decompose your message. This will give you perspective and help process what part of the message should be communicated through which channel. There are some messages that are memorable when they appear as hoardings on the road. Similarly, some messages are better suited to be sent out as prompts.
When curating a message to send out, keep in mind that users enjoy a conversation where they get to initiate and give input. Adding keywords can go a long way in cementing a customer relationship and make them feel more involved in text message marketing for business.
SMS advertising also happens to be one-to-one. In earlier times, this option was not available and there was a lot of manual work involved. With technology developing by leaps and bounds, you now have the option to send one message to thousands of people at a particular location and personalize it with just a click. There is also an option of categorizing audiences as per their profile.
For example, if you are a fast-food company with restaurants in multiple locations; with the data available to you, you can send a discount code to only those who are in a particular neighborhood. Targeted and effective- The categorization and the ability to choose the audience will ensure that the SMS goes to the right recipient and your efforts are not wasted.
One challenge that marketers face is the inability to determine relevance when designing a campaign. Texting a customer and hearing from them in response can tell you accurately about their triggers and interests. The information is also easily quantifiable and you can finetune your marketing efforts around these insights.
Once you have your SMS marketing game figured out, you can also use the data for chatbots without using extensive time for testing and experimentation.
A text marketing service, like that of SalesPype will give you an easy and automated way of reaching customers. We also let you schedule your SMS and you have options available to choose from as per your budget. You will find our platform extremely easy to use and the automation will save you time and money.
Get in touch with SalesPype
Not everyone is a pro at using automated tools. We want you to be comfortable with our platform and make an informed choice before purchasing any of our services. That’s why we offer a 14-day free trial.
The trial period will give you enough time to set up a campaign and get a feel for the process. To facilitate you further, there is also a demo video available. If you are still stuck somewhere and would want to have a live demo with one of our experts, we’ll be more than happy to assist you and address any concerns that you may have.
Book a time that is convenient for you and let us handle the rest. All our services harness the power of CRM and combine it with automation to give you the results like nothing else. Our text messaging services also have MMS marketing included so your message is rich with multimedia content. Also, we guide you throughout the process so that you become a pro SMS text marketer.