SMS marketing is a great way to reach your customers and keep them updated with your latest news or product releases. Sending an SMS message is a quick and easy way to communicate with your customers, and it can be extremely effective in reaching a large number of people.
What is SMS Marketing?
SMS marketing is a type of marketing in which organizations utilize text messages to inform their customers about campaigns, news, promotions, and other important information
The acronym “SMS” refers to”short messaging service,” and businesses use it to communicate with clients on a more personal basis.
SMS, like email marketing, is a medium that you own as a business. What this means is, that you have complete control over who gets an SMS message. It also gives you the ability to control the experience your clients receive with this marketing channel.
How Does SMS Marketing Work?
Shortcodes, rather than full phone numbers, are used to send SMS marketing messages. These shortcodes are usually 5-6 digits long and can be assigned to a single sender or shared among several.
Text message marketing is based on a database that contains your customers’ names, phone numbers, and other information (geographic region, customer categories, customer interests) that allows you to track the sales process.
Benefits of SMS Marketing
1. It’s a Quick Way to Reach Your Customers
Unlike social media or email marketing, you don’t need to design any images to go with your content. You don’t need to write a lot in text messages because the character restriction is modest. They’re simple and quick to make and send.
2. Increased Engagement
SMS messaging is a great way to increase engagement with your customers. Not only does it allow you to reach a large audience quickly, but it also helps you to keep them engaged by providing timely and relevant information.
3. Increased Brand Awareness
Increased brand awareness is another benefit of using SMS marketing. By using SMS messages to communicate with your customers, you can help to build brand awareness and increase interest in your company.
4. Increased Customer Loyalty
Customer relationships become more personal as a result of SMS marketing. People text to contact their friends and loved ones, therefore their phones are frequently within arm’s reach.
Types of SMS Marketing
There are two types of text messages you may send to your audience when you use SMS messaging as part of your marketing strategy: promotional and transactional text messages.
Promotional SMS marketing
Text message marketing consists of sending messages or texts to your target audience in order to boost sales, promote a product, or raise brand awareness.
You can use these messages to inform your customers about the launch of a new product. To offer a special deal or promotion. To share business announcements. To promote branded events, and even to provide suggestions on how to use the things you’re selling.
Customers can also receive event-triggered promotional SMS messages based on their actions on your website.
You can send a welcome text or an abandoned cart text to a shopper who signs up to receive text messages from your company.
Transactional SMS Marketing
Transactional SMS marketing refers to messages or texts that contain information that your customers require, such as order confirmation or delivery data.
Texting customers delivery updates after they make a purchase could be a wonderful method to keep them informed and promote client loyalty.
Transactional texts are rather straightforward communications, and unlike emails, you don’t have much creative freedom in terms of content or style.
What is SMS Marketing Used For?
SMS can be used in many different ways. Let’s examine some of the most frequent use cases so you can have a better picture of what SMS can achieve and how it may help your organization.
Reminders for Appointments
If your business relies on regular appointments, you understand the frustration of clients forgetting their appointments and arriving late. It’s even more aggravating when clients don’t show up at all.
This not only throws your schedule off but also wastes your time. Because that appointment slot was taken, you may have turned down other appointments. Sending text message reminders is an excellent technique to ensure that individuals don’t forget their appointments and arrive on time.
Promotions for Retail or E-commerce
Coupons and promos are a great method to get people to come to your business or visit your website. You certainly want as many people as possible to hear about a limited-time deal or promotion.
SMS is a terrific way to let clients know about these deals while they’re on the go. You can be confident they won’t miss out if they don’t receive the message in time.
Internal Warnings
It can be difficult to transmit essential messages (office closures, emergency updates, etc.) to all of your employees at the same time if you have a large workforce.
You can send them an email, but it’s possible they won’t see it. SMS is a good medium to ensure that your message is delivered on time to everyone.
Businesses that Cannot Survive Without SMS Marketing
E-commerce Stores
SMS is a terrific tool for e-commerce stores, whether they’re delivering promotional campaigns or order/shipping confirmations.
Travel Companies
Customers demand real-time information, so SMS is critical for them. This contains information such as flight status updates, gate changes, cancellations, weather alerts, and more. You can inform customers exactly what they need to know using SMS, without worrying about whether or not they will get it in time.
Service firms that require appointments: Send SMS reminders to your clients to ensure they never miss another appointment. This will save you a lot of time and money from missed appointments and no-shows.
Large Companies With More than 100 Employees
Internal communication is critical, but communicating with every individual in a large firm is difficult. Email is too sluggish for urgent information. The easiest approach to ensure that every employee receives the information you want to deliver to them at the proper time is to use SMS for internal communication.
When to Use SMS Marketing
There is no definitive answer to this question since it depends on your business and the specific needs of your customers. However, there are some general tips to follow when using SMS marketing.
First, it’s important to consider your audience. Who are your target customers, and what are their needs? Once you know this, you can tailor your marketing messages to meet their needs.
Second, make sure your messages are relevant. Don’t send out messages that are unrelated to your target customers or your business goals.
Finally, be patient. It can take a while for messages to reach their target customers, so don’t be tempted to spam them.
Consider These When Deciding to Use SMS Marketing in Your Business
1. Is your customer base mobile-friendly?
If your customer base is predominantly mobile-friendly, then SMS marketing is a great way to reach them. SMS marketing is sent through text messages, which can be sent and received quickly and easily on a mobile device.
2. Is your customer base active on their mobile devices?
If your customer base is active on their mobile devices, then they are more likely to be receptive to SMS marketing. SMS marketing is fast, easy, and convenient, and can be delivered right to their hands.
Factors to Consider In SMS Marketing
The first is the geography of your target audience. Do they live in a country with limited cellular data service? If so, are you able to use SMS as a viable marketing strategy?
Second, is your SMS platform compatible with your target audience’s devices?
Third, do you have the necessary permissions from your customers?
Fourth, do you have the necessary text messaging plans in place?
Fifth, is your SMS platform reliable?
Sixth, will your target audience respond to SMS marketing?
Seventh, how will you measure the success of your SMS marketing campaign?
How to Make the Most of SMS Marketing
SMS marketing does not need to be difficult. It’s even easier than email or social media marketing because it doesn’t involve any design work. To get started with SMS marketing, you’ll need to perform the following :
Build a List
Obtain a list of clients who have given you permission to contact them. Texting persons who haven’t given you explicit authorization to do so is illegal in some countries.
You should make sure your list of recipients has given you permission to send messages before sending an SMS marketing campaign. If you are unsure about someone’s authorization status, remove them.
Make Your Message Unique
It is not necessary for your messages to be as long as an email newsletter. In fact, the shorter the sentence, the better. Remember to include a clear call-to-action and a means for your customers to opt-out of getting messages from you if they are no longer interested.
Use CRM tools For SMS Marketing
To automate the text messages, you’ll need software. Some providers specialize in text message marketing only, while others don’t.
A separate SMS marketing solution would need you to input a consumer contact list and track your campaign statistics independently from your other marketing efforts. You can collect information, manage statistics, and send campaigns to your customers.
One of the best CRM tools you can use in your business to automate SMS marketing is Opterflow. It has great features that fit every business.
Keep Track of the Outcomes
After you’ve sent a message, it’s time to keep an eye on how it’s doing. Check to see how many people clicked on a link you included in your message.
If you created a special discount code that was only available through your SMS campaign, track how many people utilized it and how many sales you generated. When you compare these numbers to the number of messages you sent, you’ll notice a significant difference.
SMS Marketing Ideas to Use
Texts of Welcome
Send a welcome text after a consumer joins your loyalty program, similar to how you would send a welcome email. You might even give new sign-ups a special discount to get them back to your store.
Arrivals of New Goods
Use an SMS campaign to notify people when new arrivals have arrived at your storefront or website. This is a great approach to get people talking about new products. If you do this more than once a season, you risk annoying your customers.
Flash Sales
Customers who have signed up for your loyalty program will appreciate flash sales. Inform your consumers by SMS that there is a limited-time sale that only they will be able to access. Giving them a first peek or making a sale that is just available to them is a great way to convey how much you appreciate their business.
Seasonal Discounts
Send an SMS to your customers when it’s time to clear out your inventory, informing them of your seasonal deal. You may segment your sends by certain groups with Lightspeed Loyalty to send more targeted messaging.
For example, send a link to your on-sale shoes to customers who have previously purchased shoes from you.
Customers Should be Asked to Participate in Surveys.
Surveys are an excellent approach to discovering more about your consumers’ expectations. Instead of using other marketing channels, send a survey link over SMS to enhance your chances of having a high response rate. With tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey, you can quickly build a brief survey.
Promote Your Social Media accounts on Several Platforms.
Managing your company’s social media profiles is a full-time job in and of itself. Send a text message to your SMS marketing audience inviting them to follow you on social media. Combining this with a social media freebie could help sweeten the deal even further.
Conclusion
Thousands of companies are discovering the benefits of SMS marketing. SMS is one of the most underutilized marketing platforms, despite its popularity.
For organizations willing to give it a shot, the benefits are enormous. You can communicate with your consumers in their preferred manner via SMS marketing. There’s never been a better moment than now to get started.
