As the world develops, so do businesses. And the evolution of existing business strategies or the creation of new ones is essential for business growth. There are lots of effective methods that businesses can employ in reaching their target audience. And one such method is SMS marketing.
SMS marketing is an age-long and great marketing strategy. It involves sending text messages or SMS (Short Message Service) to customers. These messages consist of updates, alerts, and even time-sensitive offers. The purpose of these messages is usually to advertise and promote a product or service. This article discusses the benefits of SMS marketing. It also discusses tips that will help you, as a firm, maximize the potential of SMS marketing.
Benefits of SMS marketing
SMS marketing is a widely-used business strategy. This is not by chance. And as such, we can expect it to have numerous benefits. Let's consider some SMS Marketing benefits:
Wide reach and penetration
Even though technology has become wide-spread, some geographical areas still lack a stable internet connection. In such areas, text messages are more likely to reach your audience.
Direct inbox drop
Email marketing that involves emails might land in spam folders. Unlike emails, text messages are sure to land in the inbox of a customer. And inbox is usually accompanied by notifications. Hence, text messages are more likely to be read than emails.
Speed
With bulk message service, you can get to a lot of people in a short time. Therefore, text messages are a faster way to reach your target audience.
Large audience
One factor that boosts SMS marketing is that almost everybody has a phone. And texts can reach any phone, be it a smartphone or not. So as long as it is a mobile phone, SMS is more likely to be seen. Hence, you can reach a lot of persons with your SMS marketing.
Impressive response rate
When compared to email marketing, SMS has an even higher response rate. And this is because SMS is a common medium of communication. Therefore many people are bound to read and respond to their messages.
The Best SMS Marketing Practices
As mentioned earlier, almost everyone in the world today has a mobile phone. In addition to that, people are usually drawn to the slightest notification tone from their phones. And SMS marketing makes use of these advantages to boost businesses. If you are looking to promote your business through this medium, you must look at the following tips:
1.) Get the permission of customers
The first thing to do before sending SMS to clients is to gain their permission. Doing so shows respect, and you are likely to gain their trust. On the other hand, if you send an SMS to clients without seeking their approval, you might be doing more damage to your business. And this is because many customers find it annoying to receive unsolicited messages. It is like entering their home without knocking. To avoid such situations, get their approval.
To get their consent with ease, create a short code or contextual keyword. This gives room to subscribe or opt-out of your SMS marketing campaign. Each keyword should mean different things. For instance, STOP can be to opt-out from the texts. So a client who texts you STOP does not want your messages anymore. Having these keywords will help you know who to text.
Before a client opt-in, let them know the amount of SMS that can be expected from you every day and week. Also, always keep the opt-out option open at all times. By so doing, you are respecting their decision to leave at any time.
2. Time your SMS perfectly
After getting the permission of your clients, time your SMS well. If you think that you can send SMS anytime because they have consented, you are wrong. You need to time your SMS perfectly to keep their capture the interest of your audience. Surely, you do not want to be disturbing them all the time since they might be doing something important.
That said, it is difficult to know the best time to send an SMS to a client. And this is because you might not know your client personally. But there is no problem in asking. So before a client sign-in, try to know when he/she would like to hear from you. By so doing, you are building the reputation of your business. And they are most likely to respond to your SMS.
3. Ensure your texts are simple and short
A straightforward text is necessary for captivating the attention of your clients. If your SMS is long, your client is more likely to lose focus and interest. And in the end, he/she may lose the main point of the text. On the other hand, a short text will increase their interest, and they might end up longing for more.
To achieve that, you must find the right balance. Using a few enticing words or sentences will do. Exaggeration is not necessary. You also need to avoid using confusing words as well as unknown abbreviations. Additionally, avoid grammatical errors. If you can not express yourself or spell a word correctly, a client will not take you seriously. Hence, always cross-check your work word-for-word. Also, limit your use of capitalizations and exclamations. This is because capitalizations and exclamations might be misconstrued as shouting texts. And this will damage your business rather than promote it.
4. Create a sense of urgency
Make sure to send SMS about time-sensitive offers. And this is important as it can encourage clients to purchase your product. To do this, use triggers such as "Hurry before it expires!" "Valid till" and "Limited stock." Such terms hurry people to take action. As they would not want to miss out on an incredible offer.
5. Know who your clients are
If you do not know who buys your product, you are damaging your business. And this is because you might send them messages that are not in their interest. On the other hand, if you know who you are selling to, you will know their interests. Hence, you will know just the right message to send them.
To know your clients, you should make use of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) app. This app is useful for analyzing your clients. It gives further insight into their interests. And this is sure to help you send a message that befits your customer.
Conclusion
The essence of SMS marketing cannot be over flogged. This marketing tool can reach the most basic audience that other strategies cannot access. Its penetrative ability is helpful to any business regardless of its size. But this is only possible if the campaign is done right. A wrong SMS Marketing approach will only tarnish your brand's reputation. Hence, the need to employ the right SMS marketing tactics. Getting your SMS marketing strategy will increase audience engagement, boost traffic and conversions, and increase ROI. It is a marketing tactic that can give you an edge over the competition. Here, we have discussed some of the best SMS marketing practices that will take your business to the next level. These steps mentioned here will help capture your audience's attention, build brand trust, and increase conversions. There are several ways to go about your SMS Marketing but using these suggestions as a benchmark will ensure positive results.