Types of SMS Marketing
When your text notification sound goes off on your phone, your first instinct is probably to look at the screen. Smartphones and mobile devices are staples in our everyday lives, and we have trained ourselves to pay attention to every noise or buzz they make. For businesses, this instinct can be harnessed for marketing purposes.
If you are searching for a better way to reach your customers directly and encourage them to engage with your content, mobile marketing is your answer. With impressive open rates and lightning fast delivery, modern SMS marketing strategies have become crucial for many companies. Keep reading to learn about how mobile marketing can help your business and how to get started.
What is mobile marketing?
Mobile marketing involves reaching audiences on their mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets. A lot falls under the umbrella of mobile marketing, including websites, SMS, social media, and email. While all of these strategies have merit, SMS marketing has become increasingly popular in recent years. Brands send targeted messages to their audience via text message.
Types of SMS Marketing
The options for SMS marketing messages are truly endless. SMS marketing can be tailored to fit your specific goals, whether you are trying to reach new prospects, retain existing customers, or provide top-notch customer service. From a dentist’s office sending appointment reminders to a clothing store highlighting their latest promotion, SMS marketing can meet the needs of your business, your audience, and your industry. Common SMS marketing messages include:
Is mobile marketing effective?
Is it worth it to invest your time and money in SMS marketing? The strategy was not very popular several years ago, largely because it was clunky and unreliable. However, SMS marketing tools have come a long way in recent years. As technology evolves, the available marketing techniques expand. A modern SMS marketing strategy can provide the boost your business is looking for.
Smartphone Usage
Almost everyone you know probably has a smartphone. There are more than 260 million smartphone users in the US alone, creating an incredible opportunity to reach your audience. SMS marketing is highly effective because it can reach almost anyone, at anytime, anywhere.
Boost Marketing Campaigns
SMS marketing is an effective compliment to existing marketing campaigns. If an email received a lower-than-expected open rate or engagement rate, you can follow up with a text. If you need to remind customers of an in-store promotion, you can add text message to you list of communication channels. You can also send people directly to landing pages or your website from a text message.
Improve Engagement
Engagement rates for SMS marketing are off the charts. Most of us feel compelled to check our text messages on a regular basis, especially if the notification sound dings. Within the first three minutes, 90% of SMS messages are read. Reading text messages also has a lower barrier to entry than other marketing strategies, like email marketing. People do not have to open another app, sort their inbox, and find what they are looking for. On average, SMS marketing has higher open rates than other marketing channels.
Reliable Delivery
Text messages are delivered instantly. The reliability of SMS marketing makes it perfect for last-minute announcements, time-sensitive information, and promotions related to events. As soon as you press send, your message is sent to your entire audience within seconds.
Tips for SMS Marketing
Starting an SMS marketing campaign is not difficult, but it is important to be strategic. If you do not follow SMS marketing best practices, you can seriously annoy your customers or violate their privacy. By properly planning your SMS marketing campaign, you can ensure the highest rate of return.
Get customer permission
Even if you already have a customer’s number, you have to get permission to text them. You can create an optin campaign where customers text a code to a specific number or ask customers to check an optin box. By opting in, customers let you know it is okay to contact them via text message. Be sure to include opt out instructions with your SMS marketing campaign, so customers can unsubscribe from text message if they prefer.
Identify yourself
People receive text messages from friends, family, coworkers, and business all day, every day. Avoid having your message get lost in the crowd by clearly identifying your company at the beginning of the message. You can preface your message with your brand name, so it shows up in the text preview.
Send relevant and valuable content
If your SMS messages are not relevant for your customers or worth their time, they will start ignoring them. Before too long, they will opt out of your SMS campaign altogether. Each message you send should provide value for your customers, whether it is a new product they will love or a sale they can’t pass up.
Time your messages
Nobody wants to receive a promotional text message in the middle of the night. Choose the best days and times to send your messages based on your audience. Keep in mind that text messaging is instant, so your customers should be able to act quickly. If you’re sending a coupon, make sure it is one they can use now and not in 10 days.
