10 Reasons Brands Should Use Text Message Marketing
Aavni Desai
August 22, 2024
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10 min read
Nowadays, businesses are constantly battling for customer attention. Inboxes overflow with emails, and social media feeds are overwhelmed with content. Traditional marketing methods, while still valuable, do face certain limitations.
This is how SMS marketing fits as a strong and viable solution for bridging the gap between businesses and customers. By sending targeted messages directly to the cell phones of customers, SMS marketing penetrates advertising noise, creating a direct, immediate, and powerful interaction channel.
In this blog, we delve into text message marketing, its objectives and benefits, the problems it solves, and, lastly, how to get started.
Text message marketing is a marketing strategy that involves sending promotional messages, updates, or even alerts directly to a customer's mobile device via SMS (short message service). It allows brands to connect with their audience directly on a channel they constantly check—their smartphones.
Text message marketing is effective as SMS has a higher open rate compared to email. Unlike emails or social media posts, which can get lost in overflowing inboxes or timelines, text messages have a direct and instant impact, reaching customers wherever they are.
To truly harness the potential of text message marketing, businesses must first grasp its purpose. It's like knowing the destination before setting off on a journey.
With that said, let's go through some of the objectives of text message marketing:
Text message marketing gives businesses a personal line to connect with their desired audience, offering a swift and effective means of communication that builds closer ties with customers. Let's take a closer look at its major benefits:
When used well, SMS messages have a tremendous advantage. They are sent directly to the subscriber’s mobile phone, making them instantly visible. Often, emails or social media posts are lost among many others you may have in your inbox or newsfeed. Unlike other types of messages, those sent through short message services (SMS) are more likely to be looked at promptly.
This method makes it easier for companies to work with time-bound news items like flash sales or other ones with a limited duration. It’s also perfect for quick conversations, as such messages will be received immediately upon delivery since most people are almost constantly connected to their phones.
Similarly, when a company uses an integrated system for sending multiple messages at once, its chances of achieving even greater coverage when promoting itself to specific target audiences through advertising platforms such as SMS promotions increase.
One of the primary motivations for brands to resort to SMS advertising is the high rate at which it is opened and converted. Recent research has shown that the majority of such messages are read a few minutes after they are sent, which has led to some reliable sources suggesting that up to 98 percent of text messages could be read.
Marketing messages are expected to be simple, containing fewer links or images then emails. They are straightforward and contain simple calls to action that have been carefully crafted for clarity and conciseness. Additionally, customers prefer acting on something they are actively involved in. This leads to higher conversion rates and an unmatched level of engagement.
Speaking louder about SMS marketing is its ability to send customized messages to individual users. In contrast to traditional mass marketing, which is irrelevant to individual customer segments, SMS marketing enables companies to personalize and adapt their messages according to their clients’ preferences, behaviors, or past interactions.
Similarly, by using customer data effectively, companies can engage their clients more effectively. This will not only increase their chances of getting messages opened but will also lead to more effective ways of communicating with a client, which results in better promotion acceptance rates.
Here’s how SMS marketing effectively addresses various challenges and provides innovative solutions for businesses:
Brands are faced with the challenge of customers being bombarded with advertisements through various channels. This is where SMS marketing comes in. It offers a short and straight channel of communication that cuts through to the exact target audience that cannot be found anywhere else.
Unlike long-form content or elaborate advertising campaigns, SMS messages are short, precise, and handy. It enables brands to deliver their message powerfully while capturing the client, causing the desired action or output.
It is true without a doubt that companies must engage their customers if they want them to remain loyal to their brand and continue to have strong relationships with them. SMS marketing stands out here, as it helps companies connect with their audience immediately and encourage real interaction.
Likewise, unlike one-way advertising channels where the conversation is inactive, SMS messages invite customers to engage actively by responding to prompts, participating in surveys, and even providing feedback.
Such a meaningful discussion between the two parties, in addition to strengthening the bond between a business entity and its consumers, is incredibly essential as it helps in identifying crucial elements necessary for developing upcoming promotional plans.
At the end of the day, the principal objective of every marketing plan is to achieve tangible results in the form of more sales and profits.
SMS advertising is impactful in that it allows businesses to showcase their products or services directly using this channel, encouraging people to buy those products as well as increasing conversions.
Whether it’s simply informing customers about exclusive offers, notifying them regarding the availability of the products being offered for a limited period of time, or even reminding customers regarding the items they’ve added in their carts but have left, sending out text messages is known for its effectiveness in bringing high returns.
The advantages of SMS marketing extend beyond its core advantages, thereby enhancing its effectiveness as a communication method. Here are some of its additional benefits:
The use of SMS marketing is quite reasonable when compared to other channels of marketing that are out there. Probably due to the relatively higher open and response rates, SMS marketing can make for a good return on investment.
Besides, in SMS marketing campaigns, brands can focus on their target customers depending on particular demographics or segments. Through this directed method, they will be able to ensure they utilize their marketing budget most effectively by reaching out to the appropriate individuals, and minimizing waste while maximizing returns on investment.
Another advantage is the simple yet measurable method of bulk SMS marketing. By giving it some thought, you will realize that preparing for a big ad campaign can be quite challenging because so many details need to be considered. But when it comes to the implementation of SMS marketing, it is a piece of cake: fast, effective, and not complex at all.
The finest application for SMS marketing automation allows enterprises to simplify text creation and distribution, schedule delivery, and track essential statistics such as the number of messages opened, the number of click-throughs per link followed, and conversion on the spot.
By maintaining consistent conversations through SMS marketing, your brand name is constantly fresh in the mind of the consumer, boosting brand familiarity. In the same regard, by using news feeds to engage customers by reaching out to them with messages, offers, and updates, brands can indeed represent who they are and what they are all about.
Moreover, as SMS message recipients are typically close friends or family members, using them more frequently will help to spread awareness of the brand's identity, potentially improving its success in a competitive marketplace.
It takes careful planning and execution to launch an SMS marketing campaign. Here are some key steps involved in getting started with SMS marketing:
Before you start sending out any marketing messages, it's crucial to make sure you have the green light from the customers you're sending them to. That means getting their explicit consent.
This can be achieved by placing opt-in forms on your site, mobile apps, or even at physical point-of-sale terminals. Be very transparent about why you intend to forward them those questions through phone numbers and give them a direct option to allow you to send them text messages.
When you have a list of recipients who have voluntarily signed up, it’s time to add some life to the messages. If you were the one receiving the text, what would make you immediately interested? Be brief and straightforward.
Similarly, include a call to action in your message that suggests what you expect people to do—this could be to click on a link, purchase a product, or even reply. Other recommendations worth applying include using names to make the message personal and always ensuring that the content matters to the recipients or that they have some sort of link to the brand.
Selecting the perfect SMS marketing platform for your campaign is crucial, it could either make or break all your efforts. Just as a good carpenter must have a fitting tool bag with the right tools, so too should you have a platform that serves your contact scheduling, automation, and analytics needs.
Thus, when searching for such tools, you want to pay attention to the platforms that not only serve as your contacts manager but also enable you to send messages on a specific schedule, perform routine tasks, and offer valuable data analysis.
To be sure, one must not ignore factors such as cost, ease of use, and how it would fit into the existing system. After all, you want a platform that is an additional part of your staff, not an extra burden.
Ensure that all your SMS marketing strategies adhere strictly to the laid-down guidelines. These rules apply regardless of whether you are sending out messages to clients within the US or across the ocean in Europe, especially since most countries have their own regulations. An example of such a law is the Telephone Consumer Protection Law and the GDPR, which is a data protection regulation.
It would help you better if you knew more information concerning consent, message content, the number of messages, and how recipients can unsubscribe. Complying with these regulations enables you to avoid legal issues or huge penalties in the future.
Watch your SMS marketing closely. Take your time analyzing the data so you can see which activities are helpful or may be improved. Experiment with your messaging—tweak the language, shift the timing, and watch how your results evolve.
Similarly, by keeping an eye on metrics like how many people are opening your messages, how many are clicking through, and ultimately, how much value you're getting, you'll be able to fine-tune your strategy and get even better results.
SMS marketing is equivalent to a trusted friend who is backing you up while you explore the hustle and bustle of the business world. It is not merely an implement; it represents a dynamic power that brings together brands and their customers.
For any business that wants to stay ahead of the competition, it is essential to embrace the potential of SMS marketing. This means incorporating the approach into your overall customer engagement, retention, and sales strategy.
SMS service is important since it allows direct and immediate communication with customers and clients. Since it is accessible to almost all mobile phone users, it is an effective channel for distributing important information, updates, and promotions.
When executed properly, text message marketing can be highly effective. There are high open rates, typically within minutes of receiving the message, and it can increase engagement, conversions, and customer loyalty. But remember, success largely depends on factors such as message relevance, timing, and targeting.
SMS marketing can help businesses in many ways, including direct interactions, high engagement rates, cost-effectiveness, and the flexibility to personalize messages.
Certainly! Text messaging counts as direct marketing by sending promotional messages or offers to the mobile phones of intended consumers. Consequently, high engagement and conversion rates compared to other forms of marketing are achieved through this direct approach.