SMS (short message service) marketing has grown to be used in conjunction with other digital marketing methods. SMS marketing can be a low-cost approach to reach and engage the target audience. Additionally, when SMS marketing is combined with other strategies, it can help increase customer reach, sales and loyalty.
In this article, you’ll learn what SMS marketing is, how you can implement it and how it can benefit your overall marketing approach.
Contents
1 What is SMS Marketing?
2 Benefits of SMS Marketing
2.1 Ability to retain loyal customers
2.2 Easy and effective promotion by word of mouth
2.3 Fast and effective communication with customers
2.4 Ability to set the method for opting out
2.5 Cost-effective tools
3 Parts of an SMS Marketing Campaign
3.1 Offers and promotions
3.2 Exclusivity and expiration date
3.3 Call to action
3.4 Message delivery schedule
3.5 Brand identity
4 How To Make Effective SMS Marketing?
4.1 1. Set your marketing goals
4.2 2. Create your message
4.3 3. Create your call to action
4.4 4. Schedule your messages
4.5 5. Set your key performance indicator (KPI)
5 Tips for Making Optimal SMS Marketing?
What is SMS Marketing?
SMS marketing is a marketing strategy that uses text messages to send promotions or advertisements to prospects who choose to receive these types of messages. Customers usually opt-in via an automated messaging system by sending an SMS the code they receive when registering.
SMS marketing can be used to send product updates, coupons or special offers. This marketing strategy can be a very effective strategy, depending on how the business uses it.
Benefits of SMS Marketing
Since an SMS marketing strategy requires customers to express their interest and give consent, it can yield a number of benefits. The most attractive advantages of implementing an SMS marketing strategy for businesses include:
Ability to retain loyal customers
SMS marketing allows businesses to create offers, special discounts, and loyalty rewards that their target market chooses to receive through business text message alert registrations.
This gives companies the opportunity to develop products and services and make them available only to customers who choose to opt-in. This can make a brand, product, or service very attractive to use because customers who continue to buy from a brand are given the advantage through SMS notifications that new customers or one-time customers may not receive.
Easy and effective promotion by word of mouth
SMS marketing can also be a boon for businesses because of the ability of customers to share information and updates about brand products through word of mouth.
Customers who are satisfied with the quality of support, service, or product they receive from a brand are more likely to talk about their experience with their friends and family. Through word of mouth, a brand can increase its customer base.
Fast and effective communication with customers
SMS marketing also allows businesses and brands to send communications to their customers quickly and effectively. For example, if a brand launches a new product, it can send SMS alerts to its customers to update it at the event.
In addition, opt-in for instant SMS alerts, typically requires the customer to send a shortcode to the brand’s SMS system within seconds.
Ability to set the method for opting out
SMS marketing also allows businesses to set parameters for customers to choose from and ways for customers to opt out if they wish to stop SMS communication.
This can make it easier for customers to register for special offers and offers, and companies implementing SMS marketing can also add and remove customer numbers from their systems easily.
Cost-effective tool
SMS can also be very cost-effective. Depending on the SMS system the company uses, the costs for SMS marketing can be relatively low when compared to other digital marketing approaches.
For example, a company that uses SMS marketing can implement low-cost options ranging from 100 to 200 thousand per month. Additionally, some SMS marketing options may offer specific keyword bids, which sometimes cost no more than a few dollars per keyword used in the company’s chosen marketing period.
Part of an SMS Marketing Campaign
Following are the components of a successful SMS marketing campaign:
Offers and promotions
Successful SMS campaigns implement special offers and promotions for customers who choose to receive branded SMS notifications. These offers can be in the form of promotional events, seasonal coupons, or other lucrative offers received by customers who have voted.
Exclusivity and expiration date
In addition to creating special offers for customers, businesses can also create expiration dates around some of the special offers sent to their customers. This creates a sense of exclusivity as well as urgency, which can influence the purchasing decisions of many customers.
The expiration date also increases the likelihood that customers will make a purchase when they receive an offer rather than at a later time.
Call to action(CTA)
All successful marketing strategies create some kind of call to action around a product or service offering. The SMS marketing campaign must also develop an effective call to action.
A successful CTA or call to action motivates customers to click on a link, give their permission to receive updates, or make a purchase from a brand via their SMS message.
Message delivery schedule
Because SMS is text-based and private, it is important for SMS marketing campaigns to set a timetable for sending messages. For example, a brand may implement SMS marketing only during business hours when customers are likely to carry their cell phones.
Likewise, it can be a best practice to avoid sending SMS alerts at night or late at night when the customer may be sleeping or busy with family.
Brand identity
In all SMS messages sent during a marketing campaign, there must be a distinct brand identity. Whether it’s a logo, signature or other brand identifiers, a successful SMS marketing campaign includes branding so customers know who they’re receiving updates from.
In addition, including branding in every SMS notification can allow customers to develop trust and familiarity with the business.
How To Make Effective SMS Marketing?
When creating an SMS marketing campaign, it is important to include every component related to the message your business or brand is promoting. Additionally, you may consider the following steps while you are developing your SMS marketing strategy.
1. Set your marketing goals
Set goals that you want to achieve. For example, you can set a goal to increase sales, expand your market, or acquire 100 new customers in a marketing period.
Whatever your goals, you need to define them beforehand so you can develop a marketing plan based on what you want to achieve.
2. Create your message
Next, create the message you want to send to take you to your destination. You can create special offers, discounts on certain seasonal items, or first-come, first-served events to help increase sales.
In addition, you can consider how your message will affect your customers, what problems it will solve, or other ways that your message will affect your customers.
3. Create your call to action
After creating a promotional message, your SMS campaign should have a clear call to action that motivates your customers to buy from you.
For example, you can create a call to action to claim a discount before it expires, refer a friend to receive a free service, or any other interesting action customers can take to find out more about what your brand has to offer.
4. Schedule your messages
Your SMS campaigns must have strict time parameters regarding when your business messages are sent. This will allow you to plan each promotional message as well as maintain a level of courtesy between your business and the customer’s personal needs.
5. Set your key performance indicator (KPI)
After creating the other components for your SMS marketing campaign, you can define key performance indicators (KPIs) that you will use to evaluate how effective your SMS marketing approach is. KPIs—such as open and reply rates for certain text messages—are metrics you can use to determine the performance of any SMS strategy you implement.
Tips for Making Optimal SMS Marketing?
Here are some additional tips for implementing SMS marketing:
1. Create a clear message that your customers will immediately understand, including limits, expirations, and other pertinent details about your offer.
2. Personalize your advertising and promotional messages by doing some basic market research including the characteristics of your customers, their shopping habits, and what your ideal buyer would be like.
3. Avoid sending SMS alerts and promotional messages at a time when customers tend to avoid opening and responding to texts.
4. Create a way for your SMS marketplace to engage with you online by linking your SMS opt-in and promotions to your social media profiles and business website.