SMS marketing is a powerful tool every business can benefit from by adding it to your marketing arsenal.
One of the reasons for this is because mobile devices are an essential part of life. We use them for communicating, organising our daily routines, keeping abreast of news and searching for all manner of things on the internet.
Furthermore, mobile technology is growing in importance and influence. So much so that Google recently announced the intention to introduce a mobile-first index which will eventually replace the existing desktop index.
Text messaging, of course, is a principle means of communicating on mobile devices. Smartphone owners in the US send and receive five times as many email as they do phone calls.
Furthermore, over 90% of sms marketing messages are opened. People simply cannot resist the temptation to know what is being said – even by brands.
Another plus point for businesses is, text messaging services is not the premium service it used to be. Not only that, but there are several cost-effective ways of blending sms messaging with your overall marketing campaign.
If you are not already harnessing the power of a bulk sms service, here are five powerful and cost-effective methods of utilizing text message marketing to your advantage.
Regardless of whether you are promoting products or services, sms text messaging services provide you with a quick and easy channel to customers.
And consumers cannot resist a great offer. Especially when it appeals to their interests. And text messaging promotion is a sure-fire way of making sure your offer gets to the right people.
Brands have so much access to the personal information of consumers these days that it is within your best interests to keep records of your customers’ interests.
Consumers in the US generally have a mistrust of brands, but are open to receiving offers if they are relevant and appeal to their personal interests.
Targeting the right customer with the right offer – and on occasions at the right time (geo-targeting) – increases your chances of making a sale and increasing your profits.
This swings back to providing that personalized service customers expect these days. Text messaging services can be used to give reassurance by keeping your customers up to date with their purchase.
People like to receive confirmations that the order they placed was received together with payment and address. Knowing you are handling their request puts their mind at ease.
Furthermore, if you are sending an order by post, a text message advising your customer when they can expect to receive the goods is helpful – especially if the goods are bulky and they need to be at home to sign for it.
Service providers can also make best use of sms messaging. Confirming an appointment has been scheduled provides reassurance. A reminder of the appointment is also a nice touch and goes a long way to ensuring your client remembers the date and time of the appointment. Sometimes meetings get marked down on the wrong week or month of a calendar.
There are a lot of digital channels that go unnoticed or don’t attract enough customers. Social media networks restrict the number of followers that receive your news updates, and people only find your website if they are performing a relevant search online.
If people don’t know about your promotion, event or product, the amount of profits you make are limited. But that is not the case with sms marketing messages.
There are an overwhelming number of reports that show over 90% of text messages are opened within 15 minutes. A report published by Dynmark reads that a staggering 98% of sms marketing messages are read within three minutes.
So even if you are not texting about an outright offer, there is still value in sending text messages to raise awareness about an event, special service or new product you want to promote.
Text messages are even an effective means of communication over trivial matters such as notifying your customers of your business mobile app.
The life blood of every business is its ability to retain a core base of customers. Using your sms messaging service is a cost-effective way of promoting your customer loyalty program.
Sending customers special promotions and rewards via text will make sure the offer is received and read. If you were to email, the message might get deleted without being opened – brand emails only have a 32.4% click rate.
Some marketers would scoff at the thought of using direct mail as a marketing tool in the digital age. But statistics show, the old pigeon is still pecking seeds.
According to a study published by USPS, 42 per cent of direct mail recipients read or scan mail from brands – more than email. Of course, that is still more than half going straight in the bin without even knowing what is on offer inside.
Direct mail may not be the most cost-effective means of marketing even if it does still reap one of the highest conversion rates. So imagine how many more people would open your direct mail and act on it if they did know what was offered inside.Because sms bulk messaging is cost-effective, the cost of a direct marketing campaign doesn’t become too expensive, especially when you consider the likelihood of more envelopes getting opened.
If you haven’t already commenced with a mobile marketing campaign, sms text messaging is a good way to start. It is a cost-effective means of pitching your offer and notifications in front of your audience – and as the statistics show, sms messaging has a high open rate.
Whether you use sms text message marketing to pitch an offer outright, in support of an overall marketing campaign or as part of your customer service, text message marketing is a powerful tool that does not put a hole in your marketing budget.
