SMS marketing is one of those strategies companies are still uncertain about. Yet statistics show that sending text messages to bolster your marketing campaigns is highly effective.
The success of your text message marketing campaign depends on how you incorporate SMS marketing into your existing set up. It also helps to understand the best practices that make sure you get your SMS marketing strategy right.
SMS marketing is subject to strict laws in the United States. There are specific restrictions you should know before you start a text marketing onslaught – otherwise you could land in trouble with the authorities, fined and blacklisted.
The FCC implemented the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) to prevent companies from pestering customers will unsolicited phone calls and text messages.
You can read more details about TCPA here, but the principle points are you need authorization from recipients before you can send SMS messages. Consumers must therefore be given the choice to opt-in and a further confirmation they are happy to receive marketing messages.Without a sizeable list of customers to target with bulk SMS messages, you do not have a marketing channel to pursue. But there are many other channels that give you access to consumers that are not restricted by law.
Social media networks are arguably the most powerful tools online businesses have to reach customers. You can also publish an ad in a prominent position of your website, use traditional marketing tactics such as flyers and posters, point of sale promotions and an existing email list.
If you already have an in-house marketing department, adding bulk SMS marketing to your arsenal should be relatively straightforward. Technical knowledge is not required.
Even if you use a desktop computer to send bulk text messages the process is straight forward, but it is a good idea to have a texting team or individual that is responsible for managing SMS campaigns, constructing messages and measuring results.
One of the limitations of text message marketing is you only have 160 characters to work with – which is why SMS marketing is an ideal supplement to support other marketing strategies.
Messages should be concise and include an appealing offer that compels recipients to take action. Avoid using capital letters and text talk. Not everybody understands what SMS abbreviations mean.
Consumers do not appreciate receiving marketing messages that do not have any relevancy to them. Misplaced text messages usually result in customers removing themselves from the subscriptions list.
So before sending out bulk SMS marketing messages, conduct thorough consumer data research and make a list of customers that are most likely to be interested in your latest offer.
This is an obvious rule for any marketing campaign, but because of the limited 160-space, a call to action can sometimes be overlooked when crafting a text marketing message.
But customers need to know what to do next. How do they redeem a voucher or take advantage of your offer? If you are planning an event, include a time and date.
Typical CTA’s are:
– “Show this text in-store to redeem your voucher.”
– “TXT 53647 to win.”
– “Click here to purchase offer.” (Don’t forget to include a link).
– “Visit our app for more details.”
One of the key reasons for some businesses to adopt text message marketing is because you can take advantage of impromptu opportunities. And powerful mobile technologies are adept at helping you tempt customers with excellent offers.
By using geo-targeting technology, you can identify customers that are in the vicinity of your physical store. If their consumer profile fits your promotional offer, why not pop off a text message.
There is no better tool in a marketer’s arsenal than location-based marketing for reaching customers at the right time. It is still a good idea to man-manage this strategy to determine whether you are targeting the right person at the right time.
So contemplate working hours, whether the offer is right for the target and whether they have already received a similar offer recently. Location-based SMS marketing is not a strategy that should be conducted automatically.
SMS marketing is becoming increasingly popular among marketers, and 2017 promises to deliver excellent results for brands that adopt bulk text messaging into their marketing campaigns. If you are not already engaging in text message marketing, give it a try in 2017. We are confident you will be happy with the results.
