With a subscriber base surpassing 2 billion, entrepreneurs and businesses find many opportunities in this sector.
Introduction to SMS Marketing
The basis of SMS Marketing is sending SMS messages to your customers’ mobile devices. SMS are short, informative, and connect on a personal level with recipients without wasting their time. You get 3 minutes to grab their attention and make it worth it, and SMS Marketing provides you with that opportunity.
Ways to Use SMS Marketing
There are a couple of ways to use SMS Marketing for your business. Here’s how:
1. Add Social Media Channels
Your SMS text messages should work together with your social media links to engage your target audience. Adding links to your text messages and follow-up newsletters create engagement.
2. Send Out Surveys
Sending links to surveys using an SMS API and adding sales incentives with them is an excellent way to boost consumer engagement and interaction. Send out surveys and include links to coupons and discount offers to increase customer retention rates.
3. Relevant Content
You don’t want to sell insurance to an 18-year-old since that’s not your target audience. Similarly, you don’t send links to the latest video game titles for a 30-year old who is looking for investment advice. Create relevant content that connects with your audience’s wants.
That’s the secret to sending out successful promotional SMS.
4. Target Audience and DND Filters
You don’t want to send weekly meal subscription SMS to someone who is looking for a new pair of shoes or cheap movie tickets for the weekend. Use Do-Not-Disturb (DND) Filters to let customers opt out of your text message services if they find your content to be irrelevant to them. Make sure you create a list of recipients to send your SMS offers to and research your target audience. Consider age, career, hobbies, online activity, and similar demographics in your market research.
5. Call to Action (CTA)
A rule of thumb when designing a Call To Action SMS is to keep it short, informative, and interactive. Create a sense of urgency by including limited time offers and remember not to exceed the 160-character limit for your SMS. People don’t read them for more than 3 minutes.
Benefits
Here are some of the benefits of SMS marketing for businesses-
More Communication
Keeping in touch with customers is key to running a successful business. Your business lifeline hinges on your relationships with customers.
Word of Mouth
Ever heard of the ‘Ripple Effect?’ That’s exactly what happens when you give your users what they want. Create a stunning impact on one customer, and he’ll spread the word to friends and social circles soon.
It’s Cheap
No, we don’t mean being stingy. We’re talking about investing smartly. Sending an SMS is a cost-effective way of reaching out to potential and returning customers. No internet needed.
Saves Time
As we said, people value their time, and an SMS barely consumes 2 to 3 minutes of their time now and then. Since it’s straight to the point, your conversation rates end up going higher.
Conclusion
And that’s it! Give SMS marketing a shot and run your marketing campaigns with these strategies. Let us know how it works out for you.