Something about feeling my phone buzz or hearing that ding when I receive a text message gets me a little excited, and when I open it to see that my favorite clothing store sent me an exclusive coupon code for 30%, I get even more excited!
As an advertiser, you now have access to multiple contact points across many channels—and customers expect you to use them all. So, SMS marketing is a valuable tool to communicate and develop relationships with your customers if done correctly.
WHAT IS SMS MARKETING?
SMS marketing is the action of sending marketing messages via customers. It is a form of opt-in marketing because it requires the contacts to subscribe, much like email marketing. This is different than social advertising where the advertiser posts content to the public.
There are many different types of SMS marketing, and if you have a cell phone, chances are you have received at least one of them. Here are some of the most common types:
- Offers or discounts
- Personalized promotions
- Remarketing
- Surveys
As we advance in the digital age, customers are becoming more comfortable communicating with businesses on their mobile devices. Most even expect to be able to reach back out to them via text. The data also confirms the popularity of SMS marketing; in June 2020, 56% of retailers in the US planned to increase their digital marketing investment in SMS, which outranked any other potential investment areas.
BEST PRACTICES
SMS customer service allows businesses to serve their customers through SMS messages. It enables customers to interact with customer service agents through text. Retailers primarily use messaging for things like:
- Order confirmations
- Tracking information
- Delivery updates
Customers value service SMS messages like appointment reminders or delivery updates more than discounts or promotions. So, if you plan to invest in and implement SMS marketing into your digital strategy, it would be wise to include SMS customer service. If the customer sees real value in the texts you send, they are more likely to stay subscribed.
WHAT IS SMS CUSTOMER SERVICE?
SMS marketing is the action of sending marketing messages via customers. It is a form of opt-in marketing because it requires the contacts to subscribe, much like email marketing. This is different than social advertising where the advertiser posts content to the public.
There are many different types of SMS marketing, and if you have a cell phone, chances are you have received at least one of them. Here are some of the most common types:
- Offers or discounts
- Personalized promotions
- Remarketing
- Surveys
As we advance in the digital age, customers are becoming more comfortable communicating with businesses on their mobile devices. Most even expect to be able to reach back out to them via text. The data also confirms the popularity of SMS marketing; in June 2020, 56% of retailers in the US planned to increase their digital marketing investment in SMS, which outranked any other potential investment areas.
WHAT IS SMS CUSTOMER SERVICE?
SMS customer service allows businesses to serve their customers through SMS messages. It enables customers to interact with customer service agents through text. Retailers primarily use messaging for things like:
- Order confirmations
- Tracking information
- Delivery updates
Customers value service SMS messages like appointment reminders or delivery updates more than discounts or promotions. So, if you plan to invest in and implement SMS marketing into your digital strategy, it would be wise to include SMS customer service. If the customer sees real value in the texts you send, they are more likely to stay subscribed.
BEST PRACTICES
MAKE SURE YOUR CUSTOMER HAS OPTED IN
Just because you have a big list of phone numbers you’ve collected from customers doesn’t mean it’s okay to start mass texting them. SMS marketing requires an explicit opt-in. SMS has a great open rate but is practically useless if you send messages to people who don’t want them. So be sure to ask your customers to confirm via text if they really do want to subscribe.
ALLOW THEM TO OPT-OUT
This goes for all personal marketing methods but is even more critical for more intrusive methods like SMS. Texting people repeatedly who don’t want to hear from you makes you more likely to lose customers than increase sales. Therefore, every message you send should include information on how to unsubscribe.
SEND AT THE RIGHT TIME
If you’re anything like me, you probably open text messages almost immediately. For urgent messages, text is great but don’t abuse your power and disturb your customers at weird times during the day. For example, I wouldn’t want to be interrupted by a coupon code at family dinner or woken up by a survey at 2:00 AM, and I assume you wouldn’t either, so don’t do that to your customers. To avoid this, choose an appropriate time for your SMS marketing text and send it out in different stages according to area codes and time zones.
IDENTIFY WHO YOU ARE
Nothing is worse than getting a text from a random number and having to send the awkward “who is this?” text. Even with SMS marketing, you can’t assume that your customers will have you saved as a contact in their phone. Your message will most likely appear from a random number they don’t recognize with no other information. Therefore, it is vital to identify who you are at the beginning of the message if you want the customer to make it past the first couple of words.
USE SMS MARKETING TO COMPLEMENT YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY
Email marketing and SMS marketing complement each other very well. They are both great ways to communicate with your customers personally and effectively. Campaigns can be created through both channels. Use SMS to send out more time-sensitive information and emails to share more detailed information.
Now that you know all about SMS marketing and its best practices, it’s time to get on the next train and incorporate SMS marketing into your digital strategy!