Text messaging is by far the most convenient way to reach out to and communicate with people. It’s a popular means that is used worldwide. Given that most people prefer to receive messages on their phones rather than calls or email messages, many business organizations have tapped into this technology to reach a broader market and get customers to use their services.
Enter the SMS Marketing era, which introduced a new method of communication that takes advantage of text messaging’s capabilities. What is SMS marketing, and why is it essential for businesses to adopt such a strategy? Let’s find out.
How SMS Marketing Works
SMS Marketing works the same way you send a group text to a specific group of people. In commercial applications, the business will be the sender and a predetermined group of people who opted for the message alerts service. While some people choose to do otherwise, many customers choose to take the messaging service to get offers, discounts, and even coupons before non-subscribers. Sounds pretty simple, right?
SMS Marketing has many factors to consider despite its simplicity. There are shortcodes and keyword codes to consider, and these must align with your business strategy.
Short Codes & Other SMS Marketing Factors
If you’re currently offering promos for the entire month of January, your keyword should include the words Jan and Promo. You then need a short code, a 5- to 6-digit number, where the customer sends the keyword.
Once the system recognizes the keyword, it will return an automated message with information about your January promotions. How will your customers know that you have an ongoing promo, though? That information is going to come from another shortcode number dedicated to sending information and messages to your customers, containing instructions for claiming rewards, joining promos, earning coupons, and getting freebies, to name a few.
If mobile carrier rates apply when they respond to a text announcement, a disclaimer must be indicated in the text message to make sure that the customers are aware of any SMS charges.
Who Can You Reach Through SMS Marketing?
Pretty much everyone who has a phone and opted-in for your SMS service is within your range. You can send messages based on a schedule and can even program the date and time you would like your messages to go out. That said, it’s also important to consider the timezone of your customers, especially if you operate in multiple locations across the country and abroad.
Text messages are usually read immediately as soon as the customer receives them, so make sure they’re not reading it at 2 AM their time because you sent it at 7 AM your time. Timing is everything, or it’ll make them opt-out if this happens quite frequently, or worse, all the time.
Lastly, you must also provide a convenient way for your customers to opt out of the messaging service. A simple keyword like “STOP” can be sent to a shortcode that will then send an automated message confirming their request and the end of the service.
What to Expect When Engaging With Customers Via SMS
Data says text messages are read instantly 80% of the time. So when you launch an effective SMS marketing strategy, you can expect an increase in customer engagement and a boost in your email marketing strategy.
Timing and scheduling:
People have a habit of checking their phones the moment they wake up, so echoing the point mentioned earlier, timing is key. Messages sent in the morning put your business front and center, especially if you’re launching promotions or discounts during a certain time of the day.
Content is still king:
The content of your message also matters, so make sure it’s not all business and communicate with your customers as if you’re engaging with them personally. When you launch your campaigns thru SMS, you can expect a boost in sales as you cut through the crowd of advertisements and deliver your message straight to your customers.
Tracking your campaigns:
What’s good about this marketing strategy is it allows you to track your performance by having access to campaign management and analytics. This helps you create more meaningful content for your customers and shows you how to improve your infographic messages to attract their attention.
Engagement and gamification:
You can even gamify the experience by creating interactive content, like playing a simple game to win prizes or making your feedback forms more than just a yes or no exercise.
Not Sure Where to Start? Talk to Always Answer!
Always Answer can help your business get started on your SMS marketing campaigns. Reach out to us on our site and click on our number 1-800-606-9898 to connect you straight to our HQ. We can discuss your options based on your needs.
