SMS can be used in so many different ways and it is widely acknowledged to be one of the most important tools for marketing and customer outreach. Sending SMS messages is highly effective because they have such a high open rate compared to other messaging mediums. In fact, more than 90% of SMS messages are opened within the first hour of someone receiving them. Compared to email open rates which are far lower, any business which is able to utilize SMS effectively can see some huge benefits. To help organizations utilize this excellent tool effectively, here are the ways you can use SMS for your business.
Bring a Personal Touch to Your Outreach
Personalized messages resonate far better with recipients than outreach which has clearly been sent in bulk. SMS is heavily regulated these days which means your business cannot send out messages in bulk even if you want to. All recipients must have already agreed to receive texts from your business before you are legally allowed to send them. The fines for breaking these rules, even if you just send one message are substantial, but that does give SMS an exclusivity that other types of outreach and customer communication don’t have. From your opt-in list, you will be able to get recipients’ names and possibly some other basic information. Include this strategically in the messages you send and it will give them a far more personal touch.
Targeted marketing is always more successful than non-targeted marketing, and there are no more direct ways to reach your target audience, than with a personal address text message directly to their phone’s inbox. The majority of people open texts within ten minutes of receiving them, and if they see their name in the first line (which will show on their push notifications) their interest is sure to be piqued.
You Can Use SMS to Reinforce Other Types of Marketing Messages
The best marketing outreach campaigns use multiple means to contact potential customers. SMS is a very effective outreach avenue when used alone, but it can also supercharge your other marketing avenues. One of the greatest strengths of SMS marketing is that it has phenomenal open rates. Studies have shown that 93% of all text messages are opened by the recipient, and of these, the vast majority within the first ten minutes. Everyone knows how to use SMS and every modern phone comes with the technology already installed, so your business should use this universal understanding to your advantage. No one wants to read a long text message, so instead, send your customers an email with more in-depth information, and then text them to give a reminder to check their emails. Similarly, every time your business posts something new on Facebook or Instagram, send your followers a text to check your social media pages.
SMS Can Provide You with Instant Data on Marketing Success
The best marketing campaigns use trackable results to adjust their approach where necessary for maximum impact. Where SMS has a huge advantage over other types of messaging is that it uses delivery receipts. As long as your recipients have these turned on, you will be able to see when your text messages were received and seen. This can let you know which phone numbers are no longer in operation, which recipients are more engaged, and how many people are reading the text but not responding to it. This data can be incredibly important for designing new marketing outreach campaigns and also for improving your active ones.
SMS Can Help Your Business to Save Money
SMS is very useful for businesses that have a limited budget for marketing because there is no money wasted on outreach to customers who are not interested. Because of the opt-in laws, you will know that anyone you send a message to has already shown their interest in your business’s products and services because they have already given their permission to receive texts. SMS is a tried and tested marketing method and for new businesses or those who need every dollar to make an impact, using SMS effectively can be a game-changer. Far too many businesses overlook SMS looking for some new innovative marketing method but
SMS Is Still An Industry Leader
SMS has long shown itself to be an excellent tool for so many different aspects of the business. If you plan and implement your SMS campaign correctly, the returns can be significant. Make sure that you thoroughly analyze every step you take to ensure that your SMS campaigns have the maximum impact.
