SMS or “Short Message Service” can be a very powerful marketing tool for your company!
Benefits of bulk SMS marketing campaigns:
- No ad copy needed
- Little to no delay in implementation
- Results are easy to track and measure
- Cheap and affordable, even for small businesses
- Most mobile users trust SMS
With all these benefits it might surprise you to learn that many companies don’t use it! These companies don’t use bulk SMS marketing campaigns because they find it to be too difficult. But, these campaigns don’t have to be challenging.
Do you want to know 5 easy tips for creating a successful text message marketing campaign? Read on to find out what they are!
Bulk SMS Marketing Success Rates
Statistics and studies show people respond most to messages sent by phone. 20-30% open their e-mails, while SMS has a 98% open rate.
The findings from these studies are:
- More than 6 billion people have mobile phones
- 90% of people read SMS within 3 seconds
- 50% of recipients in the US go on to make direct purchases
- 47% of recipients who click an SMS link make a purchase
- 32% of recipients responded to offers
- 31% of recipients respond to invitations for surveys
SMS can be a powerful marketing tool when used right. These studies have also revealed that only 49% of marketers use SMS marketing! This means there are many customers that you can still reach.
1) Build a Reliable Marketing List
For all marketing campaigns to be successful, you must know who your target customer is. Who are you selling to and why will he or she want your product or service? With SMS marketing, this is crucial because each message needs to be customer based.
The right message to the right customer will be seen as useful. A right message to the wrong customer will be seen as spam and may turn some customers off.
To know who to reach out to, you should make a contact list, this list will include your past and present customers. The data you have about each customer can help you determine who your target customers are. Important information to review include purchase history and location.
Sign up campaigns are a fantastic way to find potential customers for you to contact. These campaigns inform customers about your SMS outreach services. This information should entice them into joining your mailing list.
It’s important to review if your marketing campaigns are successful. Most customers have smartphones that allow you to track your campaign’s success rate. Successful campaigns mean that many customers click on the message and engage with it.
At all times you must make sure you follow the rules and regulations for SMS campaigns.
These rules and regulations must adhere to the:
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
- CAN-SPAM Act
These rules and regulations state consumers have the right to:
- Not receive unsolicited SMS
- Provide consent before receiving SMS
- Opt out of receiving SMS
Knowing what customers to contact can benefit your campaign and help keep you out of court!
2) Offer Value
Each SMS should be worth your customer’s time. People complain when SMS target the wrong customer and offer little value. SMS shouldn’t waste a customer’s time by providing offers they can find elsewhere.
Great SMS ideas include contests, promoting a giveaway, and offering an exclusive deal.
A frivolous SMS runs the risk of annoying customers forcing them to opt out. This can result in a loss of business.
One way to see if your SMS are offering value is to track if they’re working. If many people follow your call to action, your bulk SMS marketing campaign is working. However, if many people opt out your campaign needs work.
3) Be Personal
Your SMS should be personal for each of your customers. Using their name, instead of a blanket term such as “customer,” will go a long way. Customers should look at your messages as though they’re from trusted friends.
You should know who your customers are and what they want. Tailoring SMS will make your customer feel special and increase their loyalty. For example, if a customer loves a shoe brand you can let them know when that brand has a new release.
Each SMS is restricted to 160 characters. This means you have to be to the point without being too direct. The faster you communicate your point, the better your SMS will work.
Make sure your SMS includes your brand personality. Make it a point to refrain from using abbreviations, caps, and emoticons.
A customer opening your SMS is inviting you into their private domain. As such you should always value their time and communicate in a conversational manner.
4) Timing Is Everything
Timing improves the chance your customer will read the SMS. It’s important to know when your messages have the most impact.
You should limit the amount of SMS you send so the customer doesn’t view it as spam. Good SMS should be anticipated by the customer. Finding the best time may take trial and error.
Tips for when to contact your customers:
- Weekends are great because customers have more free time
- Don’t send messages too early or too late in the day
- Set triggers for customers to receive messages after certain actions
There are a variety of different triggers you can use for your SMS. Examples include after a purchase or after a set period of time a customer isn’t in the store.
5) Call To Action
Messages that are open-ended aren’t as successful as those that have a timed call to action. Call to actions should be brief and provide instructions for what the customer should do. The easier you make the call to action, the more likely they’ll follow through.
Your call to action should provide a sense of urgency for the customer. For example, coupons should have an expiration date that’s expiring soon.
Always include a phone number or website at the end of your message. If you include your website make sure the link is mobile friendly. The URL link should be shortened using programs like Goog.gl or Bit.ly.
Are you ready to start a bulk SMS marketing campaign that will bring more business to your company? Contact us today to find out what we can do for you!
