While SMS marketing benefits from a very high opening rate (much higher than Email marketing, for example), its major disadvantage is that you have to get a compelling message across in a few words.

Unlike all other written marketing channels currently available, you can’t use visual media to support your message and have to achieve your objective with only a few writing characters.

What Is SMS Marketing?

SMS marketing is using text messaging to deliver marketing campaigns or transactional communications. Most of these messages are intended to provide timely offers, updates, and alerts to your customers who have consented to receive them from your company.

It’s a type of opt-in marketing that encourages people to subscribe. This type of marketing sets it apart from social marketing, in which the marketer creates content that individuals may choose to like, comment on, or follow.

The following are examples of different types of SMS marketing:

• Personalized promotions
• Offers or discounts
• Remarketing
• Surveys

Consumers are increasingly more comfortable doing business with companies using their mobile devices. In many situations, they want to be able to contact companies via text or messaging.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, even before the COVID-19 outbreak revolutionized how businesses deal with consumers, over half of the firms in the United States planned to increase their digital marketing spending on messaging and SMS.

Between now and 2025, the market in the United States is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.3 percent, reaching a value of $12.6 billion. It allows businesses to reduce paper costs while making it easier for them to engage with targeted consumers.

What Is SMS Customer Service?

It is the technique of communicating with customers through SMS messages, allowing them to converse with customer care representatives via text.

According to Juniper Research, worldwide mobile business messaging revenue will climb from $87 billion to $88 billion in 2025, with 2.7 trillion messages transmitted.

According to the same research, SMS accounted for over 95% of the messaging traffic, and retail businesses handled 408 billion of those messages. However, the study shows that retail businesses mostly use messaging for the following reasons:

• Delivery updates
• Order confirmations
• Dispatch notifications
• Tracking information

These services are part of the broader category of SMS customer service. According to Gartner, by 2025, 80% of customer service firms will use SMS and messaging instead of native apps.

Customers regard business service text messages as the essential communications businesses offer. Perceived value, delivery updates, and booking confirmations are all preferred over product discounts.

Thus, if you plan to use promotional SMS, you should consider including SMS customer service as part of your strategy. Consumers are more inclined to continue subscribing when you give them real value with your text messages.

Of course, it’s not only about automated confirmations and reminders regarding SMS customer service. It also allows customers to chat directly with customer care reps using one-to-one text messaging.

The Power of SMS Marketing

If SMS marketing suffers from the handicap of brevity, why bother using it in the first place, you might ask? Well, as mentioned above, SMS text messages enjoy a much higher opening rate than all other marketing channels, and because they are short, they are easily read to completion. 

That means they offer a unique opportunity to reach target users with a strong marketing message, which you might not be able to get across in any other way. That’s why we’ve created intelligent features for SMS on our mobile marketing platform.

They allow you to set up template messages (similar to the ones listed below) and then populate specific parts with personalized information (e.g., name, company name, address, etc.).

That means you can upload the data of your contacts, and our system will automatically customize the template messages you schedule for sending out.

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Examples of SMS Templates for Marketing

Here are some examples, each with a template message:

1.Promote Local Events

You can use geographically targeted SMS campaigns to promote events such as conferences, seminars, or workshops.

– “Learn how to promote your Startup on a lean budget. Join our workshop at the local seminar center on May 9th. Call us at 555-1234 to book your ticket.”

2.Promote a New Product Launch

If you’re launching a new product or feature, you can alert your subscribers via text message.

– “We’re excited to launch a new feature on our platform that will revolutionize your Facebook marketing and triple your ROI. Visit url.com to learn more.”

3.Promote Sales With Coupons

Drive sales in your stores or online shop by sending coupon codes to subscribers via SMS.

– “Get a 30% discount on all our electronic products. Use coupon code xtr9pm to receive a discount when you purchase $100 or more.”

4.Alert Customers of Special Offers

Drive users to take action by letting them know a special offer is about to expire.

– “Buy any item from our summer collection and receive a second one for free. Special offer valid only until May 30th.”

5.Drive Visitors to Your Website

Since it’s possible to insert links into Text Messages, you can use SMS campaigns to drive traffic to your website.

– “Visit agency.com/special-deals to receive a gift and learn about our best promo deals for your summer vacation.”

6.Promote Newsletter Subscription

Use SMS messages to drive users to subscribe to your Email Newsletter.

– “Sign up today at website.com/newsletter to receive weekly news on special deals that are only available to subscribers.”

Benefits of SMS Marketing

SMS marketing has several benefits over other types of digital marketing.

It’s Fast

Text message marketing is fast and dependable in a variety of ways. There are no images to create for your content, as there would be with social networking or email marketing.

SMS messaging has a limited character limit, so you won’t have to write much to convey your message to your target consumer. They’re easy to produce and promptly delivered.

Furthermore, messages reach your contacts sooner than Instagram posts or emails would. When your consumer receives an SMS, they will immediately inform them via text on their phone. They’d need to open their favorite social media client or email application to check out your other marketing efforts.

It Has Near-Perfect Open Rates

Sending your messages by text is the most effective technique to get people to open them. Most marketing text advertisements are opened 98 percent of the time, which is as close to a 100 percent opening as possible.

Compared to other marketing efforts, a Mailchimp survey revealed that the average marketing email is opened 21.3 percent of the time.

It Has a High Response Rate

Because SMS open rates are excellent, so are the response rates. Text marketing messages have an average response rate of 45%, whereas email click-through rates rarely exceed 7%. Customers are 15 times more likely to click on a link you send via text than an email.

How to Use SMS Marketing

It doesn’t have to be complicated to implement promotional SMS templates. In reality, it’s considerably more accessible than email or social media marketing since there is no design aspect. To get started with it, you’ll need the following things:

Get a List of Customers for Which You Have Permission to Contact

It’s illegal in the United States and Canada to send text messages to individuals who haven’t given you explicit consent. Before you start the text message marketing campaign, double-check that you have permission from your list of recipients to send messages.

Remove any contacts that you can’t confirm their permission status. You can keep track of consumers’ data and stay legal with SMS Blasts.

Use a Software Program to Send Your Messages

You’ll need software to automate the sending of your messages. Several services offer exclusively text message marketing, but you may also utilize an integrated system like SMS Blasts.

A separate text marketing system would need you to submit client contact information, which would track separately from all your other marketing activities.

Craft Your Message

You don’t need to make your texts as much as you would for an email newsletter. In fact, the shorter it is, the better. A software program allows you to send text messages with a maximum length of 300 characters, about 2-5 sentences.

Remember that a clear call-to-action and a method for your customers to unsubscribe from receiving messages from you are essential (opt-outs are required by law).

Track Results

Keep an eye on your message’s performance after you’ve sent a message. Examine how many individuals click on the link in the message you sent.

If you have a one-of-a-kind discount code for your SMS campaign, keep track of the number of people that use it when making a purchase and how many purchases you make. Compare these figures to the total number of messages you sent.

Great Ways to Reach Your Customers Using SMS

Smartphones are now owned by more than half of all Americans (68%). Do you have an idea as to what the most frequently used smartphone feature is? Texting!

Smartphone users prefer texting to social media and games, with 97 percent using their device to communicate vs. 75 percent that check social networks and 47 percent who play games.

Many businesses have benefited from using SMS in their marketing strategy. Text messaging is a quick and effective way for businesses to communicate with their consumers.

Several approaches to customer interaction via text, from promotional messages to appointment reminders and surveys. The following are some tips on how to do it effectively:

Run Promotions and Sales

There are two principles to remember when using SMS to offer special deals. The first is the time factor. 

Text messages are delivered instantly. This may result in a greater return on investment (ROI).

For example, if you’re offering pizzas, it’s usually a good idea to send out a promotional push during the evening, just when people start to think about dinner.

The second is segmenting. Categorizing your clients based on their purchases, behavior, location, and other characteristics might help you boost engagement.

A company that sells a particular type of product increases its retail average and triples its demand target with a segmentation strategy.

Play With Contests

People are attracted to freebies. Sweepstakes and contests are a great way to get your users involved. A College in Canada has recently given potential students the option of winning a free iPod touch if they opt into their SMS program.

From a single recruiting event, the university received 700 opt-ins! Contests are a fantastic method to expand your opt-in list while piquing the interest of your existing customers for a sales campaign.

Improve Your Customer Service

SMS marketing is another fast and convenient way to serve customers. Most Americans send or receive text messages at least once a day.

According to recent research, over existing techniques, more than half of customers prefer text as their customer care platform. As a result, texting may be an excellent customer service method with several benefits:

• It’s wide-reaching: Customers may send and receive text messages even if they aren’t near a computer or have access to WiFi.
• It’s convenient: Customers may quickly contact Customer Service for assistance without having to communicate over the phone. It lets them go about their day as usual without having to interrupt everything to address any issue.
• It provides customers a record: Texting leaves a trace of all conversations with a company. Customers may return to view the information at a later date.

It Is Suitable for an Appointment Reminder

Have you missed a scheduled appointment? Who hasn’t? Even the most organized individual can sometimes miss a scheduled appointment. Clients and businesses get irritated when appointments are ignored.

It’s a missed opportunity for organizations, with most of them employing high-paid workers standing around doing nothing. Clients will have to deal with the inconvenience of rescheduling their appointments.

Appointment reminders are a simple method to ensure that clients arrive on time, allowing you to run your business more smoothly.

Personalize Your Message

Which of the two messages would you prefer to answer as a receiver? “Dear customer, here’s a 10% off spa services coupon for you this week. You don’t want to miss out!” Or “Dear Janet, you’re invited to take advantage of a 10% discount on a spa massage at any time this week.”

If you’re Janet, the second message will entice you to respond more than the first message. The primary distinction is that the second one is made to your specific tastes.

At both ends, targeting and customization perform as intended. It keeps businesses from squandering money on “blanket” campaigns that appeal to only a portion of their consumers. Second, it helps customers remain loyal and engaged by offering incentives that are important to them.

Customers place a high value on personal information; according to recent research, 70 percent of consumers want to interact with businesses that utilize their data to provide them with more customized shopping experiences.

Ask For Feedback

What about sending an SMS survey to learn how your consumers feel about a new menu item you want to introduce in your restaurant business or asking about their most recent shopping experience?

SMS polling is a fantastic approach to engaging with clients and learning about them. Customers can react promptly and whenever they choose due to the messaging’s flexibility.

As a result, text message has a significantly greater response rate than other forms of communication. It also informs consumers that you value their feedback and that your company is committed to serving them with excellent service.

How Long Should Your Mobile Marketing Message Be?

The battle is only half done if you have a fantastic product or exceptional services. The ability to deliver your marketing message to target audiences when they are most receptive helps you close the deal.

Your business messaging campaign’s success depends on how well you can time it to meet client demands. You might have the most incredible sale ever accompanied by the most excellent copy imaginable, but your efforts may be lost if you launch a campaign incorrectly.

It’s also the case in reverse. A less appealing offer might perform far better and receive more engagement if delivered correctly.

Mastering the Basics

When determining the optimum send time for your messages, your business goals, industry, and consumer behavior all have a role.

Here are some of the most common timeframes for sending marketing messages:

• Between 08:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on weekdays: This is an appropriate time to check for updates while people are on public transport, sipping their morning coffee, or reading their mail at the office.
• Between 05:00 p.m. and 09:00 p.m. on weekdays: Customers are once again on their phones on their way home after work or engaged in other activities, but they’re still eager to hear from you without seeming like you’re intruding.
• Between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on weekends: Send your message after a week of hard work when your audience is ready and receptive. During this time of the day, offering your client a hand makes it simpler to sign up for offers that don’t disrupt their plans, such as a lunchtime meal offer.
• Between 04:00 p.m. and 07:00 p.m. on Sundays: Sunday evenings, when individuals are ready to begin the week after their weekend activities are completed. This is the moment to relax and leisure browsing, which implies that customers are likely to be more receptive to your messages.

Conclusion

As you’ve probably realized by now, the possibilities for using SMS marketing messages to drive specific actions are endless. When strong SMS marketing messages are used in combination with other marketing channels, they are part of a formidable toolset to boost the success of your marketing strategy.

At engageSPARK, our 3-step wizards allow you to quickly create SMS marketing campaigns without training or tech skills, making it the most accessible tool for SMS marketing available. Make sure you sign up and test our platform for free