SMS marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect with and maintain customer relationships. It’s a direct form of marketing that entails sales promotions, news, or updates via text to customers.
Further, SMS marketing allows you to promote products and build customer relationships simultaneously. That’s why it’s still a valuable marketing tool even to this day. So. consider including it in your marketing strategy if you haven’t already done so.
Even though the marketing function has been digitalized to a great extent, SMS marketing is still very important for marketers all over the world. People may believe that text messages are old and ineffective. However, the truth is that SMS marketing is still going strong even today. Launching SMS marketing campaigns is easy because of technological advancements that can automate parts of the process.
This guide will explore the reasons why your business still needs SMS marketing in 2023. Read on.
Is SMS Marketing Still Relevant In 2023 or Not?
Of course, it is. There are many reasons why SMS marketing is such a powerful form of marketing – some of which are detailed below. That’s why marketers still use text message marketing today.
Marketers will use SMS marketing differently to achieve their goals. For example, to boost sales, generate leads, upsell, or advertise a new product, among other things.
Here are some reasons why SMS marketing is still relevant and why it should form part of your overall marketing strategy:
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SMS Is Convenient
SMS marketing is convenient for both you and your customers. Customers won’t have to scroll through many emails to get your message. Text messages allow them to see and respond to your prompts quickly.
In addition, SMS marketing is convenient for you because you can use tools and software to launch, monitor, and manage your campaigns.
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SMS Marketing Is Non-intrusive
SMS marketing is a permission-based form of marketing. Customers must show interest in your brand or product to opt-in to receive SMS notifications or updates. Therefore, SMS marketing is less intrusive than other communication methods like phone calls.
Better yet, solutions like Drop Cowboy Ringless Voicemail allow you to send pre-recorded audio that recipients can listen to on their own time. You can send a personalized message through ringless voicemail drop instead of calling them directly. This helps to make interactions less intrusive and may enhance the customer experience.
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SMS Has High Click-Through Rates
Text messages generally have high CTRs. However, the effectiveness of your message will depend on several factors. Your message must be valuable to the recipient for them to engage with it. It has to add value to them in some way. If you pull this off, click-through rates will be great.
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It’s Highly Customizable
You can customize your message however you see fit.
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SMS Marketing Is Direct And Immediate
Text messages are a direct means of communication. As soon as you click the send button, it’s done. The customer receives your message instantly. That’s why SMS is great for providing real-time updates.
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You Get To Enjoy Low Competition
Unlike other communication mediums like email or social media, the SMS marketing space isn’t as competitive. It’s a more direct and personal mode of communication. The fact that you can send personalized messages means that you can stand out from the competition.
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SMS Marketing Is Cost-effective
SMS marketing is very cost-effective relative to other forms of marketing. As a result, the return on investment (ROI) for SMS marketing is also usually good.
There are several tools you can use to do SMS marketing campaigns. Most of them have affordable pricing structures. It’s all a matter of choosing one which fits into your budget.
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You Get To Save Time
SMS marketing for your marketing teams can save time because you can use different tools and software to automate the process. These tools allow you to send multiple messages simultaneously.
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SMS Marketing Has Tracking Features
Text marketing software typically comes equipped with tracking features. Tracking is important because it helps show your marketing campaign’s progress. An SMS tracker lets you track certain metrics during your marketing campaign. You can track things like CTR, open rates, and conversion rates.
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There’s No Need For Internet Connectivity
Text messages don’t require Internet connectivity. This means you can reach anyone with access to a mobile phone network. In addition, you can reach audiences in remote areas that may not have access to the Internet.
Use Cases For SMS Marketing
There are several situations wherein SMS marketing applies. Here are some common use cases that you may already be familiar with:
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Booking Reminders
There’s a good chance that you may have already experienced this scenario before. Perhaps you have forgotten a few appointments in your life too. Maybe you missed your doctor’s appointment. You’d have wanted someone or something to remind you of that appointment. You may have forgotten, not because you’re careless. But maybe because life got busy.
Nonetheless, you know that you’d have made it if you had received a reminder to attend your appointment in the morning. These booking reminders are commonly used, especially by people who work on appointments, such as office professionals and doctors.
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Billing
Going after customer invoices can be time-consuming and arduous. Other times, customers may be bad actors. Yet sometimes, customers don’t pay off their invoices because they forget to do so. That’s possible, especially if customers don’t receive physical utility bills frequently.
But if you have customer numbers, you can easily send SMS reminders to them reminding them to pay up their overdue accounts. This billing system could be integrated with your CRM to automate SMS reminders. If you want the best results, personalize your billing messages by including the recipient’s information.
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Offers And Promotions
Since text messages have high CTRs, SMS marketing is perfect for promoting special offers. If you have a promotion, you can prioritize people on your SMS list. Then push your promotions to them.
If you have a customer relationship management system (CRM), you may be able to determine which customers may be interested in buying your products based on their behaviour. Then, you can tailor your promotional marketing campaigns based on your understanding of the customer.
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Shipping Updates
SMS shipping updates are commonly used in e-commerce businesses. These days, customers are particular about when their orders arrive. They expect shoppers to deliver their orders on or before the due date. Providing regular updates on patrons’ order progress can help ease any anxiety they may have.
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Customer Support
Traditionally, the channels through which customer support is provided are email and phone. These are still relevant today. But using SMS makes customer support more accessible for your customers.
Some customers may prefer communicating through text or a text messaging platform. If such customers can reach you through text, it may improve their experience because their preferred channel is available.
When clients know that your company has an accessible customer support channel, they’re more likely to buy from you. People generally don’t mind paying more for products made by brands with great customer service.
There are several other use cases to consider yet the abovementioned examples should show how SMS marketing can fit into your business or organization. These are all real-world examples that you may already know of. The goal is for you to figure out how to integrate text messages into your marketing efforts.
Various SMS Marketing Best Practices
To fully maximize the perks of SMS marketing, check out some of the best practices discussed below:
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Have a Clear Call To Action (CTA)
Text messages are in short form. So, you want to ensure that your CTA is clear. The first sentence should immediately notify the recipient of what your message is about. There’s no need to use any fancy jargon that might confuse the reader. The CTA should be short and precise enough to prompt the recipient to take a specific action.
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Understand Your Audience
Effective marketing necessitates that you understand your audience. You need to know their needs, wants, and preferences. The best way to do this is by profiling your customers.
Then, you can define your customer segments appropriately. This is so that you can send engaging messages to specific people when sending bulk promotional messages.
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Personalize Your Message
While there are certain contexts wherein sending generic messages could work, it’s always best to personalize them.
The problem with generic messages is that they could sound robotic and impersonal. This may not rub off well on some people. It could give the impression that you don’t care about the customer. Instead, you’re mostly concerned about what you can get from the customer more than what your brand offers.
Now it’s no secret that the goal of doing business is to make profits. But realize that since the customer is royalty, your business should focus on serving them. So, you must treat your customers well and let them see that you value their business. One way of doing this is by personalizing marketing campaigns.
Message personalization will give the impression that you care about the people you serve. Don’t underestimate how much changing the tone of a message can impact the recipient.
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Maintain Compliance
You must ensure that your SMS marketing campaign efforts comply with the applicable privacy laws. Sending unsolicited messages to people could get you into serious legal trouble.
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Get Consent
It’s good practice to always get permission from the customer before sending any text messages. Sending messages without the user’s consent may result in legal consequences. Ensure you’re aware of text messaging laws in your country that apply to your business.
The best way to build a list is by providing your customers with an opt-in option. Remember that not everyone may want to receive text message updates on their device. So, you must give your clients the option to opt into this voluntarily.
Adding opt-in forms to your website is a great way to build your contact list at a low cost. But if you have a physical store, physical opt-in forms can be used as well. Customers can fill in these forms whenever they visit your physical shop.
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Create Appropriate Content
Maintaining a professional tone when you’re sending marketing text messages is important. Resist the temptation to create marketing material with content others may deem inappropriate or insensitive.
While adding humour to your campaigns may be fine, avoid using risky messaging or images to avoid offending people. Avoid sexual, discriminatory, or disparaging content as much as possible.
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Timing
There are good and bad times to send text messages. Realize that people have jobs and other commitments during the day. They may be busy at a certain time and may not have the time to read your messages. You want to ensure that you send messages at times when you know your target recipients will open your texts.
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Offer Opt-out Options
It doesn’t matter how much you want to hold onto your customers. Allow them to opt out of your subscriber or contact list by asking them to send a reply, usually the word ‘stop.’ Once a customer does this, ensure you don’t send text messages anymore in the future.
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Avoid Spamming
You must avoid sending too many messages in a short space of time. Spamming customers can make them feel overwhelmed. This could backfire because it may show that you’re desperate.
It’s best to keep your messages properly spaced over time. In addition, give yourself enough time to craft the right message that contains all relevant information. This may prevent you from sending multiple messages.
Conclusion
SMS marketing isn’t a new marketing concept. It’s something that businesses and organizations have used for a long time. It’s still being used and is here to stay for a long time. Even though there are more updated methods of communication, SMS is still going strong because it has high click-through rates. Plus, it’s cost-effective and generally yields higher ROI.
If you’re a company owner or marketing manager, keep in mind the points mentioned above for guidance in helping you carry out your business SMS marketing campaigns. All the best.