SMS marketing strategy

Has your business spent a considerable chunk of financial resources on traditional marketing, only to find the results somewhat….underwhelming. Have you ever wondered if perhaps you are missing something? What’s the one thing everyone has on their person at all times? A mobile phone - something we all instinctively reach for at the ping of an incoming message.

SMS marketing and business SMS solutions have seen an upward trend in popularity in recent years – and for good reason. Emails, TV placements, PPC ads and many other traditional methods of marketing are all well and good. Most definitely. However, an SMS has the potential to be so much more personal.

It’s the most effective way to ensure that you aren’t just targeting an inbox, demographic or category, you’re actually targeting a person – someone you think is your ideal customer. And think back. When was the last time your phone buzzed and you ignored it completely? Seldom happens, right?

So, let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons it may be worth considering incorporating a business SMS solution into your marketing strategy.

1. SMS is the most direct and effective way of addressing your target audience

Here’s a fun fact that is sure to be music to any marketer’s ears.

An incredible 98% of all texts are opened, while a whopping 95% are opened within the first three minutes of being received!

It is almost instinctive now. We have evolved to react to the chime of a text. Our hands automatically reach out to read what the text says.

Meanwhile, other forms of mobile marketing, like apps, emails, and mobile adverts, immediately preclude customers without access to a smartphone. On the other hand, almost every operational mobile phone today has the capacity to receive an SMS!

A chance to improve open rates, while expanding your readership base simultaneously? Sound too good to be true? Let’s dig deeper.

2. Cost effective

Marketing campaigns can become a costly, protracted affair. Especially when you try encompassing print media, visual media, PPC adverts, and so on. Sending an SMS online, on the other hand, comes at a fraction of the cost.

Low cost, in conjunction with higher open rates, will most definitely translate into more sales/conversions, which in turn means a stronger ROI.

Silverstone, a popular British motor racing circuit, recently astounded everyone by generating an unbelievable 680% ROI by broadcasting a single text message. This message was sent to 45,000 recipients who had previously attended, or had expressed interest in attending a motor racing event.

Enabling you to target the exact customer base you want, making it more likely for them to take action, online SMS marketing reduces costs and increases conversions.

3. High conversion rates

In addition to the conversions caused by the sheer volume and open rates of your marketing efforts via text messaging channels, there is a much higher rate of subscriber action as well.

For example, coupons are proven methods of attracting attention and prompting action. However, the traditional way of distributing coupons are a costly endeavour – as print and media aren’t exactly cost effective.

The newest approach – distributing coupons using mobile apps seems to have promise, but has inherent problems as well. Firstly, this process excludes the populace without a smartphone. Secondly, it remains a costly and time-consuming process, because the first step involves creating apps for various platforms and then allocating budgets to market the app itself.

Now, with an online or mobile SMS message no mobile user is excluded. You have access to a pre-existing platform, with a much larger user base, to distribute proven, converting content like coupons. This not only eliminates unnecessary expenditure, it also makes sure that your readers are much more likely to take action.

4. Integration with other marketing channels

Does the effectiveness of SMS marketing make all other marketing channels useless? Absolutely not.

Although SMS is a great standalone marketing channel, it has the ability to enhance and nurture other mediums such as social media and email. A friendly follow-up SMS about an email you recently sent to a prospect can increase email open rates by up to 20-30%!

5. No pesky spam filters

Google’s spam filter is notoriously famous for keeping most marketing emails away from Gmail users’ inbox. Getting around this walled defence is not an easy task by any means. A cursory glance at the amount of money companies sink into email campaigns to make sure they do not end up as spam, is a testament to the difficulty and financial burden this task entails.

On the other hand, the all-powerful SMS cannot be stopped! There is no need to navigate around spam filters and your chances of reaching your intended recipient are 98%!

What this means is – unlike emails, for example, you will enjoy near-perfect delivery rates with an online SMS campaign – ensuring that every prospect receives your carefully crafted message.

Some final thoughts

In SMS you have a marketing medium that has higher open rates, delivery rates, conversion rates, is cheaper, and assists other marketing channels as well! Sending an SMS online further enhances the ease of use.

The opportunity cost of SMS marketing is clearly substantial – making it an increasingly valuable component for any successful marketing campaign.