Text message marketing is driving value in every consumer-facing industry, and even in some B2B markets. However, there are many considerations a company needs to make before investing in a bulk SMS service and beginning their mobile campaign. There are several myths surrounding mobile marketing, and essential truths that firms have to be aware of in order to optimize their strategy and ensure they are maximizing returns on their SMS services.
Below are eight truths every company has to be aware of to be successful in SMS text marketing:
It's sharable – The best way to increase the value of text message marketing is to encourage your customers to share the messages they receive. Much of the ROI of a mobile strategy is driven this way, and it is how companies expand their brand message in an organic way.
It ties to other channels – Another key value driver in text message marketing is the ability to connect it with other channels seamlessly. Many companies use mobile to capture consumer's email addresses, tying the two platforms together and building a stronger strategy for each. The interconnected nature of mobile ensures a consolidated marketing plan between social, email lists, texting, apps and more.
Make sure you have permission – However, it is critical that any business implementing an SMS service remember that there are strict regulations at play in mobile marketing. Any consumer who is sent messages has to have given permission first. However, it can be easy to entice customers and get them to opt in through text marketing best practices. Offer discount codes, include sign up messages in other advertising and include exclusive deals as part of the appeal to get users signed up.
Quality over quantity – Text messaging success is all about quality. Your user base is much more likely to opt out of your campaign if they are bombarded by texts than if they receive one high-quality message once in a while. Too many messages is seen as "spammy" by the consumer, while a single message that delivers value intrigues them and gets them interested in what else your brand has to offer.
ROI is in affordability – The return on investment in text marketing is mostly driven by the low cost of a campaign. Firms will be able to deliver hundreds of thousands of messages for the cost of a single print ad, and drive much higher traffic to their website or physical stores through them.
SMS is the best medium for promotion – When it comes to promotional messages, SMS has the highest return rate of any marketing channel. Sending promotional texts optimizes their visibility and the reach of the campaign while ensuring that customers are aware of the offer.
Texting is easy – Ultimately, texting is the easiest channel to leverage and optimize in marketing. The right strategy and SMS gateway will allow you to reach thousands of people instantly and offer them a valuable message for the fraction of the cost of any other channel.
Your competitors are using it – It's also important to remember that SMS marketing is skyrocketing in popularity, and many of your competitors are already using it, so if you haven't already developed a plan, act now before it's too late.
