With a near perfect open rate, text message marketing is one of the best ways to reach customers and engage them in your brand. However, if the customer doesn't feel the message is relevant to him or her, he or she will quickly put it out of mind.
According to a report published last year by Hipcricket, there was a fairly even split between respondents whose most recent text message or alert was relevant to them, 45 percent, and those who felt it wasn't, 46 percent. In fact, 52 percent felt that the message was "intrusive or spammy" and 33 percent said that the message didn't offer any value at all.
When customers opt in to a campaign, you know they're interested and eager to get messages. The report said that 41 percent of those surveyed said that they'd be willing to provide more of their personal information to help senders better cater the messages they distribute, with the most common data being the receivers' location and demographic information.
Here's how you can use these findings to your advantage:
- Timing. Text message marketing is personal and direct. Be certain you are sending the messages at relevant times. Only send messages during your normal business hours, and be certain to account for multiple time zones if you have locations across the country.
- History. To ensure you are sending the most relevant messages possible, utilize a customer's shopping history to craft text messages that better suit his or her needs and interests.
- Less is more. Frequency of SMS messages is important to any campaign. Too few will make customers lose interest and too many will feel overwhelming. Start slow and build from there based on how it goes.
- Privacy. Make sure the customer knows how you will use his or her personal information and the benefits of providing it.
Swift SMS Gateway offers a high-quality SMS strategy that optimizes user experience and keeps your campaign relevant.
