When was the last time you read an email newsletter within 5 minutes of receiving it? Maybe that was still feasible after you set up your first email account, if ever. Ask any marketer whether they'd hope for a 98% open rate, and they'll get tears in their eyes.
However, with SMS marketing, those metrics are still average. Considering that 97% of Americans own some type of phone, it's easy to see why text message marketing gives you a competitive advantage over those who solely rely on email or social media.
Let's discuss the benefits of SMS marketing, how you can use it for your business and how to set it up.
What Is a Text Subscription Service?
A text subscription service lets you as a business collect customers' phone numbers, so they can opt in to receive regular updates or promotions via text message. These platforms allow companies to leverage the trusted context associated with SMS messages to benefit from better engagement.
Businesses use SMS subscriptions as part of their marketing strategy for various reasons:
Direct communication
Unlike email or social media, text messaging offers a direct line to your customers' mobile devices. Even more so than with email marketing, you need to earn their trust first. Once you do, you'll have access to a more immediate and personal communication channel than all the others combined. Make sure not to exploit that trust because it's just as easy to get your number flagged as spam.
High open rates
The intimacy we associate with SMS comes with perks and responsibilities. Text alerts tend to have incredibly high open rates compared to emails. People are more likely to read a text message shortly after receiving it. After all, you never know whether it's a business or a friend. That's good news for entrepreneurs, as long as you respect your subscribers' time.
High engagement rates
Texting often prompts quick responses or actions, enabling businesses to engage customers actively. While that's good news in itself, it also makes an SMS subscription service a great support for other marketing efforts. If you run your latest promotion on social media, you can leverage those higher engagement rates and message subscribers a link to your online campaigns to boost your profile.
Customer loyalty and retention
Regular communication through text subscriptions helps build stronger relationships with existing customers. You could even make your text message subscribers your inner circle who gets in on deals first. Providing exclusive offers, promotional messages or valuable content to SMS subscribers can foster loyalty and encourage repeat purchases.
How To Embed Text Subscriptions in Your Overall Business Communications
Whether you're sending SMS or posting on Instagram, your clients should still easily identify your business and brand. If you text them silly puns and then link them to solemn, business-style emails, they'll have a hard time identifying with your brand. Both styles are fine; you just have to stay consistent. Strategy is key.
Before you even send your first SMS campaign, you should outline your brand's tone of voice and values alongside your schedule. It's also helpful to research your target audiences and define a marketing budget beforehand.
Gathering all this data and making all these decisions can feel overwhelming, but keep in mind that these steps will inform your strategy going forward. Understanding your audience's demographics and content preferences or purchasing behaviors helps you tailor your messaging and fine-tune offers and budgets.
When integrating text subscriptions in your overall marketing campaign, your call-to-actions should clearly communicate the value proposition of subscribing to your list, e.g. exclusive offers, discounts or products.
Remember to plan for cross-promotion, whether you advertise your text messaging service on social media or post your recent SMS subscriber record via email. Once you've developed your own rhythm, it's time to A/B-test different CTAs and messaging styles and to segment your list based on past interactions or purchasing behavior.
How Do These Strategies Affect Which Text Messaging Service You Should Pick?
Your platform of choice should support you in general best practices in text message marketing and compliance with data privacy laws. But it should also be able to scale with your business. So, when you pick your text messaging service provider, consider these factors:
- Does your platform support best practices allowing you to comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), GDPR or even the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association's (CTIA) Messaging Principles?
- Will features for automation, scheduling, personalization and analytics allow your business to scale over time?
- Does your provider deliver the support plans you need, based on your team's technical expertise and capacities?
By integrating your SMS campaigns strategically into your overall marketing strategy and choosing a platform that helps you to adhere to best practices, you can effectively leverage this platform to engage customers and drive business.
Example Use Cases To Engage Your Subscribers With Every Single Message
SMS can become the magic wand turning your business upside down, but crafting a successful campaign takes practice, or sometimes the support of a seasoned copywriter. Here are some examples for inspiration.
Promotions
- " Flash Sale Alert! Don't miss out! 24 hours only! Get [discount]% off everything online. Shop now: [Link]"
- "Hey [Name]! Your exclusive offer awaits! Use code '[CODE]' for a [discount]% discount on your next purchase. Shop now!"
Product Updates
- "Our special offer for special customers! Be the first to explore our newest [Product]. Limited stock is available! See more: [Link]"
- "Hey [Name]! Discover the magic of our upgraded [Product]. Faster, sleeker and ready to impress! Check it out!"
Event Invitations
- "You're invited, [Name]! Join us at our VIP Event next week. Enjoy sneak peeks, exclusive discounts and more! RSVP now!"
- "Friendly reminder: Our expert webinar on [Topic] starts tomorrow at [Time]. Secure your spot now! Register: [Link]"
Personalized Messages
- " Happy Birthday, [Name]! Celebrate with a special [discount]% off on any purchase today only! Treat yourself: [Link]"
- "Thanks for being part of our family, [Name]! Here's a token of appreciation: [discount]% off your next order. Shop now!"
Just like every other marketing strategy, SMS campaigns have to be tweaked now and then. If you send a special offer every Thursday, they'll soon lose their impact. Mix it up and have some fun with it!
If you segment your subscriber list and explicitly ask them to respond, you'll see better results because providers will notice. Most importantly, don't treat your list any differently than you would a friend in your contacts. That rule-of-thumb will help you apply a lot of best practices regarding sending schedules and copywriting. Nobody likes to be an anonymous number or hearing about a special offer at 3 a.m. Deep down, we all know this, but it's good to remind yourself in those moments when ambition and enthusiasm take over.
How To Set Up Your First Text Message Updates With Swift SMS Gateway
At Swift SMS Gateway, we offer various product lines to make our text subscription service match your business model.
We don't want to hoard any features in our Small Biz packages for the highest tier, which is why you'll get full functionality, no matter which one you pick. The only difference lies in your monthly scope of messages included. To build on top of that, you can combine those packages with our support plans. It's easy to find a plan that suits your technical capacities and needs, whether you're looking for 24/7 phone support or would like to handle some technical issues on your own.
With our 3-tier API package, you can pick a plan based on your technical needs. For instance, if you're running a small business and don't need your own branded long code, you can choose API 1. Should you require multi-campaign reporting or sub-account management for several services, our API 3 is your best bet.
For internal business communication, you can use GREXT™, which lets you text From Your Business Voice Line but also use SMS for user authentication and customer service.
Setting up your text messaging list is as easy as creating your group, adding contacts and sending off your first campaign. If you do prefer more control over the setup, our API packages let you pick your programming language and decide on which features to include. We'll also walk you through campaign registration to support you with your compliance efforts.
Sign Up for a Free Demo Now
Text subscription services are a great way to engage your customers and complement your overall marketing strategy. If you're curious about how Swift SMS Gateway works and how it might fit into your operations, book a free demo now.
