Smart markets know that SMS can be a very powerful way to generate more clicks, more responses, and more sales in your marketing campaigns.
SMS has a very high percentage open rate and is more likely to generate responses than email or traditional mail marketing. Many customers expect, and actually want, to hear from businesses via text message, and have the option to reply. SMS marketing is filled with opportunity.
Unlike other marketing channels, the SMS inbox is usually reserved for friends, family, and personal contacts, and is free of unsolicited messages. When a customer allows you access to this space, it’s a privilege. Consumers expect a lot of junk email, direct mail, and phone calls, but not SMS messages. This means they are more receptive to SMS marketing.
Create An SMS Marketing Team
A large marketing campaign focused on SMS isn’t a DIY option. If you’re going to get the best results from your marketing strategy, then you will need a variety of skilled professionals.
One or several people could fill a few of these roles, but you will need an SMS marketing program expert, a retail expert, coordinators for on-location signage, digital creative designers, social media experts, promotions specialists, an ROI and discount budget analyst, and maybe more.
These areas all need to be well-coordinated so they can work together. The timelines for SMS is very immediate, so the team needs to work closely together, with constant communication about plans, strategies, and execution. The more complete your SMS team is, the more benefits you can reap from your marketing plans.
Know Your Customer
Use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) app to measure how successful your messages are.
Analyze your customer’s purchase history and location-based demographics, so you can target the right customers with the right messaging. If you’re a clothing store, there’s no point sending a coupon for baby clothes to your store in Boston to a childless customer who lives in San Francisco.
Put all your clients and customers into segments so you can create highly targeted promotions. Send out bulk messages for things like general sales and promotions online that anyone could take advantage of, but more specific offers should be targeted.
Write Clear Messages
Get to the point in your messages. In most SMS messages, you only have 160 characters to get your message across. Do that in as few characters as you can.
Keep your messages very clear and concise. Always write in plain English, and avoid abbreviation, jargon, and writing in all caps. Be careful with emoticons. They aren’t suitable for all businesses, or all customers.
Don’t send messages that are too open-ended. For example, an open-ended message would be one that invites a customer to a sale but doesn’t tell them when the sale will end.
This offers no sense of urgency, as the customer doesn’t know if the offer is today only, or lasts for a month. Add an expiration date to your offer, as this makes your client or customer much more likely to take action on your message, as you have offered enough information and incentive.
