You most likely have noticed the hype over SMS marketing. And perhaps it has sounded a bit too good to be true.
After all, it’s said that SMS open rate is around 98% (email open rate still remains around 20%) and that most messages are read and replied to within the first 90 seconds of delivery. Can this really be? The short answer is yes.
In this article, we will dive into the world of SMS messages in 2021 – what exactly is SMS marketing, how promotional messages can be put into good use to benefit your business, and also cover what to avoid doing in your SMS marketing campaigns.
In other words, you’ll find everything you need to know to get started with sending promotional SMS messages and do it well.
What is SMS Marketing?
SMS marketing, or text marketing, is a convenient way for businesses to stay in touch with their customers and remain personal even when sending out bulk SMS messages to thousands of people at once. Even when they are on the move.
Research shows that in the beginning of 2021 97% of people from the US-owned a mobile device. And this number is growing. What this means is that all these people are reachable via SMS anywhere, anytime.
Promotional SMS messages can be of different nature but are great for sending out special deals, coupons, promotions, and also alerts and notifications. Whichever type of message you’re sending, they all have some things in common:
- SMS messages are permission based. Text messages can only be sent to customers that have opted-in to your communication. It might sound like a disadvantage, but on the contrary, it actually lets you connect with people who have shown interest in your products or services already.
- SMS messages are instant. Texts are sent and delivered within seconds. This enables you to have full control over when customers hear about your updates and promotions. Moreover, for receiving SMS messages, there’s no need to be connected to the internet. As long as the recipient has reception the message gets delivered fast.
- SMS messages are limited to 160 characters. While it’s possible to send out longer texts (you are charged more and it might be delivered in separate parts), it’s best to stick with the given 160 characters. Short and on point messages will be read fast and are far more likely to drive your desired action.
Related: What is Digital Marketing? Complete Guide
Advantages of SMS Marketing
There are quite a few benefits SMS comes with that help to gain customers’ loyalty and build mutually valuable business-customer relationships besides the extremely high open rates, delivery times, and responsiveness.
- Cost effectiveness. The usual rates per one message are between $0.01 and $0.5. Comparing this to the amount of people who actually will receive, read and take action from the message, it is one of the most affordable marketing solutions.
- Multiple opportunities. SMS marketing is not solely for sending out promotions and reminders to customers. You can use it to receive feedback by sending out surveys and polls, provide order updates and even offer customer service. In fact, 72% of consumers claim that the ability to have a text based live conversation with an agent would improve the overall customer experience.
- Personal approach. SMS in its nature is very personal already as this is mostly used by close friends and family. Studying customer behaviour and aligning messages accordingly will be of huge help in developing your relationship.
- Global reach. If you have an international business, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to reach customers around the world. If they have a mobile phone, there’s a possibility of sending them an SMS message.
- Efficiency. The opportunity to schedule messages, you can save a lot of time as you don’t need to write each message separately. You can use special triggers (e.g. someone has left items in their cart, completed a purchase, etc.) or schedule campaigns for a time when people are most likely able to take action.
- Trackable campaigns. SMS are very easily trackable and most SMS marketing tools offer delivery reports. This way, you can see which areas need improvement and apply it fast to your ongoing as well as upcoming campaigns.
Taking all this into account, it’s no wonder many businesses choose to stay in touch with their customers over SMS messages. However, in order to communicate effectively via SMS, there are some certain elements that need attention together with a touch of creativity.
Related: Best Digital Marketing Tools For Small Businesses
12 SMS Marketing Do’s and Don’ts
SMS is a brilliant platform to get customers to engage with your brand. Anyone putting together an SMS marketing strategy should carefully consider which sort of engagement will create the strongest ROI and set up their campaigns accordingly.
While every marketer needs their own unique approach, there are still some set rules to follow for gaining customers’ attention and engaging them with the content of your bulk SMS messages.
The 6 Do’s of SMS Marketing
First of all, if SMS marketing is a new concept for you, make sure everyone involved gets a proper training program to understand what they are dealing with.
Here are the text messaging marketing tactics that are proven to work so make sure you include these in your SMS marketing strategy checklist.
1- Optimize your website for gaining text message subscribers
Remember, text messages are permission-based so the first thing that requires attention is getting customers to opt-in.
Including phone number entries for purchases, newsletters, free demos, account creations, etc. will help you to optimize your website for SMS marketing.
For instance, include a pop-up to your store once a customer has browsed the site for a while. Offer them a 10% discount in exchange for their contact information.
2- Make the message personal
There’s no point in sending out the exact same message to everyone. And luckily, SMS offers the option to segment your customers, for example, by their age, gender, location, etc. This means you can still target loads of people at once but in a more personal way.
And don’t forget to use the recipient’s name in the message, so they really feel closer to your brand.
3- Include a clear call to action
Your SMS call to action is one of the most crucial elements as this will let people know what you want them to do. So think about your end goal. Is it that customers would check out your new stock? Should they download your mobile app? Or perhaps fill out a form?
A little tip is to also add a sense of urgency – let customers know that the offer will soon expire or there are limited stock or places to nudge customers to make up their minds fast. For example, use CTA-s such as “Limited Time Offer”, “Only Today”, “Get Your Discount Before It’s Gone”, etc.
Related: Best Email Marketing Examples
4- Use URL shorteners
As stated before, SMS characters are limited. Do not waste it for lengthy links, but use a URL shortener instead and save some valuable space.
Free URL shorteners to check out are BitLy or Cuttly.
5- Integrate SMS marketing with other channels
SMS is a great platform to use on its own but it does not mean you shouldn’t explore how it could benefit your company’s growth when combining it with other channels.
For instance, sending a reminder via SMS after you have sent out an email newsletter will significantly increase your newsletter’s open rate and the desired information will reach more people.
6- Enable easy way to opt-out
Yes, including a convenient way to opt out is absolutely necessary. For whatever reason customers no longer wish to hear from you, there’s no need to make this process complicated.
Remember, SMS works well because you have a subscribers list of people interested in your brand. So don’t keep loads of people in the loop if they do not wish that.
For example, provide the possibility to opt-out by texting a keyword such as STOP.
Related: Keyword Research Guide
The 6 Don’ts of SMS Marketing
And of course, there are some things you should avoid doing to ensure that people want to engage with your messages and become loyal customers.
1- Don’t buy phone numbers from other companies
It’s a direct inversion of privacy and violation of laws. Moreover, buying phone numbers will most likely only result in cold leads. Keep in mind that the reason SMS marketing works so well is that people have shown interest in you and want to hear from your brand.
2- Don’t forget to include your business name
Forgetting to clearly state who the message is from could result in your message being considered spam and delete fast.
You can either mention your business name inside the message, include it in the sender’s name (this might cost some extra, depending on the SMS marketing tools you are using), or sign your name under the message.
Related: How To Choose An SEO Friendly Business Name
3- Don’t make your messages all about sales
At least not directly. It is understandable that high open and conversion rates can be tempting and push you towards generating sales with each and every message. However, it’s necessary not to annoy your customers and show them you value them.
4- Don’t forget to add a link
You might have a perfect call to action, but without a direct link, it’s not as likely that people will take your desired action as it’s just too much hassle.
When including a link, make sure it takes people to the exact right place so they wouldn’t have to start navigating your website in order to find what the message was talking about.
5- Don’t use text slang and abbreviations
Yes, the 160 character limit can be a challenge, but using slang and texting abbreviations can be a bit too risky for business communications.
First of all, not all customers will understand what you want to say. Secondly, you need to stay professional and the use of slang might harm the perception of your brand.
6- Don’t overlook abandoned carts
Turning over abandoned carts can be like taking candy from a baby. Optimize your website to collect phone numbers so in case a customer leaves items in their cart, you can reach out instantly and understand what happened.
Related: Ways to Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment
Using SMS follow-ups on your abandoned carts can boost your revenue significantly. Moreover, when applying 2-way messaging, you can easily understand if a customer has any questions regarding your products, shipping methods, payments, etc. which have prevented them from proceeding to checkout.
SMS Marketing Examples
Now that we have covered some basic SMS marketing do’s and don’ts, let’s put this knowledge into practice. Here are 10 ready-to-go promotional SMS templates that you can modify based on your business needs.
#1 ready-to-go SMS template
Hello, [Customer Name]! Thank you for subscribing to [Brand Name]. As a welcome gift, here’s 20% off from your next purchase. Browse the store: [Add shortened link]
#2 ready-to-go SMS template
[Brand Name]: Thank you for shopping with us, [Customer Name]! We hope you enjoy using [Product Name]. If you have any questions, contact us: [Add shortened link]
#3 ready-to-go SMS template
[Brand Name]: Hi [Customer Name]! We noticed you have left some items in your cart. Continue shopping and get free shipping when using a code SHIPFREE: [Add shortened link]
#4 ready-to-go SMS template
Hello, [Customer Name]! Wanna know what’s happening at [Brand Name] this month? Check out our monthly newsletter and get the latest updates: [Add shortened link]
#5 ready-to-go SMS template
Dear [Customer Name]! We here at [Brand Name] wish you a wonderful week! Check out our new stock this week and receive a 10% discount: [Add shortened link]
And of course, when holidays are around the corner, it’s time to get a little festive with your messaging campaigns as well. Remember, not all your messages have to be promotional.
#6 ready-to-go SMS template
[Brand Name]: Hello [Customer Name]! Thinking about what to offer your family on Christmas? Check out these delicious recipes from all around the world: [Add shortened link]
#7 ready-to-go SMS template
This year [Brand Name] decided to celebrate a little differently. We’re donating 20% of our Thanksgiving sales to [Charity’s Name]. Learn more: [Add shortened link]
#8 ready-to-go SMS template
Thank you for being with us in 2021, [Customer Name]. Let’s make the New Year even better together. Take a moment and tell us how we could improve: [Add shortened link]
#9 ready-to-go SMS template
[Customer Name] Mother’s Day is almost here. Make it mom-believable with [Brand Name] and our special deals: [Add shortened link]
#10 ready-to-go SMS template
Dear [Customer Name]! Be the Hallow-Queen and treat yourself to something spooktacular. Check out our storewide sale up to 66% until midnight: [Add shortened link]
Related: Benefits of Newsletters For Your Business
To Sum Up
Including SMS marketing in your overall marketing strategy will help you to engage with your customers and build long-lasting relationships.
Following the basic do’s and don’ts of SMS campaigns will help you to stay on top of your game, no matter your previous experience. Remember to always think about your target audience but also stay true to your brand to really stand out among your competitors.
