Best Practices to Run an Effective SMS Marketing Campaign

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There is no better way to promote your business in this digital age than riding the wave of technology addiction. As of 2022, about 91.69% of the world’s population own a smartphone or mobile phone, making electronic communication one of the best, if not the best, means of connecting with a larger market.

Defining Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is a marketing method where a brand or business uses online platforms and tools to promote their brand and connect with customers online. This involves marketing using social media, SMS, email, search engines, and other digital channels. Many consumers search for products or services online nowadays, so digital marketing benefits business owners.

However, no matter how enormous the digital world is when it comes to its reach, one must still understand and fully grasp its system of channels to achieve the utmost potential of digital marketing. Even if it may seem easy to captivate customers, consider that there are more competitors out there, and factors like algorithms and keywords would play a significant role.

SMS Marketing

Things are a bit different when talking about SMS marketing—another type of digital marketing that is the most preferred way of communicating by billions of people. It’s a marketing channel that lets brands interact with customers more personally. Statistics show that SMS boasts a 98% open rate. Indeed, SMS marketing is a powerful channel that ensures your campaigns get read and not ignored.

Want to see more good things that come with SMS marketing? Here are the several benefits SMS marketing can provide to businesses:

1. Cost-effective

Compared to traditional methods like print advertising, direct mail, and television, sending messages to many people doesn’t seem so expensive at all. If you are a small business, this would be more practical for you as the cost of text messages you would be sending would most probably not equal the price of a billboard ad.

2. You can choose your audience

As businesses have specific products and services that interest a particular bunch, you can target them and send a personalized message to spark their interest. By doing so, you can present your business’s sales and promos to specified individuals you are sure would be enticed by your offers.

3. Impression is measurable

Through engagements, reviews, queries, and the like, you can measure the results of your SMS campaigns. This can help you assess what’s working and where you need to improve, if more people are checking your products, or if the marketing strategy is bringing a lot of new customers easier.

4. Easier delivery of messages

Going for SMS marketing means you get to send messages to your customers directly, and there are high chances that they will open it. The process of sending your promotions and other campaigns doesn’t take long. Moreover, you can use an SMS marketing solution to make the job easier.

5. Better engagement

Contacting your customers through SMS can bring the impression that your business is accessible, bringing about a comfortable air. It also makes it easier for them to contact you if they have queries or concerns, encouraging them to become more invested in availing the products and services of your business.

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SMS Campaigns

Different kinds of businesses use SMS marketing to distribute various campaigns. Being a business owner, you must be well aware of the types of content you can distribute to your audience.

Here are some of the common SMS campaigns you can experiment with:

1. Welcome message

Welcome messages are sent when a customer availed of your services or signed up for your subscription list for the first time.

2. Offers and promos

This is one of the SMS campaigns that can generate revenue as it encourages customer sales and engagement. It includes the type of promo, the dates the offers are available, and how or where they can use the services.

3. Invitations

Inviting the customers to your promotional events is a way to keep them engaged. It can be an opening event and sale.

4. Updates and confirmations

SMS is the easiest way to receive time-sensitive messages. It is the best means to secure status updates of the service they purchased. Purchase confirmation, appointment reminders, shipping updates, and other updates are examples of this.

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Best Practices to Achieve Successful SMS Campaigns

You should observe these SMS marketing best practices to ensure successful campaigns.

1. Have a live agent option

The best way to know your customer’s needs and concerns is to communicate directly. The easiest step would be to converse through SMS aside from sending them regular content. Allow them to use the live agent option by sending keywords to avoid getting an auto-generated response.

2. Monitor SMS performance

You should be aware of the promotion’s interactions and views for any marketing. It is no different from SMS marketing, wherein you need to constantly monitor your SMS metrics to visualize how well the marketing efforts are working.

Some strategies for SMS marketing conversions include providing CTAs, using branded links, and utilizing triggered messages to drive conversions. Add urgency to the deals and steps on how to avail them. Keeping your messages easy to read and interact with can improve your conversion rate.

3. Offer sales and promos

Inviting your customers to new sales and promos is a great way to catch their attention. Doing seasonal and month-end sales prompts people to shop. Topping up these sales are special promos that are only available to those who received your business’ exclusive text.

Reading ‘exclusive offer’ or terms akin to that, people usually assume that it is a limited deal only offered to a few people. Many are intrigued and tempted once they realize that the war among buyers is not as ferocious.

4. Avoid sending campaigns during the wee hours

Sending SMS during unseemly hours might bother your customers instead of attracting their attention. Respect their privacy and only send messages during business hours. You can conduct tests to determine which schedule works best.

5. Communicate like a human

Make sure that the content you send uses your customers’ language, not like a robotic system-generated message. Construct your sentences as if you are talking to a person to make your message seem personalized.

Modify the content based on each customer’s needs to see what they can purchase. It is also important to keep it concise. Not everyone has the energy to read a lengthy message enumerating several things they don’t want to know. Offer what you think they need but keep it engaging.

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Make your SMS marketing campaign effective

Digital marketing is an efficient way to spread the news about your business and services. SMS marketing is a step ahead of others when it comes to open rate and customer interaction. Many companies use this strategy as it allows them to utilize the advantage that most mobile phone users have access to SMS.

If you are one of those businesses that would like to join the wave of SMS marketing, you must be aware of the different campaigns suitable for your business goals. Aside from that, understanding when and how to use them is important for an effective SMS marketing campaign. You can start your business’ own SMS marketing experience with sufficient knowledge.

Author Bio: Alex built Semaphore‘s tech backbone and keeps it running smoothly. He has deep experience in tech and is passionate about helping startups. In his spare time, he grows hydroponic tomatoes and plays video games.