What is SMS Marketing?

For any business, it is important to have good and established relations with customers. If you want your customer to reach you, you can’t stand by. However, you have to find a medium to get in touch with them. There are many ways you can associate with customers like e-mail marketing, social media marketing, digital marketing, and many more. Similarly, SMS marketing is one of them.
In this article, you will get to know about SMS Marketing as shown below

What is SMS Marketing?

• A procedure that authorizes the mobile phone to send and receive text messages.
• It is an undeviating medium of advertisement.
• Permit the collection of mobile numbers through customer opt-in-using keywords sent to “short-code”.
• Customers’ numbers are a messaging database.
• It helps to promote the business to the customers, turning them to repeat customers.
• Messages shared virally lead to an increase in customer volume.

Structure of the message

• Keep it short and simple: Message should be nice and short (160 characters and link). Have clear call-to-action in the message. Encourage people to click through by telling them it’s mobile-ready.
• Use www. Instead of https: The phone easily detect the link in the text and make it clickable
• Trustworthy: For any marketing campaign to work, the customer should trust the SMS and content.
• Accommodates all mobile devices: It should work on smart as well as on feature phones. So, that message can reach maximum customers.
• Mobile ready landing page: When the link in the SMS is clicked the site must be optimized for the mobile.

How does SMS marketing work?

• Short-code: A special shortened phone number to which SMS or text can be sent.
• Keywords: Custom words are used for a marketing campaign
• Example: Text CAKE to 56448 to receive 10% off on your next delivery from Eatnknead’s Cake.

Read this also: Email Marketing: The need for small-scale businesses

Message sent in two ways in SMS marketing

• One-to-many: These are the bulk text messages. Typically used for promotion and general information contemplating coupons, sales, events, etc. in the form of campaign.
•  One-to-one: These messages target certain events or behavior contemplating notifications for purchase or delivery. Also, it used to communicate with individuals for pertinent and timely information.

Why is SMS marketing effective?

SMS marketing is one of the effective ways to market customers. The message is sent directly to the user’s phone so the delivery is immediate. Also, a text message is very personal. While marketers may feel that this would be a deterrent, the truth is that many users respond to marketing messages through SMS at a higher rate than email.

Also read: Learn more about SMS Marketing.

Essentials required for successful SMS marketing

• Permission: It’s essential to have permission from clients to send the message. Customers should have the option of whether they want a particular message or need to stop.
• Clarity: Communicate clearly to customers about what they can expect from their subscription to the campaign. So, that you can easily fulfill the demands of the customers and satisfied them as well. Customers need to understand what they are signing up to, know they will receive, and what they can expect once they are opt-in.
• Frequency: Carefully structure SMS marketing plans with attention to message frequency. However, if you are continuously sending the messages to the customers, it can be prodigious and prove inimical to customer satisfaction.
• Continuity: A messaging is about customer engagement. If the customer forgets about the subscription which he has opted for and timing as well, so immediate messaging post subscription is the key to keeping clients engaged and building a loyal customer base.
• Compliance: It is essential to add a disclaimer in promotional communication with client’s which address customers’ concern over the text, charges and privacy issue and spam.
• Vocabulary: Communicate with clients in clear and commonly used terms.
• Value: Message should be fresh, relevant, and informative. It should add value to the customers and ensure they are happy.

SMS Marketing benefits

• Cost
• Reach
• Redemption
• Speed
• Control

 SMS marketing can create instant traffic for your business

• Send a hundred messages in a single click.
• Segments contacts into unlimited groups.
• Send mobile coupons, schedule appointments reminders, announce the contest, market new items.
• Allow customers to come to you- have them a text keyword to short-code to join your marketing list.
• Don’t over-promote, but give them value and reason to stay on your list

Conclusion

In conclusion, SMS marketing plays an important role in your business. People may not reply to the email but according to the report, 90% SMS are opened. However, this increases the availability and connectivity of consumers with the business.