As the name implies, text marketing is a method of advertisement or marketing through text messages. A text marketing app consists of sending promotional texts from simple product promotion to new arrivals and special offers.
This innovative method of an advertisement was likely spawned in 2000 when a Finnish news provider decided to provide news headlines through text messaging. By 2002, many businesses had realized the potential of text marketing and began using it for their own means.
In this day and age, most brands reach out to their customers about updates and upcoming sales through text marketing app. It offers a number of advantages to businesses – it is cheap and it’s very easy to set up and manage. Moreover, it can reach a vast audience as statistics show that 81% of mobile users utilize text messaging. In 2016, 37.2 million consumers opted to receive a text message from businesses, a figure which is expected to rise to 48.7 million by 2020. Increasingly, it has proven very effective at enticing people to buy products they normally wouldn’t have. With all the advantages offered by text marketing application, it’s no wonder it’s become one of the most popular methods of advertisement today.
Text marketing campaigns can be classified by their purpose and method of engagement. Broadcasting, the most common type of campaign, involves sending the customer the relevant information about the business, such as sales, limited time offers new product launch etc. The second type of campaign, appointment reminders, is used by certain businesses to remind specific customers about their appointments. User poll campaigns are used by a business to collect opinions on new or existing products. In text-for-info campaigns, customers can request information about a business, such as business hours, website information etc., by texting a certain keyword. With many options available, businesses can now utilize text marketing app for virtually any need.
Businesses, big and small, are opting to use text marketing app to market their products, owing to the fact that it has many advantages and few downsides. However, when using text marketing application, businesses need to be careful to not cross legal or ethical boundaries. They should not ‘spam’ customers, that is, send multiple text messages in a short period of time, which not only violates the privacy of the customer but their irritation can serve to see the business in a negative light. Moreover, businesses should only contact customers from whom they have permission. Contacting people without their consent is not only illegal, but a massive violation of privacy and can easily harm the image of the business.
As one can see, text marketing app is an avenue for many businesses to expand and grow their market. It has opened up new markets for many businesses and is likely to continue being used by businesses as their primary method of advertising for many years to come due to its convenience, affordability, and effectiveness.