Text messages have an amazing opening rate of 98% even though not everyone has a smartphone across the world. Wouldn’t you prefer a marketing technique with such a massive opening rate as compared to others?
Any business would tend to choose a marketing strategy that promotes their business in a larger group of people. Let’s not forget the price tag attached to text message marketing. When you have the opportunity to market yourself while spending less amount of money, why not?
Over time, many people have switched to SMS and are even open to receiving text messages from businesses. 75% of customers agree on receiving text messages from businesses.
Source: Aviaro
The image above gives an idea about SMS marketing from both the consumer and business point of view. Statistics prove that text message has become a popular and preferred method of communication in people and businesses.
As you can see, 45% of the people receiving texts also tend to reply back making it a huge success for businesses. This means that you can have two-way communication with customers easily.
Why choose marketing SMS services for your business?
Obviously, when looking for a marketing technique you need to count the benefits attached to it. Similarly, when choosing text message marketing for your business you need to decide why you would opt for it.
In short, you want to know the advantages you will receive from using this method. So rather than dragging it, let’s dive into the advantages of using text message marketing for businesses.
- Lower prices: First and foremost, the pricing and budgeting of a business should be kept in mind when choosing a marketing method. Smaller and new businesses would tend to opt for cheaper methods while bigger companies have a higher budget to spare.
None the less, you want good prices with effective results. Text message marketing tends to provide just that.
When compared to other marketing techniques, SMS marketing stands out because of the prices. Sending out bulk messages is cheaper than putting up online advertisements or using search engines. As you send out more messages, the price per text message decreases making it a much more viable option if you are seeking to target a large number of people with a tight budget.
The aspect of affordability makes this marketing technique stand out from others. Even big businesses use this method to reach out to their customers.
Source: Medium
The picture gives a brief look over how text message marketing has benefits attached to it. It’s not just the lower prices but other factors that play a role as well.
- A personalized experience for customers: Every customer seeks a unique experience from a business. sending out plain and general text messages to consumers doesn’t cut the game anymore.
You need to make it more personal for your customers and make them feel special through text messages. This aspect makes text message marketing competitive amongst businesses.
On average, businesses that add personal touches to their marketing technique see a rise in their sales by approximately 19%. More importantly, the aim of marketing is to make sure that customers buy from you.
39% of people end up spending and purchasing more if they are given a personalized experience by the business.
Source: Blog- RR Donnelley
The image above shows that 79% of consumers prefer personalized experiences when it comes to businesses. Offers and promotions will work better if you create unique text messages catering to your clients.
- Less marketing competition: You might be surprised to hear that text message marketing is an underutilized channel for marketing. A study shows that only 21% of businesses end up using SMS marketing to communicate with their customers.
The term marketing clutter is used to describe the commotion created by various marketing techniques which causes confusion amongst customers while becoming a hurdle in marketing for businesses.
All you need to do is make sure that your customers are comfortable with this communication channel and will respond positively to it. This way, your marketing method stands out from others and you end up making an impression on consumers.
Source: Rebixit Consulting
This image shows that most of the users in the United States prefer text messaging as a communication channel with their brands. However, people do not really ant spam text messages so be careful that your messages do not fall in that category.
- Use SMS marketing with other channels: The best part about marketing with text messaging is that it does not restrict you to a single marketing channel. You can combine mass text messaging with other marketing channels and make the most out of it.
With the help of text messaging, you can promote other marketing platforms such as the official website of your business, your Facebook page and ask users to subscribe to daily updates.
Not all marketing channels are effective and quick. SMS marketing can integrate with these to make sure that customers receive promotions and offers through emails by sending out text messages.
Research shows that opening rates of emails can improve by 20% to 30% if follow up text messages are sent to customers asking them to check out the latest promotion the business has to offer.
Use a Successful Marketing SMS Service
The key to drive your business to its success is making sure that you invest in the right place, at the right time. Sound marketing service is for a business is an equally important investment as any other.
Obviously, you want your marketing technique to be a hit among consumers but you need to work towards it. Whether you are new or old in your business, you need the support of professionals to make sure your text message marketing really works.
So the first thing you need to do is find a reputable service provider who can help you in initiating your marketing method.
Source: North West Center for Public Health Practice
You do not need to do much when it comes to sending out text messages to consumers. The basic job is to type out a message or follow a template, but to send it out to thousands or even hundreds of people, you require a service provider.
Service providers will begin from the first step which will accumulate the numbers and names of customers, making it easier to contact them. This way you can also categorize your clients into specific groups which will enable you to send tailored text messages to them.
Moreover, it is always good to ask your customers if they are comfortable enough to receive text messages from your business or not. If you send them special offers and promotions through text messages, there are higher chances of them accepting you to do so.
Along with a good marketing team and a helping service provider you can ensure that your mass text messaging reaps good results in a short span of time. But do not forget that good things take time and patience.
Moreover, since the industry contains many different providers, you can see and select which one offers you the best service at the best price. This might take time and research but is necessary to do so if you want to make the most out of this method.
How To Make Your Text Messages More Effective
When competing with other businesses, you need your marketing to be better than the others. You will not be the only company using text message marketing to promote your business so you need to make sure it stands out.
The first thing you can do is categorize consumers into different groups making it easier for you to target them. If you want to send out a special promotion for Women’s Day to females only, you will only shortlist contacts from your groups that are female.
Source: Airship
The most lucrative part of marketing includes promotions and discounts. Customers not only seek these but avail these the most making them an integral part of an effective marketing campaign.
As you can see, 75% of millennials opt for text messages to send out promotions and surveys. With a large number of people as your audience, this makes your work easy.
The aim for you is to increase your target audience and prove your marketing technique to be effective. If used properly and utilized to the full of its abilities, text message marketing can really become the star of your marketing methods.
Long Code and Short Code
When beginning text message marketing, do not forget that you require something to be unique for your customers. You need a number that represents your company and can be recognized instantly by people receiving texts from you.
Long code is a 10 digit long number which not only allows text messages to be sent and received but also lets users make calls. A short code, on the other hand, is 5 to 6 digits long number that allows businesses to send and receive text messages from consumers.
You can choose your own code and make it unique for your business alone so whenever you send a text, your customers know it is you and respond accordingly.
Source: Text Request
Using a short code is relatively cheaper than using a long code. If you can pay more and want to add something extra to text messages then you can opt for long code.
However, both can be used to create personalized texts and send out special promotional offers and discounts to customers. The difference lies in pricing and a few extra features that do not make or break a business.
You require a few keywords to send messages through these codes which will then become a part of your marketing campaign. Select key words that represent your business best and send out text messages to attract your audience effectively.
Conclusion
Text message marketing has gained quite a lot of attention from people in a small period of time. With cell phones becoming a necessity for everyone, it is not a difficult job any more to communicate with people immediately.
Businesses have also been attracted to the concept of using marketing SMS service for promoting themselves and increasing sales. Of course, it is not the only technique that businesses use but various combinations at times.
Regardless of whether a business is new or old, big or small, bulk message marketing is one of the main methods that a company should opt for.
If you compare it to other marketing techniques, not only is text message marketing cheaper but also much quicker and effective. 90% of the text messages sent out are opened and read within a mere time span of 3 minutes.
SMS marketing is light on the pocket but covers a large demographic when used. All you have to do is write a message and select your contacts, then simply press send.
While many other marketing techniques require an internet connection, text messaging only requires an active and working phone connection. So no matter where your customer is, they’ll be able to receive updates from your end.
Your business can add its own touch to this marketing method and make it more effective than others. Combining it with other marketing channels and making it personal for customers are just the basic ways of adding your own flair.
However, you can mold and shape your text messages as per your choice and creativity. The limits are endless.