Tring Tring... Did you hear that? Sounds like you got a text notification on your phone! Doesn't matter if it's from a saved contact or a business, chances are you're going to end up reading this SMS just to clear your phone of any notifications.
In fact, statistics show that 90% of people open an SMS within the first 3 minutes of receiving it. Keeping this in mind, it would be unwise for a business to not consider marketing through SMS as a viable method when it comes to advertising their products or services.
Let's learn more about SMS marketing, various strategies, statistics, and benefits in this detailed article!
What Is SMS-Based Marketing?
SMS-based marketing refers to marketing done through SMS (Short Message Service) or text messages. It is a permission-based strategy that allows businesses to send promotional messages to their customers in the form of texts.
Such promotional messages allow businesses to create brand awareness, generate sales, and even provide updates about their products and services. The interesting bit is that although text messages have existed for a long time now, they have only recently been utilized as a marketing channel!
Marketing through SMS - How Is It Done?
How could an ultimate guide to SMS marketing be considered complete without talking about the types of SMS-based marketing available today? While text-based marketing can be of countless types, the most popular forms that apply to almost every business are as follows:
- Promotional deals and discounts
- Flash sales
- Competitions that require entry by text
- SMS coupons
- Alerts and notifications
- Loyalty programs
- New information about the business (website launch etc.)
The Benefits of Marketing through SMS
Marketing can be done in so many ways! Email marketing and social media marketing are just two of the countless options a business can choose from so, why should a business opt for SMS-based marketing over these other methods?
Higher Open Rates
Our phones are with us everywhere we go and when they ring, it's almost impossible to ignore them! That's why text messages have a higher opening rate compared to other marketing methods such as email marketing.
Emails rarely ever get opened and research shows that 4 out of every 5 emails sent worldwide are ignored! Compare that to the fact that 90% of people open an SMS within 3 minutes of receiving it, and you'll see that SMS-based marketing is a much more effective method of getting your message across.
Instant Message Delivery
Marketing through SMS is a process that happens at lightning speed! By simply pressing the send button, you can send your message instantly to your entire customer base.
This especially comes in handy when you have to send time-sensitive messages such as "Our summer sale ends tomorrow! Make your purchase NOW." A simple message like this allows customers to make the most of discounts and this helps the business to increase their sales. Everybody benefits, everyone wins!
Furthermore, SMS texts can in some cases allow for two-way communication. This means that the customers can send in any queries or follow up with any replies that they may want to instantly.
Flexible and Affordable
Unstable internet connections are a big hurdle when it comes to methods such as email marketing and social media marketing. That's because certain customers/potential customers reside in areas where internet connections aren't the best and are at times too expensive.
The simple solution to this problem is marketing through SMS! Unlike other marketing methods, marketing through SMS only requires a simple cell phone with a cellular connection.
Reaches Customers on Their Favorite Platform
It's no secret that mobile phones are our favorite devices and estimates show that mobile phone users touch their phones a staggering 2,617 times per day! Hence, it only makes more sense to reach out to customers on a platform that they are more inclined to visit.
In this case, that platform is mobile phones and these can be targeted through the simple process of marketing through SMS.
Avoid Your Message Being Labeled As 'Spam'
One of the biggest problems faced in email marketing is that most emails sent out by businesses are automatically labeled as 'Spam' and are put into the 'Promotions' section. Most people barely ever visit this section and that means it's an outdated technique to market your products.
Now, consider SMS-based marketing where there's one folder and no spam filter. That means there's a higher chance that every single message is going to be opened and read! Hence, by avoiding these spam filters, you give your marketing message a great opportunity to be read and engaged with.
Conclusion
Initially, businesses were more inclined towards other marketing channels such as email marketing but lately, text message marketing has taken the lead in the race! The reason for this is that mobile phones have quickly become everyone's best friend.
They're with us wherever we go and it's impossible to ignore them. Keeping that in mind, marketing through SMS is the way to make your business successful in 2021!
