Why is SMS So Effective?
People in the modern world are attached to our smartphones, period. We check them constantly, use them to listen to podcasts, spend hours scrolling on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. Some experts even go as far as to call many Americans’ phone habits an actual addiction.
This is a valid argument, although I’d still say that smartphones are more habit-forming than addicting. Regardless, people spend a lot of time on their phones. I mean A LOT.
In a poll done in February 2021, about half of the participants claimed that, excluding smartphone use for work, they spent an average of five to six hours each day on their phones.
To put it simply, SMS is an effective marketing strategy because it’s a straight shot to the recipient. They get a notification and they check it. Very few people leave their text messages unread. In fact, go open your texting app right now. I’d be willing to wager that you don’t have many that are unread/ unopened. You can’t say the same about emails which brings me to my next point.
Why SMS Beats Email
Don’t get me wrong, emails have their place in any marketings strategy, and it’s better to utilize multiple communication platforms than to put all of your marketing eggs in one proverbial basket. With that being said, emails don’t get opened as often as text messages do. As I write this article, my primary email inbox has over 1,200 unopened emails. If you’re sending emails only, the odds of them going to spam are pretty high. It’s also possible that they simply get lost in the mix along with the thousands of other emails someone receives.
In addition, texting is simply more personal. People will give out their email for just about anything. For whatever reason, folks don’t care about it. Phone numbers have to be worked for though. People don’t like giving out there phone number for just any reason. If you do obtain a phone number from someone you should put it to good use (as long as you’re following the proper regulations).
5 Tips for the New SMS Marketer
Not everyone is used to SMS marketing or what tactics to use. Because of that, we want to go over some tips for someone who’s unfamiliar with SMS Marketing.
Ensure You’re Compliant
When it comes to SMS Marketing, there is one thing that’s important above all else and that’s compliance. If you’re going to create an SMS Campaign, you’ve got to follow all the rules otherwise you can face some penalties. We have quite a few in depth articles all about how to stay compliant. When you sign up with Cloud Contact AI, one of our SMS marketing experts can help walk you through how to ensure that you’re following the regulations.
In additon to that, when you use CCAI, we make your onboarding process easy!
Make Your Campaigns Personal
By adding a touch of individualization to your SMS messages, you may make your clients feel like more than simply customers. Successful marketing strategies, including personalized SMS messages, may set you apart from the competition. In addition to offering pertinent offers, personalizing your message with details like the sender’s name, related purchases, geolocation, and so on can help it feel more conversational and genuine.
While it’s not necessary to use a person’s name in advertising texts (which are, by definition, impersonal), doing so while sending a birthday greeting or reminder would seem appropriate.
Add a Link
It’s safe to assume that no one will take any kind of action after reading a message that doesn’t contain a link. In our fast-paced environment, you can’t expect someone to read your text, then exit their messaging program to check out your website.
Sounds absurd, but that’s the reality of modern smartphone use.
Customers may quickly and easily access your website, make a purchase, and explore your other offerings by clicking a link included in your text messages.
Choose the Right Time
Choosing the correct time to sending a text message is a major key to its success. Optimal sending times for business texts revolve around making the recipient really happy to get the message. Sending texts at 2:00 AM on a Tuesday will not accomplish this. Choose a moment when people are more likely to pay attention to your messaging. Our SMS marketing strategy boasts an industry-leading 98% open rate, but even that won’t save you if your messages are sent at an inopportune moment and quickly forgotten.
Keep it Simple!
Clear and well-structured language is not only simple to comprehend, but it also helps maintain the credibility of the campaign and saves money on marketing expenses. This is because there is a character limit for each SMS. It is recommended that you do not go above the maximum number of characters allowed for an SMS message, which is often 70 or 160 characters (in Latin or Cyrillic).
Each SMS in the Cloud Contact AI system includes an indication of the character limit. This provides you with the information you need to properly organize your sending strategy in order to stay under the allotted character count.
Not sure if you’re ready to revolutionize the way your business communicates? Sign up for our 14-day free trial!
What do you have to lose?
