It’s Time to Start SMS Marketing, Here’s Why

Omnichannel marketing is here to stay, and that means opening up as many different avenues to your customers as you can. While we’re big fans of email marketing, another path gaining traction is SMS marketing.

Sending content, updates, and offers via text is another form of personalized real-time marketing brands can use that works in conjunction with email and social media. 

Plus, let’s face it, our phones are on us all the time. So, while we may have gotten used to ignoring our new email notifications, most people open their texts within a few minutes of getting a new message. It’s another way to have direct access to a consumer. 

If you’re thinking about getting started with SMS marketing, here are some tips.

It’s a direct line of communication

One of the biggest advantages for many brands is SMS marketing is a channel you own. So, like with email marketing, you get to set the pace with your marketing approach. Create content you want and decide when to send your messages.

It’s another channel where you don’t need to worry about the whims of a social media brand deciding to change its platform rules or algorithms. Since you’re in control, you can have much more of a direct hand in how your user experience stacks up, making sure it’s tied to the rest of your marketing.

Plus, if you want to reach customers right away, texting is the way to it — 60% of consumers open a text message between 1-5 minutes after getting it.

You can send out tons of different messages

With your SMS marketing, you can send standard texts, SMS, or multimedia messages, called MMS. It’s very similar to your options with email; you can send all text emails or add in video, gifs, and moving images. 

There are plenty of options when it comes to the kinds of marketing messages you can send. 

These include:

• Transactional messages after purchase or sign up
• Shipping and tracking updates
• Promotional messages about sales or events
• Important account updates or news alerts
• Cart abandonment
• Appointment reminders
• Surveys
• Offers and promotions
• Loyalty program information and updates

As you can see, SMS marketing is not limited in the least. If you can create an email marketing campaign around it, chances are it will translate to an SMS one as well.

Why add SMS marketing to the mix?

Well, there’s one big reason: it works. Recent studies from Gartner and others show that SMS marketing has much higher open and click rates and much lower spam reporting rates than email. 

Ecommerce brands, especially, benefit from SMS marketing with the highest open and click rates across various industries. But travel brands and service brands that can send out reminders and set appointments through texts can also see a boost from SMS marketing.

Another benefit of texting is it gives you the ability to add more personalization to your messages. That can help you build a better relationship with your customers. For example, you can create text messages with a link that opens to a personalized landing page showcasing information, deals, and offers just for them. And we all know just how important personalization is to customers today.

Ready to embrace the opportunity?

Many brands are looking for a leg up and a way to stand out from the competition. Unfortunately, in a world where consumers are bombarded with content, it’s hard to get attention. So, it’s critical you must use every piece of marketing out there to your advantage. 

When added to your email and social media marketing and in-store experience, SMS messaging can help attract more customers, engage them, and drive them to take action. It’s a great way to continue to stay in touch. 

If you want to check out a personalized animated text message in action, check out this link and give it a try.