Businesses of all sizes are discovering that text message marketing can (and should) be integrated into their overall marketing strategy. According to Pew Research, 97% of Americans own a mobile phone, and of those, 85% own a smartphone. Most of these people prefer text messaging to calling, making Short Message Service (SMS) an attractive marketing solution.
There are many ways to easily capture your customers' phone numbers. With an organized customer database and a thoughtful marketing strategy, SMS can be a great way to connect with customers and increase sales.
What is Text Message Marketing?
Text message marketing (also known as SMS business messaging) is a digital marketing technique that communicates promotions, sales, coupons, confirmations, news, updates, and other relevant business information via SMS on customers' mobile devices.
It is important for all businesses conducting text message marketing to comply with text message laws such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Control of Nonsolicited Pornography and Marketing Abuse (CAN-SPAM) Act. Creating a strategic, legal text message marketing strategy will help you comply with regulations and engage customers and prospects.
Why should businesses use text message marketing?
Text messaging has become one of the best ways for businesses to communicate with customers and prospects. If you’re wondering whether to implement SMS business marketing into your digital marketing strategy, here are 10 ways SMS can help you.
1. Marketing text messages get attention.
Your SMS marketing messages are likely to be seen and read. Widely touted industry statistics show that 98% of text messages are opened and read, with most of them being read within three minutes of being delivered. This effect, combined with good customer service, such as prompt follow-ups and answers to questions, can encourage an immediate purchase.
2. Text marketing messages are delivered instantly.
Text messages are typically delivered within seconds of being sent – most mobile carriers have an average delivery time of SMS of less than 10 seconds – this feature allows brands to instantly deliver time-sensitive marketing messages and offers.
Another great thing about SMS marketing is that even people who don’t have smartphones can send and receive text messages, making it one of the most accessible and effective tools for instantly delivering promotional messages to consumers.
3. Marketing text messages have higher open rates than emails.
As mentioned above, 98 percent of texts are opened and read. This number is in stark contrast to the average open rate for email, which is about 37 percent, according to Constant Contact. The higher the open rate, the more effective the marketing campaign. What's more, brands don't need to craft a great subject line to entice recipients to open and read a text message; the buzzing in a mobile user's pocket is all the motivation they need to open a text message.
As brands struggle to improve email deliverability, SMS’s high deliverability rates make this marketing channel a worthwhile investment.
4. Marketing text converts better.
SMS conversion rates are incredible: Mobile users respond to text message calls to action more than any other marketing channel. Studies show that the average response rate for SMS messages is 45%, compared to 6% for email. SMS has a high conversion rate because the marketing message is simple: text messages are short, don't have lots of links, and don't have too many images. The call to action is clear and concise.
5. Easily personalize and customize your marketing text.
Text messaging is more personal than other forms of communication. Because your marketing messages are delivered directly to your prospects' and customers' personal messaging inboxes, you can use casual, familiar language rather than traditional marketing and sales language. Because you communicate with them just as you would with a friend, you build trust with your consumers and create a great customer experience. It's also easy to personalize messages with the recipient's name and send them customized offers.
6. Text message marketing can increase brand awareness.
SMS marketing is a great way to increase brand awareness. Implementing effective SMS messaging between your brand and mobile device users can help you attract and engage customers throughout the entire buying process. Users check their text messages multiple times a day, so a consistent message will help you stay top of mind.
A personal, consistent, and authentic message can also foster trust and loyalty among consumers. If customers are loyal and interested in your business, they are more likely to recommend your products or services to their friends, increasing brand awareness.
7. Text messaging allows you to get instant feedback from your customers.
Launch surveys and polls via SMS and receive instant results. Customer feedback provides valuable information for businesses to improve their products and helps them better understand market trends and customer preferences.
8. Text message marketing is cost-effective.
SMS marketing efforts are inexpensive compared to other marketing solutions. Text message marketing has high open and response rates, so you can get a high return on investment by connecting with your target audience, making it a cost-effective tool to add to your overall marketing strategy.
9. Text message marketing is easy to implement.
Text message marketing is permission-based, so you already know your customers have consented to receiving your messages. Once you've created your SMS campaigns, you can easily track, manage, and optimize their performance. With the help of SMS marketing automation, brands can create, schedule, and automate smart targeting campaigns.
10. Marketing text won't get caught in spam filters.
Marketers don't need to worry about their promotional text messages ending up in the spam folder – there are no filters in the SMS world that email marketers have to deal with. If someone opts in to receive SMS marketing messages, marketers don't need to remind them to safelist their short code, so the messages won't end up in the spam folder by mistake.
Top Text Message Marketing Services
If you've decided that text message marketing is right for you, you can get started with one of the best text message marketing services. Consider these main options:
- In the text: Textedly is a user-friendly platform with a variety of marketing tools to help you create successful campaigns. Our Textedly review highlights the solution's excellent customer service and reasonable messaging rates.
- EZ Text Message: EZ Texting boasts a wide range of features and an intuitive dashboard. It's perfect for those who want access to comprehensive analytics. Read our EZ Texting review to find out how this platform can help you expand your market reach and increase sales with business text messaging.
- Simple text: SimpleTexting is a highly customizable platform that can easily scale to fit the needs of your business. Our SimpleTexting review explains the different pricing plans for this solution, one of which is sure to fit your business' budget.
- Podium: Podium is an all-in-one messaging platform that is incredibly easy to use. You can send messages from mobile and desktop apps, and it offers auto-reply options. Check out our Podium review to find out how the platform also helps you manage your online reviews.
- Text Line: Textline is a comprehensive text message marketing platform that helps you run text marketing campaigns and create text-based customer support channels. Our Textline review explains how the platform offers comprehensive Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliant text messaging plans that are perfect for healthcare businesses.
