10 Killer SMS Strategies
By now, you should know that SMS marketing is a hit trend for 2017, just as it was in 2016. With so many people using smartphones, this is the ultimate platform for reaching an audience. Not just for the usual effects such as confirmation and reminding, but for everything from gathering data, boosting conversion rates and building lasting relationships, to engendering loyalty and understanding and responding to customer needs – ultimately, delivering optimum UX.
Nowadays, there are an increasing amount of companies using SMS marketing, but you can stay ahead of the trend by using it more wisely with our killer strategies list.
Best used as part of your marketing mix, alongside other strategies, this should complement other points of contact and deliver an intuitive and responsive customer service that is unrivalled by competitors.
Ready to connect with customers in a new way? Read on!
1. Reach a wider audience - try new markets
All smartphones, and indeed their predecessors, can receive an SMS, so you can access a wide and varied demographic using this medium. If you are starting to try and target new markets, SMS messaging can be a fabulous way to test out the new market from a safe space.
Cost-effective and with high to full open rates, even if your target audience doesn’t take up your offer at once, you will still increase awareness through reaching them in this way.
2. Is there anybody out there?
Since it’s how we communicate with our loved ones, text messaging still feels much more personal than email. Using the customer’s name in the message can really encourage a positive response. This way, you can monitor who is still out there and active, without the associated admin costs.
3. Communicate offers while testing loyalty
Sending out an SMS message gives you the opportunity to pick your timing to send offers to consumers. If you take the lead of M&S, you can target commuters when they are likely to be thinking about eating and market the offers to them at just the right time. Offering 50% off a takeaway when someone is feeling tired and hungry is offering them a solution to justify their craving, which means getting inside their head space. Knowing your audience and their movements helps you to gain a high response rate.
4. Use as part of the marketing mix
SMS marketing should be just one of the strings to your bow. But it needn’t be the entire thing! Use SMS to enhance and remind customers of messages that you’re sending via other marketing activity such as social media and email marketing. This way, you raise your chances of engagement. Ensure there is a clickable link, which can increase conversion – this will be amazing for your analytics. Tracking customer behaviour is key to streamlining future marketing efforts.
5. DM and SMS: A match made in (marketing) heaven
Using a Direct Mailshot works – it generates conversion. This probably hovers around the 4.5 mark, but if you want to see this skyrocket, add an extra incentive by texting shortly after the DM is done!
6. Customer feedback in their own time
Gone are the days of long customer surveys taking up time. With the focus on UX, you’ll need to streamline your feedback process, which is thoroughly encouraged through SMS. Offer consumers a free text back option as feedback and you can gather a host of data while giving your customers an easy option. Firing off a quick response beats sitting at a computer for 20 minutes to answer a survey.
7. Who are your influencers?
Those who engage with your marketing and those who are clearly advocates of your brand should be rewarded. Using SMS marketing and data collection, you can speak to influencers directly to offer them further incentives to continue their loyalty to you. Getting consumers to rate you using a scale of 1-10, or whichever scale you feel is relevant, allows you to build on data, as well as identify anyone who would recommend your service. They are golden, so do not let them escape. They’re unpaid brand ambassadors and will lead to greater conversions!
8. Inform marketing with SMS data
Using feedback via SMS allows you to segment your audience. You will find some who are active and respond well – these are your main ambassadors. You will also find that there are some who are less forthcoming. Build a clear picture of who these people are and tailor your marketing across platforms to suit them. We have mentioned rewarding your advocates, but you should figure out how to appeal to those who are wavering too.
This needn’t be limited to those you communicate with via SMS. You can inform other marketing efforts using data gathered through SMS to build a more informed customer avatar.
9. Drive sign-ups through on-the-day competitions
Using an SMS competition can encourage on-the-day engagement if you are hosting a live event. From a performance to a business trade show, a sports game to a discount sale, you can gather data quickly by asking participants to text in on the day. An SMS-based competition (text us your answer to this question, text us a photo of how you eat yours, etc.) will give you access to a valuable gold mine of data. By opting in to receive a text, you will have their mobile numbers on file ready for implementing into other strategies.
10. Use SMS liberally throughout various campaigns
Do not forget the power of SMS as a two-way interaction. Allow them to communicate back to you and build loyalty through conversation. Each and every SMS exchange strengthens your communications so foster and strengthen brand buy-in. Make this a goal throughout all campaigns and you will reap the rewards in terms of conversions.
In A Nutshell:
- Determine consumer engagement using SMS
- Identify and reward influencers
- Use SMS in tandem with email campaigns and all points of contact
- Gain data and insights into UX and customer feedback
- Discover and market at optimum times for your customers
Related Articles
SMS Marketing Disasters – and How to Avoid Them
SMS Marketing, also known as test message marketing, is one of today's most powerful and cost efficient marketing tools when used correctly and offers endless opportunities with a little creativity added to the mix. However, whether careless or intentional, some mistakes can be harmful to your brand and reputation - as well as leaving you in legal trouble in certain circumstances. Luckily, this is extremely rare and it is easy to stay safe and make sure your SMS Marketing is an all round success. In this article, we look at come examples of how not to do things and offer our advice for ensuring your campaigns are effective and profitable.
How to Have Your SMS Messaging Pay for Itself
SMS messaging supports all sorts of use cases. Most of the time, businesses consider it an expense. But for some businesses, there's a method that could turn that expense into income. See some examples of how it works, and if it might be for you in this blog.
7 Ways Business Coaches are Using SMS Marketing
The digital age has seen a rise in demand for business coaches to aid you in every aspect of your entrepreneurial efforts. From money mindset to technological solutions, earning passive income and attracting high-paying clients, these days there's a coach for everything. But running a coaching business isn't as simple as the hype would suggest. SMS marketing is the perfect way of supercharging your promotion of your coaching business, here's how.
Creating the Perfect SMS Marketing Strategy for Small Businesses
When it comes to SMS marketing, a large number of small to medium sized businesses often consider it to be a tactic that is only used by large corporations. It can however, when used correctly, transform your marketing efforts.
What are the Worst SMS Marketing Messages You’ve Received?
Just for fun, I asked people in a marketing focused Facebook group to share the worst SMS marketing messages they’ve ever received. I was expecting a deluge of responses, but actually only a few trickled in. But those horrible SMS marketing messages are out there…the comments on my post proved it even if no one wanted to share (I guess they’re all shy).
How a Text Marketer can Learn Valuable Lessons from Long-Form Copywriters
In terms of storytelling, SMS text messaging is probably as far removed from long-form, direct-action copywriting as you could be. However, the SMS marketing writer can still learn a lot of lessons here with regard to overall approach, content and composition.
5 Creative Ways to Use SMS Messaging to Boost Your Marketing
SMS messaging can be a hugely productive way of developing your marketing strategy. Text messages are read - on average - in less than 5 seconds. That means you only have a short period of time in which you can impress your potential customer. People are starved of concentration thanks to hundreds of digital and offline distractions, along with the many other companies all reaching out to them through SMS. In order to be effective and get the most from SMS text messages, you need to be creative with your SMS marketing. So here's how...
SMS Marketing: Ensuring Compliance with the Law
All businesses are subject to the law when it comes to advertising and marketing. Companies cannot make false claims or mislead consumers via advertising materials, for example. Designed to protect consumers and commercial clients, the law regulates most forms of marketing in some way. With companies carrying out various forms of marketing activity, it can be difficult to keep on top of the relevant laws and guidelines. By working with SMS marketing experts, however, you can ensure that your marketing campaigns are fully compliant with the necessary laws and that you’re able to connect with your target audience lawfully and effectively.
On The Rise: 6 Changes in Marketing That SMS Can Help Exploit
While traditional advertising methods are declining, SMS marketing is increasing and it is a trend that looks likely to continue. Here are 6 recent marketing trends that open the door for you to take advantage through your next SMS marketing campaign.
What Political Parties Can Teach Us About Great SMS Campaigns
SMS marketing has come to be a crucial element of most businesses’ marketing strategies, and there is plenty of received wisdom within the marketing world as to how to get the most out of your SMS messages. So it might seem like there is not a lot that the world of politics can teach the world of business about SMS. But then again, there probably is.