SMS Marketing Campaign Basics
Creating your first SMS marketing campaign can be a daunting task. This week I’ll take it back to basics and discuss the different types of SMS marketing campaigns.
The two basic types of SMS marketing campaigns are inbound and outbound. Inbound campaigns are when you request people text you. Outbound campaigns are when you send messages to an existing list. Or of course you can create two way SMS campaigns that use both, instigating a dialogue between you and your customer or prospect.
In order to run an inbound campaign you need a reply number. This can be either a virtual mobile number or a shortcode. Once you’re set up with your reply number, you can use an inbound campaign for a variety of different reasons. The primary one is for gathering opt ins. You can publish your number on your website, in adverts, or in store. People will text you using their mobile and you can add them to your opt in list. But remember you must always include an option to opt out of the messaging which means you must ensure the messages are both useful and not too frequent.
Other inbound campaigns can include contests (for new and existing list members), or increase engagement and interest by giving your list the opportunity to vote via text on products, taglines, or just about anything. Try to make whatever option you choose relevant to your business. If you are a travel company it’s a fair assumption anyone opting in to your list is interested in travel. So offer travel vouchers as a prize in your competition rather than book tokens. Give them a quiz about favourite destinations not questions about rare alpine plants!
Outbound campaigns are what most people think of when talking about SMS marketing campaigns. It’s when you send out discount codes, special offers, or other deals to the people on your list. The communication is only one way and the recipients have no way to reply. Outbound can also be service oriented messages like account updates, appointment reminders, or shipping notifications. Again make your offers relevant by segmenting your list by their interest or other demographic. If you are a travel company offering ocean cruises and adventure holidays don’t offer bungee jumping experiences to your Mediterranean cruise customers.
Both types of campaigns are equally important. You need inbound to gather opt ins and interact with your list, and outbound to send them calls to action to increase sales, attendance, website traffic or whatever your goal is. See SMS marketing as an ongoing process; build your opt in list, gather detail about the people on your list and send them relevant information.
If you’re still debating whether using SMS messaging is too hard, time consuming, or effective enough to use for your organisation, why not give it a try for free? Fastsms accounts are always free. You’ll never find monthly fees or other hidden charges. You just pay for the messages you need. We’ll even give you some free credits to get started. Just click the “Free Account” button at the top of the page, or you can contact us via chat, email, or phone.
Related Articles
Always Follow Through on Your SMS Marketing Promises
The other day I received a text message promising me ten days of deals. All I had to do was reply “DEALS” to the shortcode each day and they would send me a coupon for their service. This was great I thought, because my kids had been asking about the company for a while. A deal was just what I needed to get me to let my kids have their way...
5 Marketing Trends That Matter for SMS in 2018
Getting a Reply: Should You Choose a VMN or Shortcode? Part 2
Part two of a two part article explaining the differences between SMS Shortcodes and Virtual Mobile Numbers. Here we explain in detail the costs and characteristics of Dedicated Shortcodes and Shared Shortcodes. You can also get advice on how to choose between shortcodes and VMNs.
The latest Ofcom report reveals why mobile marketing is so effective
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.
5 SMS Marketing Ideas for Volunteers Week
5 great tips for using business SMS
An Easter Guide to SMS Marketing [Infographic]
Why Your SME Needs a Shared Shortcode
We’re all familiar with shortcodes without actually knowing what they are. Shortcodes are the 5 to 6 digit numbers that businesses use for sending and replying to their text messages. To keep costs low and to get into the mobile space as quickly as possible, your small business needs a shared shortcode, here's why.
Our 10 Best SMS Mobile Marketing Blog Posts
Need to know all about mobile marketing with SMS messaging? We’ve pulled together the top ten blog posts that tell you everything you need to know. The list starts with the basics and goes through analysing the success of your campaign.