Make the Most of SMS Marketing

Everyone has their phone on them. There are instances where people think their phone is vibrating – notifying them of a text, phone call, or breaking news – and it isn’t. Everyone is prepared to put their hand in their pocket or bag or reach towards the table to check. What is of crucial importance to us here is that not everyone uses email notifications. Text notifications, though, are a different story. They are always on.

When it comes to texts vs. emails for generating leads with marketing, texts win in every criteria. They are opened more and quicker. They are responded to more. They are the preferred means of contact. There are no doubts about which communication tool businesses should be using to reach out to existing or potential customers. SMS Marketing is the way forward. Here are a few ways to maximise this tool:

Target the Right Customers

To make the most of the marketing campaign, whichever tool or approach is used, targeting the right customers is of upmost importance. There must be a goal to achieve. Be it reminding customers of a service which is being offered or a deal which is only valid for a specific period of time, for example. Within these goals, there are groups of customers which will respond better than others. Whittling down the list can be done however is deemed necessary, but it should be done.

Be Clear and Concise

Customers will not want to read a message which they have to spend too much time with. Either because it’s not clear what the point of the message is and they’re having to decipher it or because the message is too long. It’s important to remember to be clear and be concise. The topic must be very obvious from the first sentence, if not the first few words. Followed up quickly by what you, the business, would want the customer to do. It is a call-to-action.

Encourage Response

A SMS system which can be responded to by customers is really helpful. This should be kept in mind even if the call-to-action is to encourage responses via SMS. It is of benefit for the business and the customer to keep communication to its simplest logistical level, which is to make sure it happens in one place: texts. Asking the customer to reply via email or social – unless for a specific reason as part of the campaign’s goal – means they have to do more, which isn’t as inviting as doing less. A responsive system can feel open and natural and improve customer satisfaction.