As time passes by, old methods and features and replaced by new technology, but SMS has not changed or replaced for a long time. People still message each other and communicate using SMS. It is one of the most used features of smartphones. Excessive use of SMS also makes it the best tool for marketing. Since everyone has SMS on their phones, you can reach thousands of potential clients and advertise your business using mass texting services. You can create an amazing marketing strategy based on SMS by following these 10 Essential SMS and Rich Media Marketing Tips.
1. Asking users for permission
You can ask users whether they want to receive your advertisement or not by creating a campaign asking them to text an opt-in keyword such as “ Type YES or Y to 12345 to receive latest promotion news”. Asking for permission is not necessary but this way you can be sure that the customers who are interested in the business are the ones receiving your promotion messages.
Smartphones fall under personal space. People do not like getting promotion messages they have not signed up for. That’s why it is worth taking some time and ask users for permission.
Make sure you have these sections in your message before you send them out:
- Expectation: Tell customers what type of content they are going to receive through SMS and how many times
- Call-to-Action: Promotional message must contain a CTA such as “Click here to learn more” after a brief message to make sure interested customers click on it.
- Option to sign out: Let customers know how to stop receiving these messages.
2. Timed Delivery Messages
Millions of messages are sent across the world every minute. A whole lot of them just like yours are campaign and promotional message. This is why you need to stand apart from other competitors. An average user receives at least 5-10 messages daily. Because of that, you need to be aware of the SMS etiquette and trends to make sure you are not annoying anyone.
Most times users ignore these messages and don’t even read them later. If you deliver your message at the right time, users will read it. Statistically, SMS sent between the hours of noon and 3 P.M. have a higher chance of being read than messages sent at other times. But, this can vary depending on market, location and, obviously, users which makes it tough.
3. Share your location
Sharing location with users will let them know that you are the genuine deal. There are a lot of scammers and spammers out there because of them, customers do not like taking risks.
By sharing your business’s location, if the customers are nearby, they will feel comfortable to come and check it out. This way you can build relations with customers nearby your location.
4. Personalize your Messages
SMS Marketing is an easy straight forward way to contact customers one-on-one way through SMS. You can use this opportunity to build healthy and friendly communications with customers. Personalized messages let users know that you are thinking about them and its not just a spam text.
You can personalize text messages in the following ways:
- Address customers with their names. This gives a personal touch to it.
- Don’t forget to mention a recent customer activity such as a purchase or delivery.
- You can also include some region-based news for them such as weather or sports
5. Show Value in the message
You cannot just send SMS to customers with no value or goal. For customers to act to your message, you must provide them with some value. For example, some customer added an item to their cart and forgot or left it before checking out. You can remind them about it by sending a message and offering them a 10% promo discount code. This way you can bring back customers who left at checkout.
6. Incorporate Branding
You should include your logo, brand name and follow a certain set of style, template, font and colour. By doing this, you will be able to create a brand which customers will recognise easily. Including brand name and awareness will promote your brand. Customers will know when they see your brand logo. Form this habit early and be consistent with the branding.
7. Create a feeling of urgency
Customers act fast when they feel that something needs to be done like when there is a limited time offer or running out of stocks. Big brands such as Amazon have been doing this for a long time. Capitalizing on customer’s fear of missing out on deals and items by sending messages with keywords like “One-TimeOnly” and “Limited Time Offer”.
Try putting these and other similar keywords in your message to bring more customers in.
8. Keep it casual and conversational
Customers use smartphone daily and hence use it casually. They make casual conversations with abbreviated forms of writing. They don’t expect formal conversations on their phones.
By making your message casual, you will be able to blend in with other messages. People generally skip reading formal message because they know it is a promotional message.
Use common abbreviations and make common short jokes to stay casual and conversational with customers.
9. Make messages feel exclusive to Customers
Making customers feel special has always been a great tactic at marketing. By giving them an inside tip or letting them know about a deal on that item they left in their cart can create a sense of exclusivity.
You do not to be exclusive all the time. You just need to make customers feel exclusive. Make them feel like a “VIP” Member by sending them offers and coupon with “For New members only” mentioned.
10. Be Consistent with SMS Marketing
Like all other marketing strategies, SMS Marketing does not show you result from the first day. But, when done consistently, you will see why it is one of the best marketing strategies. You should have a plan for each month and decide which messages are to be sent at what time. This way you won’t face any issue in bringing new message idea when the time comes.
Conclusion
SMS Marketing can get you amazing results if done correctly, but, doing so many things such as campaigns, coming up with ideas, and sending them to customers can seem tough. This is where business SMS platforms can help you. By hiring an SMS service, you can make this task easier. Check out Edgility for SMS API and service. They have all tools and settings you need to create the perfect SMS Marketing strategy.