Text messaging marketing is an emerging yet proven way to reach customers. It is inexpensive, quick, and highly effective, especially for small businesses. The advantages don’t stop there, though. This post will look at SMS messaging and what companies can do with it in an increasingly high-tech world.
What Is SMS Messaging?
SMS (short message service) is a text messaging service developed in the 1980s and has been used worldwide. SMS enables people to send text messages to each other, typically of up to 160 characters. The messages are delivered immediately via a cellular network. Depending on the country, SMS can be charged by the recipient or by the sender. While its use has been declining among general consumers, it still has numerous valuable applications, particularly in the marketing space. According to the communication gurus over at messente.com, SMS has multiple benefits for updating customers regarding transactions, preventing fraud, and growing business organically, among a range of other uses. Nowadays, companies worldwide can use it to communicate directly with their customers due to the fact that it is linked to a phone number rather than other forms of identification. It is one of the most widely used forms of mobile phone communication. The service is also available almost everywhere due to its ubiquity on mobile phones and its simplicity of use. Typically, this ensures that messages are delivered to the intended recipients.
How To Use SMS In Your Business
Although many businesses have strayed away from tried and true methods like SMS in favor of other instant messaging applications, more and more realize that SMS simply works far better for specific uses. This is especially true for updating customers promptly and creating personalized marketing campaigns.
Notifying Customers
One of the most significant issues with instant messaging apps like WhatsApp or Messenger is that they rely on your device being connected to the internet. While this is fine in most cases, it can result in missed communication if you stray from anything less than 3G. If your business depends on time-sensitive communication, you cannot afford the risk of being unable to reach your customers. Because SMS can work on as little as 2G (or less in some cases), it is an ideal way to contact your customers about a range of things. For example, you could notify them that you have sent out a package, or that more information is required from them, etc. You can even allow them to message back to receive more information or simply provide URLs to support documentation in the message. Additionally, you can notify your customers that you have received payment for a product or service, allowing your customers to confirm the payment and add a personal touch to proceedings.
Use As Part Of A Marketing Campaign
The use of SMS in marketing campaigns has increased over the years. In the past, it was used as a tool for direct marketing, but now it has been adopted by digital agencies as well as brands. It has been used to create brand awareness, build trust with customers, and provide personalized offers or discounts. Using SMS as part of a marketing campaign has numerous benefits and can significantly increase the odds of developing your customer base.
Increased text open rates and customer engagement
When it comes to both click rates and conversion rates, text messages can outperform email depending on the content you share with your audience. According to some figures, the open rate for text messages is an astounding 98%!
Brands Can Reach Customers Instantly With SMS Marketing
You may not get the desired results if you send an email to subscribers if you have an offer that you want them to take advantage of as soon as possible. It’s more likely that they will see the SMS and take action if it’s sent to them in a timely manner.
SMS Is More Personal
As briefly touched on earlier, SMS can be seen as a more personal way to reach out to your customers. It is common for people to use their phones to contact friends and family, often keeping them nearby. Since texting is so personal, SMS can be used as an exclusive channel, comparable to a VIP program, for interacting with a highly engaged group of consumers.
Text messaging is the most widely used form of mobile communication today, and that popularity is growing as more businesses realize the advantages of this method of communication. SMS marketing can be a gamechanger for your business, and the best part is that it’s easy to get started.