Key takeaways
- SMS marketing works well alongside email and social. Use texts to boost sign‑ups and redirect customers to other channels.
- Costs scale by message, so SMS can fit small budgets if you target likely converters.
- Texting reaches many people because most have phones, including non‑smart phones.
- Small businesses can compete with larger brands using targeted offers like coupons and freebies.
- SMS remains a durable channel despite new messaging apps and it is likely to stay part of customers’ phone plans.
- Avoid SMS only if your target audience is largely technophobes. Otherwise build a sound campaign or hire experts.
Introduction
There’s nothing wrong with getting caught up in the rush to jump on the latest craze or trend. While SMS marketing isn’t exactly new to the advertising world, it doesn’t mean that everyone’s heard about it before. If you’re just now finding out about how texting your customers with exclusive deals and offers work, this post will help you figure out if it’s right for the audience related to your industry. Once you’re done reading over the these points, you’ll have all the info you need to make the call on whether or not SMS marketing is the way you want to go with your marketing budget.
SMS Compliments Other Marketing Outreach
If you already have other marketing operations going, you’re in luck – SMS messaging meshes well with email, social and a wide variety of other platforms. Because there is so much overlap between all of these outreach programs, great SMS messages can help pump up your other programs by redirecting customers to your Facebook or Twitter pages, as well as boosting sign-up numbers for your mailing list and website newsletter. Having this diversity in how you interact with your audience, without having to radically change what you’re already doing, can go a long way toward reaching those fringe shoppers who might otherwise look to competitors who are willing to mix things up.
It Works on a Budget Too
For the smaller brands out there, this probably all sounds like it’s going to break the bank before you ever see a dime back for your investment. However, SMS marketing is actually pretty budget friendly. What makes this type of connection with your audience manageable is the scalable nature of the whole system. Because most text systems measure costs by message, you’ll generally only have to spend as much as you want once the texts start rolling out. For companies that know how to target the customers most likely to convert, SMS marketing isn’t only effective, it’s efficient too.
More People Read Texts
Because pretty much everyone has a phone of some sort, and not all phones offer “smart” services like email and web access, it’s safe to say that you’ll reach a lot of people with text messages. For instance, if you’re in the food service industry and familiar with The Daily Meal – a new source dedicated to promoting growth in this sector – then you might have seen their recent take on how SMS marketing can generate some serious views by virtue of the overlap between phones and hungry customers. In short, it’s hard to find a platform that has more reach than texting with your audience.
Small Businesses Can Go Toe-to-Toe with the Big Boys
If you’re trying to stay afloat in an industry with a bunch of major corporations, this type of marketing is the great equalizer. While these organizations might throw more money at the advertising process, a well executed plan that doesn’t have the same kind of resources can generate just as much response from customers. With the right message – think coupons and freebies – it doesn’t matter how big your business is, you’ll definitely drum up some positive reactions once your texts start making their way to the phones of shoppers in your area.
The SMS System Is Here to Stay
Perhaps the biggest draw of SMS marketing is that it’s not going anywhere any time soon. Unless you’ve got the inside scoop on an upcoming sudden drop in phone usage around the world, it’s hard to imagine a future where phones aren’t a part of your audience’s everyday life. Naturally, the rise of IM apps and other messaging tools might take a bite out of some of the coverage offered by text messaging, but it’s going to take an unprecedented shift away from what’s already built into phone functionality – and covered in phone plans from every major carrier – to see text messages go the way of the dinosaurs.
So, Is Your Industry Right for SMS Marketing?
After reading all that, it’s pretty clear to see which side of the debate we stand on. Because there’s such a major upside to adding in SMS marketing to your approach, it’s pretty much a no-brainer for this approach to be a part of the advertising plan for any business, regardless of the industry. As long as your target audience isn’t comprised of technophobes and you build a sound campaign, or have some marketing experts working with you, you’ll be in great shape to get a serious return on investment for simply texting with customers who are interested in what you have to offer.
FAQ
Yes. SMS is budget‑friendly because costs are generally measured by message, so you can scale spending to fit your budget. Targeting customers who are most likely to convert makes SMS both effective and efficient for smaller brands.
Use SMS to complement other outreach by redirecting customers to your Facebook or Twitter pages and by boosting sign‑ups for your mailing list or website newsletter. SMS meshes well with email, social and other platforms without requiring radical changes to existing programmes.
Use direct incentives such as coupons and freebies. With the right message, these offers can generate strong responses from shoppers in your area regardless of business size.
Yes. Because most people have phones, including non‑smart phones that may not support email or web access, texting can reach a wide audience and generate strong visibility for offers and updates.
Yes. A well‑executed SMS plan can generate similar customer response as larger organizations, since targeted, compelling messages (for example, coupons and freebies) can drive positive reactions regardless of company size.
SMS is here to stay, noting that phones and built‑in texting remain common features covered by major carriers. While IM apps may reduce some coverage, it would take an unprecedented shift away from current phone functionality for SMS to disappear.
Assess your target audience: SMS is recommended for any business so long as the audience isn’t largely technophobic. If your customers use phones and you can either build a sound campaign or work with marketing experts, SMS can deliver a serious return on investment.
Focus on targeting customers most likely to convert, use clear incentives such as coupons or freebies, integrate messages with existing email and social programmes and either build a sound campaign internally or hire marketing experts to execute it.
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