August 1, 2018 Posted by Pocketstop in Other Social Share
This year, 52.2% of all worldwide traffic is being generated through mobile phones; this is up from 50.3% in 2017 and is set to increase year by year. In fact, 57% of all US online traffic now comes from smartphones and tablets. One of the basic practical rules in marketing is to think like your audience, to keep up-to-date with their buying habits and where they are looking. Therefore, text message marketing is crucial for modern day businesses to explore and consider when developing and enhancing their marketing efforts.
Text message marketing is beneficial for a number of reasons:
It’s Immediate
There’s no long waiting time for designs to be created or campaigns to be printed, just decide what your message is, sending a bulk SMS to your customers takes no longer than sending a text on your own phone. So, not only will you free up some precious time, but with over 90% of messages read within 3 minutes of being received you could see results almost instantly.
It’s Mobile Friendly
Making your business mobile-friendly is no longer something to consider ‘later’. Mobile is here and it’s increasing in popularity on a daily basis. SMS is compatible with pretty much every mobile phone so you won’t need to worry about alienating some users, or getting your customers on board with brand new technologies. SMS is also in demand, with over 90% of customers wanting to communicate with businesses via SMS.
Customers Love SMS!
SMS is a really simple and accessible way of engaging with each other and with an open rate of 98%, it is heads and shoulders above any other communication method in terms of read rate. Most people send and receive text messages on a daily basis so we know your customers will like, have access to and know how to use SMS.
SMS Marketing is Simple and Trackable
As we try and juggle our busy lives, it can sometimes feel like we have too much information to take in. Emails go unread, adverts ignored and leaflets discarded. SMS is small and simple and gets the message across instantly without any messing around. How many text messages do you receive that you don’t read?
Most service providers will offer simple delivery reporting to check your messages have successfully been sent. If you’re looking for more intelligent tracking, the top players in SMS marketing will not only tell you when your messages have been sent successfully, but will also provide you with details on who, what and when links have been clicked ensuring you get the most from your campaigns. This type of analytical data is paramount to a successful marketing campaign and can help to determine ROI and customer profiling and engagement.
There are many ways by which to integrate text message marketing into your current marketing campaigns. These include:
Having a Distinct Call to Action
Text messages are instant. Including a call-to-action on a print or digital ad, prompting people to text in, can deliver quick results i.e. SMS subscribers or conversions. Providing this call-to-action via SMS makes it easier for people to act on the spot before they are exposed to competitors or become distracted. Text marketing makes it simple for customers to engage with your brand through different channels at once.
Linking to Social Media Accounts
You can use SMS to get more social media followers by running contests and sweepstakes that are promoted by both social media and SMS. For example, people can enter text-to-win contests by texting a short code. Place the short code on your Facebook or Twitter, making it easy for your followers to enter the contest. You can also do it the other way around — send your SMS contacts texts about a contest you’re running on your Facebook page.
Cross Promoting Across Multiple Marketing Channels
Each marketing channel can serve a different purpose and can reach different demographics. Include your text-marketing program in your newsletters or email marketing accounts with an incentive to receive exclusive offers through the program. If you develop a contest campaign on one channel, let followers know that text subscribers will get additional bonuses or an inside scoop into your events. Those who follow you on other channels already show an interest in your brand, so they may want to become more intimately involved with your brand through text messages. These are your loyal customers; utilize SMS to reward their loyalty!
Promoting Live Events and Offline Marketing
SMS is also a powerful way to boost the effectiveness of your offline marketing campaigns, such as sales and special events held at a retail store. The traditional practices of putting up billboards or hanging up flyers can be enhanced and modernized by using SMS or QR codes that let people enter your contest or join your list instantly.
Increasing App Downloads and Website Traffic
Use text marketing to direct people to download your app or visit your website. By delivering a direct link to download on the App Store, people can immediately download it instead of having to search for it.
Rather than bore your customers with the same text and news on every available channel, it’s important to:
Generate Unique Content
Make every channel valuable. Rather than copy and paste the same message onto each channel, create unique content for each. It is important to develop a different strategy for each channel because not only does the formatting change throughout channels, but audiences may vary per channel. When you structure content according to your audience’s preferences and engagement styles, you remain exclusive.
If you realize the value of adopting SMS marketing now and integrating this service into your current marketing campaigns, you will reap the benefits whilst pleasing your customers. You can start integrating your SMS marketing today by clicking here.
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