Remarkably, 46% of people use their phones for 5–6 hours a day.
Additionally, they don’t spend all of their time on social media. Mobile will account for 85% of all e-commerce sales by 2024.
Nowadays, it is difficult for small businesses to stand out due to the proliferation of new communication channels and the number of competing internet brands. In addition, it will be difficult for a new company to catch up to more established ones.
However, this does not imply that marketers and owners of small businesses are helpless. But you must experiment with and accept new marketing methods if you want to stand out and quicken business growth.
Many small businesses can benefit from SMS marketing.
What is SMS marketing?
SMS marketing sends campaigns, promotions, news, and updates to customers and prospects via text messages.
Short messaging service (SMS) marketing is a neglected component of the marketing mix. However, its power resides in its capacity to interact non-intrusively and more personally with target clients.
Our staff has spent the last thirteen years assisting thousands of small business owners and entrepreneurs in developing their visual brands and enhancing their marketing strategies, including SMS marketing campaigns. This book offers the practical knowledge, advice best practices, and experience we’ve gained from working with over 100,000 brands.
This is the definitive small business guide to SMS marketing if you want to increase the effectiveness of your small business marketing plans.
But first, what is SMS?
SMS, or short message service, is an acronym. Text messaging is another name for it.
SMS messaging is a strategy that enables small businesses to text customers with any information they want them to know. Messages can be sent in bulk to those whose phone numbers were willingly provided using this method of communication.
SMS marketing can take the form of automated messages sent in response to consumer actions or one-on-one text conversations between customers and customer support agents.
For instance, following a customer purchase, a company might send a text message with delivery confirmation.
Types of SMS marketing techniques
Bulk sms campaigns
The most typical applications for text or SMS campaigns are advertising and sales.
This strategy is employed mostly due to the assumption that nearly everyone has a mobile phone, which they almost certainly check more than once every day. The average American checks their phone at least 46 times every day, according to Deloitte research.
A text or SMS campaign allows small businesses to communicate with a bigger number of clients or potential clients.
The average open rate for SMS messages and campaigns is 98%, and the response rate is 46%! It is not surprising at all. SMS marketing messages are highly effective because of their format, which frequently conveys a sense of urgency.
Text marketing initiatives often alert customers about a temporary deal. Additionally, if the customer is excited they must take immediate action.
Because of how consumers utilize their mobile phones, text campaigns have excellent success rates. According to a recent study, 78% of customers claim that checking, sending, and responding to text messages on their cell phones is their favorite activity. And although emails or normal mail may never be opened, approximately 60% of SMS are read within 1 to 3 minutes.
Transactional sms campaigns
Consumers receive transactional SMS, which is a text message, to assist them in their customer journey.
When customers have questions, they want answers right away, and a transactional SMS helps them.
Your small firm may be able to quickly respond with a transactional SMS. After all, nothing makes a consumer more irate than seeking assistance with a problem and feeling as though they must wait an eternity for a response.
The customer experience can be enhanced with the use of transactional SMS messaging.
Main benefits of Bulk SMS for small businesses
SMS marketing is more personal
What do people do right after they wake up? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the majority of them reach for their phones. 74% of people routinely engage in this behavior.
Therefore, when a customer opts in and gives your company access to their mobile phone, a connection is established that enables direct, immediate, and one-on-one discussions with them.
SMS marketing is easy to track
You’re off to a great start because SMS marketing is permission-based. You won’t come across as intrusive or violate your clients’ privacy when you text message them for commercial purposes.
Additionally, you can readily track SMS messages because you send them to individual phone numbers rather than relying on marketing channels (like display ads) that offer little to no tracking.
As a result, you may more precisely develop your customer persona as you are aware of your target audience. You may refine your campaigns to make them more focused and audience-specific.
SMS marketing can be precise and accurate
Because you are targeting particular individuals who you are certain to suit your geographic, demographic, or psychographic target profile, you are not wasting your marketing efforts on people outside of those dimensions.
This enables you to manage efficient and precise bulk SMS marketing campaigns.
Additionally, you can rest easy knowing that everyone to whom you are delivering campaigns has previously expressed interest in your small business by choosing to provide you with their contact information.
SMS marketing outperforms and can amplify other marketing channels
Because SMS marketing is effective at grabbing customers’ attention right away (remember the 98% open rate?) it outperforms push alerts, Facebook ads, and email marketing, all of which can be expensive.
Many businesses that effectively execute SMS marketing campaigns have a positive return on investment (ROI) as a result of SMS marketing’s strong engagement rates.
There is still more. Additionally, push notifications, email, and other channels can all benefit from SMS marketing.
SMS marketing is not reliant on Internet connectivity
SMS messages can be received without an internet connection by the recipient. This is effective for companies with bases in inaccessible locations without reliable internet connections.
Even if you have a consistent Internet connection, including this layer in your marketing approach gives you a viable Plan B in case your chatbots or emails are slowed down by service outages or erratic Internet connections.
SMS avoids email invisibility and spam filters
The absence of spam filters in SMS inboxes makes this another fantastic benefit of SMS communications.
Additionally, because SMS messages display in a dedicated view, your campaign message won’t be obscured or overlooked in a clogged email inbox or social media newsfeed.
Five proven SMS marketing ideas for small businesses
Here are five SMS marketing strategies you can implement to attract new clients, keep prospects interested, and increase sales:
1. Welcoming new subscribers
The proverb “strike while the iron is hot” is applicable in this situation. It’s preferable to get in touch right away and begin cultivating that relationship when a potential consumer has just agreed to give you their phone.
A good incentive to get in touch with your consumers and bridge that gap is to welcome new subscribers. Similarly, it is an opportunity for you to inform people about your company or brand, including who you are, what you do, and why they should purchase your goods. This is a great method to begin establishing brand equity and recognition.
You don’t have to hold out on sending your welcome message for a day, a week, or a month. Waiting runs the risk of your subscribers forgetting about you by then. With time, they can become less likely to interact with your brand.
2. Promoting product launches
Utilise SMS marketing messages to advertise your hottest new products.
Conversation marketing is a good thing. But there are situations when it makes sense to press for a quick sale.
An effective product introduction, for instance, can boost word-of-mouth marketing and provide your small firm vital momentum. The goal of a product launch is to increase sales, but it should be modest and informal.
This is where SMS marketing can help you strike a balance between reaching out to customers to increase sales and maintaining a relaxed and unobtrusive personal tone.
The product launch SMS from Whimsy + Wellness is a great illustration of how marketers can strike the ideal balance:
3. Optimizing the post-purchase experience
Meeting your customers during their most significant moments is one approach to use SMS marketing effectively. Consider birthdays, appointment reminders, and even membership anniversaries.
This SMS automation from Serenity is a great illustration of how to use the platform to boost client loyalty by sending a special birthday greeting together with a deal that makes the message more enticing:
Keep in mind that happy customers are informed, consumers.
Consider how well-done Amazon’s post-purchase automation keeps customers informed throughout the entire transaction process.
Follow up with cart abandoners
In the retail, apparel, travel, and utilities industries, 81.08% of internet visitors abandon their shopping carts, according to research from SaleCycle.
Cart abandonment is a serious issue for online retailers.
And while small businesses should address abandoned carts as part of their email lifecycle marketing, adding a layer of SMS messaging is also a solid alternative.
Emails lack the sense of urgency that written texts can. Additionally, text messaging enables you to take action immediately when someone abandons their cart.
5. Keep in touch with content-driven communications
There are other factors besides sales and discounts. SMS can occasionally improve the experience your customers have.
With value-driven engagements that you text message directly to your customer’s mobile, you can improve their experience.
Ask them, for instance, how they found your product or service. Alternately, provide their useful advice and life hacks by sending them a blog post or a video on original and inspiring ways they may use your product.
Last words
Many small firms face significant obstacles when trying to implement a successful marketing plan due to a lack of resources. Because of this, it’s crucial for business owners and marketers to comprehend how they can utilize or include various strategies and platforms.
We believe the information in this post will enable you to try SMS marketing and quicken the expansion of your company.