SMS Marketing Best Practices

SMS marketing, when done right, is a powerful way to reach people quickly and effectively. It lets you send messages straight to your customers' phones, making it easier to get their attention and drive action. But to make the most of SMS marketing, it is important to follow best practices. These simple guidelines help ensure your messages are well-received, relevant, and respectful of your audience. By sticking to these best practices, you can boost your campaign’s success, avoid mistakes, and build stronger connections with your customers.

What is SMS marketing?

SMS marketing is a way for businesses to send text messages directly to people’s mobile phones. This approach allows companies to quickly share promotions, updates, and important information with their customers. Since text messages are often read right away, SMS marketing helps businesses get their messages seen and acted upon quickly. It is a great tool for reaching customers instantly, encouraging them to make purchases or attend events, and keeping them engaged with timely and relevant updates.

What is SMS marketing used for?

SMS marketing is a versatile tool that can be used in several ways to benefit your business. Here are some common use cases to illustrate how SMS marketing can enhance your communication strategies and improve engagement with your audience:

Promotions and offers

When you have a limited-time sale or special offer, you want as many people as possible to know about it quickly. SMS marketing is perfect for this purpose because it lets you send instant updates and promotions directly to your customers' phones. By reaching people on the go, you increase the chances that they will see your offer and take action before the promotion ends. This immediacy helps drive traffic to your store or website and boosts sales during your promotional periods.

Event and order updates

Events often involve a lot of moving parts, and keeping attendees informed is crucial. SMS marketing helps you communicate important updates, such as changes or cancellations, quickly and effectively. Unlike E-mail, which may be checked less frequently, text messages are typically read almost immediately. This ensures that your audience gets timely information, which is essential for smooth event management and customer satisfaction.

Appointment reminders

Missed or forgotten appointments can disrupt your schedule and lead to lost opportunities. SMS reminders are a simple yet effective way to reduce no-shows and ensure that clients remember their appointments. By setting up automated text messages to confirm and remind clients of their scheduled times, you can keep your schedule on track and minimize disruptions. This approach helps you manage your time better and make the most of your available slots.

Internal alerts

For businesses with many employees, sending urgent internal messages can be challenging. E-mail might not always be the best option, as employees may not check their work E-mails regularly. SMS is a reliable way to ensure that everyone receives important updates promptly. Whether it’s about office closures, emergency alerts, or other critical information, SMS ensures that your messages are delivered quickly and read by all recipients, helping to keep your team informed and prepared.

Customer surveys

Understanding customer satisfaction is key for any business. SMS marketing can be used to send quick surveys to customers, asking for their feedback. These surveys are easy to complete and provide immediate responses. This quick way of gathering opinions helps you learn what customers like and what needs improvement, so you can make your products and services better based on real-time feedback.

Loyalty programs

SMS marketing is perfect for managing loyalty programs. You can send exclusive offers, updates on points, or rewards directly to your loyal customers. This direct communication keeps them engaged and feeling valued. Regular updates and special offers motivate them to stay loyal and continue supporting your business, as they feel appreciated and rewarded for their loyalty.

Billing reminders

Sending billing reminders through SMS helps ensure that customers are aware of upcoming payments. These reminders can reduce late payments and improve your cash flow by making sure customers pay on time. Quick and easy SMS reminders help customers stay on top of their bills, which benefits both them and your business.

Why is SMS marketing effective?

Widespread of smartphones

SMS is an excellent way to reach customers directly. Almost everyone carries their phone with them, so your message is likely to be seen quickly. By including a link in the text, you can drive engagement with your business online, whether it is directing customers to your website, social media, or a specific promotion.

Closes the E-mail marketing loop

Although E-mail and SMS marketing share many similarities in their strategy implementation, they work best together. You can use SMS to send instant notifications, while E-mails can provide more detailed information like newsletters or special offers. This combination ensures that you reach your audience with the right message at the right time, maximizing engagement and effectiveness.

High engagement rates

SMS engagement rates are significantly higher compared to E-mail, with 90% of SMS messages read within 3 minutes of receiving them. This makes SMS very effective in delivering urgent or critical information, ensuring that your message is read and acted upon quickly. Whether it is a flash sale, an important update, or a time-sensitive offer, SMS ensures your message gets noticed.

Great for emerging markets

If your business operates in countries where data is expensive and Wi-Fi is less common, SMS is a much better channel to communicate information. SMS does not rely on an internet connection, making it accessible to a wider audience. This is especially important in regions where smartphone penetration is high, but internet access is limited or costly.

Instant communication

One of the primary reasons SMS marketing is so effective is its rapid delivery. Messages are sent instantly, and most are read within minutes of being received. This quick turnaround makes SMS ideal for sending urgent notifications, time-sensitive offers, or crucial information that needs immediate attention.

Personalization

SMS marketing offers a significant level of personalization. You can customize messages to address customers by their name, send them tailored offers based on their previous purchases, or even wish them a happy birthday. Such personalized messages feel more relevant and engaging, resulting in higher response rates and stronger connections with your customers.

SMS marketing practices and rules

Here, you can find the most important SMS marketing practices and rules that should be taken into consideration when creating an SMS marketing campaign:

practices and rules
Figure 1 - SMS marketing practices and rules

Ensure contacts have opted in

Text messaging is a very effective and direct way to communicate with customers, but you must follow certain rules when planning your SMS marketing strategy. The first and most important rule is to get permission from your contacts to send them SMS messages. Ask for consent to use their phone numbers for marketing, just like you do for email marketing. Always include an option to unsubscribe in each text message. Sending messages to people who have not opted in not only annoys them but is also against the law in many countries.

Mind the timing of your messages

Unlike emails or social media posts, which people check a few times daily, text messages are opened almost immediately. While this is great for urgent messages, you do not want to abuse this power by disturbing contacts at odd hours. No one wants to be woken up at 2 AM by a coupon alert. Some countries even have laws about when you can send marketing text messages. For example, in France, you cannot send SMS marketing on Sundays, holidays, or after 10 PM.

Include your company’s name in your messages

When sending bulk SMS messages, they often come from a short code, so your contacts will not know it is from you unless you tell them. Always include your company name in the message. This way, your customers know who is reaching out and where to go to take advantage of any offers.

Always add a call-to-action (CTA)

Just like with other marketing messages, you need to urge people to take the next step. What do you want them to do? Visit your website? Come to an event? Make sure to include a clear CTA to drive engagement and click-through rates.

Segment your audience

Segmenting your audience allows you to send more targeted messages, making them more relevant and engaging. To do this, group your contacts based on things like age, location, past purchases, or behaviour. For example, if you know someone bought a product from you before, you can send them a message about similar products. By tailoring your messages to meet the specific needs and interests of different groups, you make your SMS marketing more effective.

Keep messages concise and clear

SMS messages have a limited number of characters, so it is important to keep your messages short and to the point. Avoid adding unnecessary information and focus on the key message you want to convey. Clear and concise messages are more likely to be read and acted upon.

Track and analyse your campaigns

To know if your SMS campaigns are successful, track important metrics like how many people opened your messages, clicked on links, or made a purchase after reading your text. Look at this data to understand what works and what does not. For example, if you notice more people clicking on links in messages sent in the morning, you might decide to send more messages at that time. Use these insights to continuously improve your SMS marketing strategy.

Personalize your messages

Personalization can significantly increase engagement. Use your customer's name and other personal details to make your messages feel more relevant and special. For example, start your message with the customer’s name and mention products they might like based on their past purchases. Personalized messages show customers that you value them as individuals, making them more likely to respond positively to your messages.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How often should I send SMS messages to my customers?

You should find a balance in how often you send SMS messages. Sending too many can annoy your customers, while sending too few might make them forget about you. A good rule is to send one to two messages per week, depending on your business and the value of the information you are sharing.

What should I avoid in SMS marketing?

Avoid sending messages without consent, sending messages too often, and sending them at bad times. Also, avoid using too much jargon or complex language. Keep your messages simple, relevant, and respectful of your customers’ time and preferences.

What are some common mistakes in SMS marketing?

Common mistakes include not getting opt-in consent, failing to provide an opt-out option, sending messages at inconvenient times, and not tracking campaign performance. Also, sending overly long messages or irrelevant content can reduce the effectiveness of your SMS marketing efforts.

Summary

SMS marketing, when done right, is a great way to quickly reach your customers. It allows you to send messages directly to their phones, making it easier to get their attention and encourage action. However, to get the most out of SMS marketing, it is important to follow best practices. These simple guidelines help ensure your messages are well-received, relevant, and respectful. By following these best practices, you can make your campaigns more successful, avoid mistakes, and build better connections with your customers.

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