We all know that online marketing is a vital key to your business’s success, and using tools like SEO, keywords, and optimising your website is all well and good, but what about using an SMS service?
Whilst not the most commonly used tool, but severely underappreciated and very worthwhile if used correctly.
We’re not talking about spamming your customers, but it’s no secret that people are glued to their mobile phones nowadays, so it makes sense to notify them in a way they’ll definitely see.
What are some benefits and things to keep in mind?
SMS services are more commonly used by gambling agencies such as TAB, Sportsbet, and eCommerce stores when they announce they have a flash sale or massive discount going on a range of clothing. It’s also worthwhile for bloggers and personal trainers if you want to actively engage your readers and ensure they’re keeping up to date with your movements.
SMS Marketing
This may be a foreign concept to some that primarily use SEO and AdWords to target their audience and drive sales, but there are definitely some advantages and things to keep in mind when using an SMS service. Remember, you will need a website to lead you SMS traffic back to, so ensure your website is hosting with the best hosting possible.
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Higher customer engagement
You may be experiencing areas with a lack of engagement, such as mailing lists for little to no conversions. There is an emphasis on email marketing nowadays when it doesn’t always have the best read-through or click rates due to spam. There’s a chance your emails won’t get seen, which is unfortunately due to restrictions such as spam filters and junk folders.
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Call to action
This is something like a clickable link to ensure they actually proceed with the lead, rather than just read it. That’s a very pointless way to ensure they ignore future text messages if they need to put in the heavy effort to take part in a promotion you’re offering to them.
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You must provide a way to opt-out or opt-in feature
Unsolicited text messages can be annoying for some, and providing them with a way to opt out is ideal, as you’ll want to keep your reputation intact.
However, some may appreciate a subscription type service to your messages to ensure they’re keeping up with the latest information and latest deals.
Just as a side note, you may want to make that clear in your text to them and then provide an alternative point of contact. Including a message such as ‘STOP’ at the end of your text may be the simplest way to provide this option to them. It is also a requirement of the Spam Act of 2003 that you provide a way to opt out. -
Reach a wide demographic and higher open rates
It is no secret that mobile phones are ubiquitous, and almost every person today owns a mobile phone. This allows you to reach a wide demographic of people, especially if you’re selling a product that can be useful for anyone, no matter what age or gender.
SMS messages also have a higher open rate than emails, which has a huge spam issue and is untrustworthy.
It’s much harder for SMS messages to be considered spam and have a higher open or click rate.
How exactly do they work?
In this case, the SMS messaging system is quite simple to use, given how much value you’ll get out of it.
They are usually cheap per SMS message, ranging from $0.10-0.15 per SMS message. They have a suitable character limit, such as 700-800 characters, allowing you to get enough information out.
For the most part, the SMS messages are actually sent through a 3rd party such as Telstra, Optus, Vodafone or any other carrier to ensure the best deliverability.
With most SMS packs, you’d be able to set up an ‘Address Book’ or ‘Contact List’ which you would add certain contacts by phone number to your list and bulk message them all the same SMS message individually.
You would also create SMS templates for important dates, events or sales that you can refer to and then SMS your contacts in bulk.
Final thoughts
SMS marketing is an effective and low-cost marketing tool in comparison to SEO or Google Adwords. It has been proven to have a higher conversion rate compared to email marketing. Nowadays, everyone has a mobile phone, whether it’s an old Nokia or the latest iPhone, the message is still received the same and allows you to reach a whole range of different demographics.
It’s worth investing in an SMS service and giving it a go, and given the fact it is relatively inexpensive, it doesn’t hurt to try, and successful conversions are well worth the cost.
