Far from it. Here’s what you need to know about SMS marketing.
It’s no secret that successful digital marketing campaigns echo the pulse of consumer behavior. Today, the average American spends 5.4 hours a day on their smartphone (Provision Living). That screen time presents an invaluable opportunity for your brand to connect with your audience.
That opportunity is the appeal of SMS (Short Message Service) or texting. The only digital marketing channel that gives you direct access to your customers’ smartphones, texting allows you to meet your customers where they’re spending the most time.
Forbes calls text marketing “the fastest and most logical way to interact with shoppers.” Pre-pandemic, 51% of U.S. retailers planned to increase their investment in messaging and SMS platforms; by June 2020, that figure had jumped to 56% above all other technologies.
Data indicates that SMS is a vital marketing channel. Forrester predicts that marketing message volume will increase by 40% this year as brands reach out to connect with consumers.
Here’s why you should consider incorporating text messaging in your digital marketing program.
It’s effective.
SMS open rates are as high as 98% compared to just 20% of all emails (Gartner).
It’s fast.
Estimates show that, on average, it takes 90 seconds for someone to respond to a text and 90 minutes to respond to an email (Gartner).
It’s engaging.
According to SmarterHQ, 72% of consumers say they now only engage with marketing messages that are personalized and tailored to their interests. More brands use SMS to deliver personalized content to hold on to existing customers and drive new purchases.
It’s conversational.
SMS facilitates a two-way conversation between you and your customer, making it ideal for customer service solutions. In fact, according to The Seattle Times, 70% of people prefer a ‘message us’ button over a ‘call us’ button on a company website or app, with customer satisfaction rates 25% higher for chatting and messaging as opposed to calling.
It’s convenient.
SMS makes connecting with your customers easy for them, so it’s great for retention and loyalty marketing programs. A few examples of ways to use text messaging for existing customers.
- Renewal or membership reminders
- Reward status updates
- Refill reminders for subscription service
- Missed payment or payment received notifications
- New product announcements or promotions
Incorporating SMS as part of an integrated marketing program is a smart way to build your brand and make personal connections with your customers by using technology that is most relevant to them right now. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out on LinkedIn.
