Companies must find a way to cut through the advertising noise to win customers' dollars and attention. One strategy brands have found success with in recent years is SMS marketing.
SMS allows brands to reach customers where they spend ample time: on their mobile phones. But with all the other marketing tools out there, why should you add SMS?
Check out 12 benefits of SMS marketing to see why more businesses are running promotional text message campaigns.
Increased reach
Thanks to the emergence of SMS platforms, businesses can send marketing messages at scale to their contacts. With a mass texting service, you can reach hundreds or thousands of your customers on their mobile devices at once. This allows you to save time and effort.
Furthermore, with SMS marketing you can reach customers who may not be active on social media or who may have opted out of email marketing. Remember, 97 percent of Americans own a cell phone of some kind, making it easy to reach your ideal target audience.
Higher open rates
One significant advantage of SMS is its high open rate. The average SMS open rate sits at 98 percent, more than four times the open rate of email.
There are several reasons for the high open rates of SMS messages. Firstly, SMS messages are short and to the point, making them easy to read quickly. Secondly, SMS messages are delivered directly to the recipient's phone, making them difficult to ignore. Finally, SMS messages often contain exclusive offers or time-sensitive information, which can create a sense of urgency and encourage recipients to open the message.
Improved customer engagement
One of the benefits of SMS marketing is that it helps improve customer engagement, which is a key factor in building brand loyalty and driving sales. Text messages can be highly targeted and personalized, which makes them more engaging for customers. Additionally, SMS messages can start conversations with customers, creating a dialogue between the business and the customer. In fact, text messages boast 45 percent response rates.
SMS messages can also be used to gather feedback from customers, which can help businesses to improve their products or services. For example, businesses can send surveys or polls via SMS to gather feedback on a new product or service.
Lastly, SMS messages can be used to provide customers with helpful information or tips, which can help to establish the business as a trusted source of information. All this leads to increased engagement and loyalty from customers.
Instant delivery
A text will reach your intended recipient within seconds. Most SMS messages are read within five minutes of receiving them. In comparison, most emails are read in 90 minutes.
This real-time and direct access to customers can improve the success of your marketing campaigns. Instant delivery is particularly beneficial for time-sensitive promotions or events, like flash sales or limited-time offers.
High conversion rates
As a result of the instant, broad outreach, and high open and response rates, SMS also drives more sales. Research suggests that effective SMS campaigns generate a six times higher order rate than email campaigns.
Cost-effective marketing
SMS marketing can be a highly cost-effective marketing channel. SMS costs pennies per message. In comparison, the cost per click for Facebook ads can be several dollars.
The low cost paired with the efficiency of SMS marketing, can also generate a strong return on investment. It’s inexpensive yet engaging.
Strong data analytics
Another important benefit of SMS marketing is the ability to track and analyze customer behavior. SMS marketing platforms like Textline, provide businesses with valuable data and analytics that can help them to optimize their marketing campaigns and improve their ROI.
For example, businesses can track metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to determine the effectiveness of their SMS marketing campaigns. They can also track customer behavior, such as the time of day they are most likely to engage with SMS messages, which can help them to optimize their message timing for maximum impact.
Moreover, SMS marketing platforms can provide businesses with detailed demographic information about their customers, such as age, gender, and location. This information can be used to create highly targeted SMS marketing campaigns that are tailored to specific customer segments.
Less competition
Compared to email marketing, the SMS marketing landscape is much less crowded. You are more likely to capture customers' attention with a text message than an email sent to a cluttered inbox. As a result, using SMS as a marketing channel can help you stand out from competitors.
Statista notes that the average compound annual growth rate for mobile marketing is expected to grow by 18 percent each year, signifying that more brands will add it. Becoming an early adopter can help you take advantage of the lower competition.
Ability to integrate with other channels
While it can be a solid standalone channel, SMS can integrate seamlessly with your existing digital marketing channels and tools. This allows you to sync data between platforms and create an omnichannel marketing experience.
For example, Textline integrates with tools like Facebook, Instagram, HubSpot, and more. You can set up integrations in minutes and manage mobile communication on one platform.
Personalization
It’s easy to personalize and tailor SMS marketing messages. Most SMS platforms will make it easy to personalize at scale with variable fields that can insert a recipient’s name, job title, and more.
Additionally, it’s also possible to segment your contact lists into groups based on customer interest or past purchase behavior. This allows you to create tailored and custom campaigns.
Easy to set up and scale
SMS marketing is easy to set up and scale with the right platform. Texting is a familiar channel, so you don’t need extensive training or marketing experience to execute an SMS campaign. This makes it easy to set up and scale as you grow.
Versatility
One of the benefits of texting is adaptability and flexibility. Companies can send a plethora of marketing campaigns via SMS. Some examples include:
- Abandoned cart reminders
- Welcome offers
- Exclusive discounts
- Flash sales
- New product launches
- Loyalty offers
- Price drop alerts
- Customer surveys
Maximize the benefits of SMS marketing with Textline
Reap the benefits of SMS with Textline, a scalable text message marketing solution. See for yourself how SMS marketing is a winning strategy. With features like mass texting, built-in metrics, universal inbox, messaging consent, and contact segmentation, Textline makes SMS marketing a breeze.
Give Textline a try today. It’s free for 14 days.
