(2.5 min read)
What is it?
Text, or Short Message Service (SMS) marketing, is a form of direct marketing that sends a
promotional message, offer, news or update directly to a customer via text message on their
mobile device. It is used to increase brand awareness, generate sales, and boost customer
engagement. If you can imagine a way to connect with your customers without getting lost in
their email inbox, then this is it. It not only can capture their attention, but they previously
opted into it.
According to Omnisend, click rates for SMS messages increased from 10.6% in 2020 to 11.5% in 2021.
But you may be asking: how can my business benefit from it?
How Can I Benefit from It?
Have you ever been shopping online, and you see a box pop up that offers to send you a
discount code if you provide your mobile number? That is how SMS or text marketing works.
You provide your mobile number, and they send you discount codes or messages about
different sales and discounts. It can be annoying if you’re not a dedicated customer or helpful if
you’re interested in a bargain.
Until recently, I had only used SMS messaging for tracing UPS package deliveries. I recently
signed up for SMS messaging with a company that sold a particular item that I wanted to
purchase as a gift for someone special. At the time that I was shopping online for the item, it
was sold out, as it was a very popular item. The site then offered to send me a text when the
item became available again. Brilliant! I did not want to keep checking back and I knew I would
forget to check in a week or a month. The idea of having a text message when it was restocked
would save me time.
A month or so later a text appeared on my phone. The item was back in stock! And yes, I had
forgotten that I still wanted that gift. The message came in with an image and a URL that I could
click and go right to the item I wanted to purchase. I jumped right in, got the item ordered and
it arrived in plenty of time to be a thoughtful gift. It was my first time actively using SMS
marketing, and it was a success.
A few more texts from the retailer came in over the next several months. Always simple, with a
small graphic, sometimes an animated gif, and a URL. I looked at messages, but they didn’t
represent anything for which I was currently in the market. Then I started thinking about
shopping for holiday gifts, and wouldn’t you know it – a text message offering a sale appeared.
Now I’m wondering if the device is reading my mind! I clicked on the link, checked for the item I
thought would make a great gift and added it to the cart. And again, I thought, well that was
useful, not to mention simple. Maybe SMS isn’t so awful after all!
As if directly connecting with your customer wasn’t already the best thing ever, the pricing is
relatively low. There are several platforms out there and some offer a free trial. Check out this
article “The Best Text Message Marketing Services of 2020” from Business News Daily to see a
list of companies.
How to Use it
If you are already collecting customer information, it is easy to add in collecting mobile
numbers. Just be sure they are opting-in to receiving communication from you. When you’re
ready to start utilizing a service, you have a customer base to start with. If you have an online
store, you can set up SMS messaging as part of your automation. When a customer starts
shopping on your site, they add a few items to their cart, but then abandon it. Add in an
abandoned cart series to your online store and it can send the customer a text message that
could convert that into a completed sale.
Using SMS marketing can make your customers feel like more than just a phone number. You
can use it to call out occasions like birthdays, rewards updates, and even their anniversary as a
customer. Pair those occasions up with an offer with a special time frame and you could keep
that customer invested with your brand for another year.
Opting In & Opting Out
Be sure you are maintaining your customer’s opt-in status. There are rules that go with the
process the same as when you use email campaigns. Give the customers a way to opt-out,
which is usually a simple reply text message they send with the word “STOP.” Do a little work
and research the best platform to use for your business. They usually provide a little guidance
on staying compliant with customer data.
Creating compelling, relevant content that connects your business with existing
customers, while driving new customers in the door is incredibly important, but it’s time-
consuming work. We are here to help!
GLM Custom offers services ranging from Social Media Marketing, Branding and Strategy, to
Custom Content, Design, and Revenue Generation. We custom-tailor packages to fit the needs
and meet the goals of our clients. Ask us to build a proposal that’s perfect for your business!
Visit us at www.glminc.com.