Why should businesses use SMS marketing?

Mobile technology has shifted the way we think, shop, and communicate. With an increased dependency on mobile devices, consumers expect to connect with businesses and organizations quickly and concisely in the same way they communicate with their family and friends. For businesses, text messaging offers easy direct access to the customer, making them always reachable. SMS, or short message service marketing via text has become a popular digital channel for businesses to improve consumer engagement, promote brand awareness and increase sales.

How can SMS marketing add value to your business?

Essentially, because of the nature of the medium and its widespread use among cellphone users, SMS marketing makes it easier to connect to customers in the following ways:

Text messaging is fast with instant delivery with 90% of text messages viewed within 3 minutes
SMS messages have extremely high open rates at almost 98% making it a more reliable medium than email or social media platforms
It is versatile and simple to setup, allowing businesses to promote different offers, send polls and surveys, notifications and appointment reminders all from one medium
It is cost effective, allowing wide distribution using a mass text messaging service

Who should use SMS marketing?

SMS marketing is effective for any industry with repeat customers and a need to reach a wide audience. Some examples of current SMS marketing usage include:

Retailers use text messaging to communicate promotions and encourage purchasing
Dental and medical offices utilise text messaging reminder services for appointments and cancellations
Restaurants and clubs employ text messaging marketing to communicate reservation reminders and promote specials to increase sales revenue
Schools and colleges use text messaging for updates, alerts or notifications regarding important events
Church or community-based groups text message members event updates and reminders
Car dealerships use text messaging services for promotions or seasonal reminders to boost sales and services

How do you implement SMS marketing?

To get the most value out of SMS marketing, incorporate the following best practices when interacting with customers:

SMS marketing is permission-based so follow local data privacy laws. Allow customers an easy opt-in/opt-out option clearly stating what type of text messages (e.g. specials, coupons) will be sent
Ensure text messages add value to the customer by making them timely, relevant and concise. Use the 160-character limit to deliver a message that is consistent across other marketing channels used by your business
Use a text messaging service to help you automate mass communication, enable an autoresponder and track metrics to generate reports and measure engagement

SMS marketing is a key digital strategy that is easy to use, cost-effective and convenient. By meeting consumer needs for direct and easy access, it is a powerful marketing tool a business can use to effectively ensure customer engagement and increase sales revenue. To determine how SMS marketing can add value to your business, explore how Main Street Contact can make communication with customers easy and efficient, delivering a flawless customer experience and higher engagement rates.