SMS marketing is one of the most powerful tools for marketers in 2020. And with statistics such as 98% open rates and 36% click-through rates; it’s obvious to see why.
But outcomes aren’t just going to happen on their own. There’s a science and strategy around successful SMS marketing. Luckily, we’re here to give you our best secrets to kick-start your campaign.
Broadnet Technologies would like to discuss 5 must-use tips for successful SMS marketing.
- Time it right
The best time to send an SMS differs for each industry. However, research has shown that some periods of the day are more effective for general marketing messages than others. Sending between 10:30 am and 11:30 am, or between 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm, has delivered the best results. The morning message is a great way to get the jump on your competitors, but you should avoid messaging too early.
A clever tactic is sending at an ‘unusual’ time e.g. 10:43 am. As opposed to sending right on the hour or half-hour, sending at uncommon times gives you less competition with other SMS marketing material.
Running a weekend special or promotion? You should send your first SMS on a Thursday beforehand. Consider sending a message on the morning of the event to remind your customers once again. For even more tips for timing your SMS campaign, read ‘When is the best time to send an SMS.’
- Be open & honest
When a customer opts-in to receive SMS messages from your business, you must tell them what kind of material you will be sending. If you’re going to be sending marketing messages about sales, discounts and new products, make this clear. This guarantees your text messages are going to those that want to hear them. It will also give you a higher return on investment and develop a positive relationship with customers, rather than being seen as annoying or intrusive. For best usage, remember to always offer an opt-out method for all SMS marketing messages.
- Keep it systematic
Text messages are limited to 160 characters, so it’s important to keep them clear and precise. There are a couple of variations to a standard SMS marketing structure, but this is how most follow:
- Business name – Either as your sender ID or at the beginning of your message, you should make your company name clear to your customers.
- Customer name – Create a more personal relationship by including your customer’s name at the beginning of your message. This process is made easy by using custom fields in web SMS software.
- Offer – Here include details about your sale, coupon, new product etc. Use language that makes customers feel valued and excited by your deal.
- Qualifier – This is similar to the ‘fine print’. Include any conditions for your offer in this section.
- Instructions – Let the customer know how to redeem your offer. Try to keep this process as simple as possible.
- Expiration – Consumers won’t find your offer ‘special’ if it never expires. Include an expiration date to create a sense of urgency.
- Opt-out – For best practice, and to withdraw any legal penalties, you must include an opt-out option for your recipients.
- Link to other channels
As we mentioned earlier, SMS messages have outstanding click-through rates. This makes SMS a great platform to boost your other channels. You can direct traffic to your website, landing page or social media page by simply including a link in your text. To help ensure your message remains under the 160 character limit, use a URL shortened to preserve it concisely.
Many businesses struggle to achieve adequate open rates for emails. Sending SMS reminders to customers encouraging them to “check their email” can have a positive impact on email open rates.
- Schedule & Get it on a Suitable Time
Sending your SMS marketing campaign out at your preferred time doesn’t require you to be at the office. Using a web SMS platform you can schedule all of your messages in advance. This is particularly useful when working across different time zones or for marketers with busy timetables.
If you’re running a bulk SMS campaign, it may also be worth staggering your campaign. Send your messages out in smaller batches to make sure your system isn’t overloaded with requests. Scheduling and staggering are both part of our great online SMS software from Broadnet Technologies.
A final but not unimportant point is timing. You can imagine that, if you send out carefully thought out SMS campaigns at the wrong time, this is a waste of time, money and effort. Therefore, you need to make sure you know what time is best for your target audience. This can vary per group. Here, you can read more about the perfect timing of SMS messages.
It is not just in regards to timing that the perfect SMS campaign depends on your target audience. Don’t hesitate to experiment a little with all the mentioned variables and keep a close eye on results such as open ratio and click rates. Data analysis will tell you what messages are most effective for your target audience.
As you can see, you can always count on us to help you set up the most successful SMS marketing campaign.
SMS campaigns can achieve significant engagement and returns for your business. However, to maximize these potential marketers must follow certain codes and conventions of SMS marketing. With an intuitive SMS software, you can make running your SMS campaign as with everything else, once you have that data, you can use it for SMS personalization!
Similar to any technique of marketing to your audience, the more time you spend improving your skills with SMS marketing, the more interaction you will illicit from your community. If you are able to beef up your response rates, SMS will help you learn more about where your business stands right now. Your analytics should help you with goal setting, understanding your business as it stands, and figuring out where you want it to be.