Text message marketing, also known as SMS marketing, has proven to be a great tool for businesses to engage with customers quickly and effectively.
While some organizations understand why they should utilize SMS marketing, others may be unsure how to get started and build up their marketing campaign for success. Here are some pointers on how to execute a successful SMS marketing campaign that benefits both you and your clients.
Define Your Goals
Before sending out marketing messages, companies should sit down and write down specific goals for what they want to accomplish. For some, it may be about establishing a brand identity, while for others, it may be about establishing a customer base in order to improve sales, among other things.
Businesses can begin by setting S.M.A.R.T goals, which are defined as Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound objectives. This strategy can assist you in achieving your objectives by determining the what, how, and when so that firms can set clear targets and hold themselves accountable. For instance, a Specific objective might be to enhance customer involvement, whereas an Achievable goal might be to post signage at the POS providing a 10% discount on their next order if they sign up for your SMS marketing program.
Set Clear Opt-in Guidance
SMS marketing, like email marketing, is a permission-based channel in which customers must opt-in to receive messages. Customers can sign up for SMS marketing programs at checkout or by texting a company’s unique phone number, which is shared on social media, via email, or in person.
To avoid confusion and potential opt-outs, however opt-in is collected, it must be clear to the client that they have consented to receive these messages.
Send the Right Messages at the Right Time
It’s critical to send SMS messages that are thoughtful and concise (while keeping in mind the 160-character restriction) to ensure that clients feel valued rather than inundated. Businesses should also avoid using abbreviations and all caps, and ensure that messages have a clear purpose, such as giving information about a sale, event, or other event.
Your customers, like you, don’t like receiving communications early in the morning or late at night. Try to send out marketing messages between late morning and early evening, and then monitor and alter your campaign’s performance!
Create a Clear, Effective CTA
You should employ a call-to-action (CTA) to boost engagement and encourage people to take action on your campaigns. Them can be encouraged to “Buy Now” by posting a link to a frequently purchased product, “Click Here” for a gift card encouraging customers to come in and shop, or “Reserve Now” for an upcoming event.
To further attract clients to participate with your business, set a definite date when a sale expires, the expiration of a discount, and details of a forthcoming event.
Know Your Customers
CRM software combines sales, marketing, customer service, and contacts into an one system with the purpose of strengthening customer interactions. If you have many locations, CRM will additionally look into purchase history and demographics based on location.
You can use lists of new customers, lapsed customers, and regular customers to construct smart campaigns for each audience while delivering SMS marketing messages. This might include providing new customers with a voucher to use on their first purchase or notifying existing customers when popular items are restocked.
Measure What Works and use Data to Make Smart Decisions
Marketing messages are linked to your sales history with an integrated POS system, so you can measure the income and visits generated by each campaign and never have to guess if your time and money were well spent. This contains cost per message, open rates, and attributed sales per campaign.
Businesses may utilize these data to figure out which messages are effective and which aren’t, allowing them to fine-tune and improve their next campaign for better results and ROI.