How to use SMS in your marketing strategy

The power of SMS marketing cannot be denied. Everywhere you go – people are on their mobile phones.

93% of adults own a mobile phone in the UK, with UK citizens collectively checking our smartphones over a billion times a day (Deloitte, 2016).The speed at which people check their phones in anticipation of seeing what the latest notification may entitle, proves mobile phones are a powerful way of getting your message seen by the right people.

In fact in the UK, 61% of users digital minutes are spent on their mobile phone, with 68% of website traffic coming through a mobile (comScore, 2016). This not only demonstrates the importance of having all platforms mobile friendly, but also the increasing amount of time spent on mobiles with a rising amount of attention being paid to this device.

Unsure as to how your business can use SMS marketing? Carry on reading this article to discover the benefits SMS marketing may provide, along with how you can implement SMS into your digital marketing strategy with ease.

Why invest in SMS Marketing

SMS marketing is a permission-based strategy which can be used to share company updates or promote special offers to customers.

SMS marketing is now an essential element of an effective multi -channel strategy. It provides precise targeting for messages to be sent in a reliable form. Think about it – when don’t you have your mobile phone on you? What do you rely on and use more than your mobile phone? No other personal device has had a social impact parallel to the smartphone.

In 2016 according to research conducted by salesforce, 51% of marketers stated that SMS was part of their digital marketing strategy, with 19% planning on implementing it within the year. 79% of these marketers agree that mobile marketing is core to their business.

If you are not already using SMS to connect and engage with your customers, then let the following facts demonstrate the power of SMS.

• There are 33.67 million mobile users in the UK who have opted in to receive text messages from brands and businesses in 2016.(Zanzi,2017)

• Over the past 5 years there has been a decline in the use of smartphones for voice calls, with a steady rise in the use of messaging. (Deloitte, 2016)

• SMS reminder can increase the attendance rate to an event by 45% (Digital Marketing Magazine, 2016)

• SMS has a mind blowing 98% open rate (Adobe,2015)

• 75% of people would like to have offers sent to them via a text. (Digital Marketing Magazine,2016)

The role of SMS in a multi-channel strategy

A successful digital marketing strategy should revolve around synchronising and integrating a combination of marketing platforms to demonstrate your businesses offering. SMS and Email marketing are an example of two platforms that create the perfect harmony.

SMS is a great support channel to provide relevant, timely and targeted messages to your customers. SMS , email and social can be used in a powerful, cross-promotional strategy.

You may have friends who check their text messages instantly but haven’t bothered to scour through their inbox in days. Or perhaps you know people who check their email as soon as it comes through, but ignore texts. By utilising both platforms to reinforce a message and promote your brand you are increasing your campaign’s deliverability and readability potential.

SMS marketing provides an effective and immediate connection with your target audience, further engaging recipients with the aim of creating brand advocates. By devising a strategy which considers how your audience connects with your brand, you are putting your customer’s journey first – overall creating a more personalised experience, which you can increase over time by assessing which mediums they are most receptive too.

Examples of email campaigns that can benefit from SMS support:

SMS marketing can be used for a variety of purposes, and when combined in a beautiful partnership with email marketing its uses can be increased.

To efficiently synchronise both marketing methods – SMS should be kept for short snappy, time-sensitive content. However, email marketing should remain as an informative approach and a chance to show your creative side.

Reminders 

An SMS may be sent as a follow-up reminder. An example of this may be for an appointment or an event. A week prior you may email your customer stating you are looking forward to seeing them, and then follow up with an SMS the day before the event reminding them of the time and location etc. After the event you could email again, thanking for their attendance.

Customer Service

• To improve customer service you could construct a poll which is distributed via text and follow up with an email including a breakdown of the results.

• If your business consists of delivering a product, an initial email providing a receipt would be sent and continuous SMS updates regarding tracking of the parcel may be used to keep customers informed.

Engagement  

• If you are having a flash sale, SMS may provide an immediate connection and inform the recipient quicker than waiting till they check their inbox. A way that email and SMS may complement each other could be to inform subscribers via email that if they text a certain number that they will receive a discount. By providing this call to action you can capture additional information for later campaigns.

Conclusion

Due to the flexibility of the communication channel, SMS can be integrated into your multi-channel marketing strategy with ease.

The intimate nature of SMS is allowing many brands to use mobile to bridge the gap between digital and traditional marketing.

Have you thought of complimenting your Email Marketing with SMS? If the answers no, contact Forfront today and we can show you how SMS can drive greater awareness and growth of your business.

Still not sure on SMS’S value? Check out our infographic demonstrating why you shouldn’t miss out the opportunity to use SMS.