Online SMS marketing has been around for a while, but it’s often misunderstood by those who don’t understand permission marketing, or marketing only to those who want you to send them marketing promotions and information – this is a key distinction that sets online SMS apart from many other marketing channels.
For those that understand this kind of marketing, it is a fantastic approach to engage a large number of people and, as a result, generate a high return on investment.
When I worked for an online wine merchant, for example, our online SMS marketing campaigns typically generated three times the number of sales orders as our email marketing programme.
The greatest part was that sending an SMS message took a quarter of the time it takes to send an email campaign.
In this post, I’ll explain what online SMS is, who uses it, why it’s important to utilise it, and how to get the most out of your online SMS marketing efforts.
What exactly is online SMS?
According to SMSpapa.com.au, online SMS makes use of an online SMS gateway delivered by SMS providers, which enables customers to send thousands of text messages to mobile phone numbers. In the same way that consumers must subscribe to hear from you through email, you may categorise your SMS messages, schedule and automate them, and so on.
Who makes use of online SMS?
It’s largely utilised in the corporate world to connect with workers, provide customer service, and send out promotional materials.
Another industry that has benefitted from being able to connect with parents and kids to keep them informed about tests, field trips, sick children, and safety drills is education sector (universities, colleges and schools, etc.)
Finally, regular people use it to connect with their family and friends, however this group is much smaller since most cell plans include unlimited texting.
People who might utilise an SMS platform are individuals who see the value in expanding and streamlining their communications, which using a simple mobile phone would be incredibly time consuming.
Why should you send online SMS?
It’s easy to get started — all you have to do is sign up for a free account or plan and you’re good to go. Uploading your mobile contacts, creating templates (if necessary), and setting up the Sender ID (whether you want people to see your mobile number, a virtual number, or your company name) are the most common settings.
- Flexibility – Because it employs an online SMS gateway, you just need a device with an internet connection to use it. You may also leverage their email to SMS tool, which allows you to send text messages from your email client to mobile phones.
- Engagement – Perhaps the most compelling incentive for companies to utilise SMS is the high rate of engagement. Whereas emails normally have a 20% open rate, SMS has a startling 90%+ open rate, implying that practically everyone to whom you send your marketing campaign will open and read it.
- Brief – if someone opens your message, they may read it in seconds, making it very effective. One of the issues with emails or articles is that readers will scan through them or just read the first phrase before abandoning them. You can obtain the click a lot simpler using SMS.
- Simple – consider the numerous marketing platforms you have at your disposal: social media, email, sponsored advertisements, and so on. To utilise them successfully, you’ll need experience – they aren’t platforms for newbies. SMS is one of the few marketing platforms that everyone can pick up and use right away — if you’ve ever sent a group text message, you’re already 90% trained in SMS.
How to Maximize the Benefits of Online SMS
Make your messages unique
If you’ve worked in marketing for any length of time, you’re well aware of the importance of personalising your messaging. The reason for this is that it boosts your return on investment, and when you’re only paying a few cents per person to whom you send your message, you want to make the most of every opportunity.
Personalizing a text message involves using the terms that the prospect uses, focusing on their pains and goals, and providing highly relevant answers to assist them address their difficulties.
If the consumer believes you understand them, they will be more inclined to follow your advice.
Segmentation
Personalization relies heavily on segmentation. It’s simpler to tailor your subscribers and customers by segmenting them into certain categories. For example, you wouldn’t send the same message to potential consumers as you would to your existing customers – these require two completely different types of messaging.
Before making a purchase, people have different wants; after making a purchase, they are more likely to desire add-on solutions or particular maintenance features.
Another example is differentiating men and women — you wouldn’t utilise the same message for men and women, and there would very certainly be subtleties or altogether separate solutions necessary. If you need help with writing messages the right way, check out Emotive.
Have an opt-out option
This should go without saying, but there should always be a means for users to terminate their membership with any online SMS marketing campaign. The penalties for failing to provide a way out may be severe, so be sure you include one in every promotional communication.
It is usually not necessary if you are merely sending messages to co-workers, relatives, or even providing reminders or updates; nonetheless, you should check your local spam regulations.
Conclusion
Online SMS is an incredibly powerful marketing channel and the best part is that it is easy to use and dodges a lot of issues that face traditional digital marketers like spam algorithms, ad blockers, and reputation scores which while effective at making it difficult for spammers makes it just as difficult for legitimate companies trying to service their customers.
Online SMS is able to not only cut through these issues but also break through marketing competition, which is why SMS messages receive such high open and read rates.
