Marketers are always on the lookout for the latest digital marketing trends to increase brand awareness and retain customer loyalty. From email marketing to search, social media, content, and video, there are always new channels to explore out there.
However, a form of technology most marketers do not think to include in their marketing strategy is SMS Marketing. With a 98% open rate, this simple method has the potential to play a major role in converting prospects, but many deem it as old-fashioned and outdated.
Retail giants like Bed, Bath & Beyond, World Market, and Amazon (hello, sweet, sweet Treasure Truck deals!) use SMS marketing to offer coupons, promote sales, and send updates and notifications, so why aren’t more businesses and brands embracing SMS marketing?
Poor Timing
Many marketers choose email marketing over SMS marketing because they can send promotional emails out at all hours without interrupting their customers’ personal schedules – or even their sleep! However, SMSGlobal recommends marketers to send general marketing messages out between 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Failure To Seek Consent
For your business to be involved in an SMS marketing campaign, your customers must first give you their written consent. This can be done by asking them to send you a keyword to a short code number or filling out a physical or online form. Another compliance requirement you must follow is sending your subscribers a confirmation once they opt-in to receive messages.
No Option To Opt-Out
Nothing will infuriate your customers more and alienate them from your brand than not having the option to opt-out. Always provide an automated way for them to opt-out at any time. Also, not giving them that option is illegal, you jailbird!
Not Serving a Purpose
Your customers need to see value in exchange for access to their phone number. If you’re constantly bombarding them with text messages that are too long, serve no purpose, are not relevant, and feature no call-to-action, they will opt-out and choose to not interact with your brand.
SMS marketing can become a powerful, inexpensive tool for your business in 2020. Text messaging and mobile usage isn’t slowing down, and it is projected to continue growing at a strong pace until at least 2025. Combined with a well-thought-out strategy, SMS marketing will outperform most digital marketing campaigns, allowing you to connect and engage with your customers at an unprecedented rate.
