Why you need to start SMS marketing
SMS or text message marketing has been around for awhile now, but the marketing channel has taken some time to really catch on. The main driver of this is the fear that consumers don’t want you bugging them on their phones. Don’t be afraid of accessing customers this way. People will give their contact information to brands they care about and text marketing will be increasingly important as time goes on.
Ownership
SMS consent regulation is strict, so if people are giving you their phone number, it’s because they want to receive text messages from your brand. It may be their preferred method of contact. With a channel like social media, you don’t own your followers, so if the channel is down, you have no way of contacting them about your business. Similar to an email list, text marketing allows you to own the data your clients provided (if they consented, of course). With privacy changes on how data is collected, gathering email addresses and phone numbers is becoming increasingly more important for reaching your customers.
Segmentation + Customization
Similar to email marketing, SMS marketing allows you to segment your list of subscribers based on many factors like purchase behavior and interests. This allows you to really customize the content you are presenting to your customers, resulting in an increase in sales and brand loyalty. Use the SMS channel to get to know your customers’ needs and wants through automated journeys/flows and deepen the relationship.
A More Personal Experience
SMS marketing is a more direct way to get to your customers. Not only are you right in their pockets, but you have a higher likelihood of them seeing your content. An email inbox might be cluttered with a million things and people will pick and choose what they open. Text messages are more likely to be filled with communication of friends and family, so the likelihood of someone opening your text is higher. Subscribers to your SMS list are warm leads. Meaning, they’ve liked engaging with your brand enough to hand over some personal information and initiate contact with them. You already know they are interested in what you have to offer. This is a great place to convert.
Before You Get Started
As I mentioned above, SMS consent regulation is strict. Ensure that you have a very clear opt-in. Whether that is a word people can text to a certain number to opt-in, a pop-up on your website, or a box to check at online checkout, it must be clear what people are agreeing to with a privacy policy linked. Speaking of privacy policies, the privacy policy on your website needs to be updated to reflect that you collect this data. Overall, it is best to have someone who understands and is on top of changing regulations managing your SMS marketing.
Interested in starting your SMS marketing channel? Book a consultation with us.