What Is SMS Marketing?

SMS (short message service) is a fancy way of saying "text message." Companies use SMS marketing as a way to communicate directly with their customers. SMS marketing is like sending ads or special deals through text messages. This is unlike traditional social media marketing where brands share content openly, and people engage by liking or following. Think of it like an email newsletter, however it's sent via text-message directly to your phone. It's a great way to market your ecommerce store.

With SMS marketing, however, companies can only send these messages to people who have accepted this type of marketing. This is what is known as "opt-in marketing." Imagine your friend asking if they can send you funny pictures of cats. If you agree, then you're essentially opting in to receive funny cat memes (and who doesn't want those?) You've given them permission to send you those pictures. In the same way, before companies can send you SMS marketing texts about their products or services, they need to ask your permission and you need to say "yes." That's what opt-in marketing is all about. You need to consent to receive their messages. This is at the core of SMS marketing.

SMS Marketing Is Delivering Results

SMS is a powerful ecommerce advertising tool that many people overlook. In the ecommerce marketing landscape of 2023, text messaging reigns supreme as the most influential tool that marketers can leverage. Its ability to reach consumers instantly, coupled with high open rates, makes it a formidable force in the digital marketing world. Since customers are opting-in to the messages, nearly all the text messages (some estimate 98%) are opened and read. And almost half of the people (45%) reply to these texts. This shows how good text messages are for getting people interested in what your business has to offer. Most people check their phones right away when they get a text. It's near-instant communication with your customers.

As folks get used to chatting with businesses on their phones, now's a great time to leverage text message marketing.

Emails or SMS?

With all this talk of SMS marketing, you're probably thinking about the good old email newsletter. Isn't sending SMS offers nothing more than another email newsletter–not quite. Emails can sit untouched for days in your customer's inbox. Social media paid ads can be ignored with a simple swipe. But when it comes to SMS text messages, folks often read them as soon as they arrive. That's because people tend to check their text messages more often than they do their emails or social media accounts. Stats show that text messages are opened within just three minutes, while only 33% of emails get that same attention. SMS gets to your audience quicker than emails or social media.

SMS is a simple, direct way to reach your customers. They don't need to download any special app, sift through the noise on social media, or wade through tons of emails. They'll get your message directly on their phones. A recent study found that people spent between five and six hours on their phones every day. That's a lot of screen time to capture your customers. It makes sense to incorporate SMS marketing into your digital strategy and capture some of that eyeball time.

Does This Mean Email Is Dead?

There's absolutely no need to abandon your email marketing methods just because you're thinking of introducing SMS marketing into your digital game plan. In fact, these two formats can complement each other and enhance your marketing strategy.

The unique advantage of text messages lies in their immediacy. However, the short nature of text messages means they're not the best medium for providing thorough explanations or detailed information. That's where emails come into play. Use email communication to follow up on your SMS marketing and supply more details about the offers or services your text messages introduced.

This combined strategy can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. By using text messages and emails in concert, you can maintain high open rates for your text messages, while simultaneously driving higher engagement levels with your emails.

Don't forget to apply creative elements to your text messages. Think about incorporating mobile-optimized designs and fun media content, such as audio clips and images. This will make your messages more engaging and visually appealing You want to capture your audience's attention and enhance your overall effectiveness.

Getting Started With SMS Marketing

If your brand is deciding to venture into SMS marketing, you have to first figure out what you want to achieve. Are you looking to boost sales, increase customers, or launch new products? Once you've solidified your goals, then you can plan how often to communicate your message. SMS is a great tool, however, customers may get annoyed more easily if they receive too many unwanted messages. Everyone hates getting robocalls and spam texts so you need to carefully plan your SMS frequency.

You should also consider the length of text messages. People expect text messages to be swift and to the point. Given the limit of 160 characters, it's essential to use this space wisely. If you find your content exceeds this limit, perhaps an email campaign might be more effective.

What about the costs involved with SMS marketing? Sending a text message is more expensive than sending an email. If you compare costs, SMS sits in the middle between email and paid ads. It is a bit more costly than emails, but you can save quite a bit compared to digital ads. It's important to plan your budget and understand the costs involved with SMS communication.

Once you've landed on the why and how much, you can focus on the critical step of picking an SMS partner (like Attentive). You need to choose the right platform for sending text messages. The list of great SMS solutions has greatly expanded. The ecommerce market is brimming with tech solutions specifically designed for SMS marketing. Most of the popular platforms can seamlessly connect with your email and ecommerce platforms. This way, you can manage your SMS marketing while still ensuring the smooth operation of your online store.

Let's review why your company should use SMS marketing:

1. Immediate Reach: SMS messages are delivered instantly and directly to your audience's mobile device. Most people tend to open text messages within minutes of receiving them, providing businesses with a fast and effective way to communicate with customers.

2. High Open Rates: Text messages have a very high open rate. Studies suggest that 98% of SMS messages are opened. This is significantly higher than other forms of digital marketing, such as email.

3. Direct Engagement: SMS marketing allows for direct two-way communication with customers. They can easily respond to your messages, leading to increased engagement.

4. Personalization: SMS marketing can be highly personalized, based on each customer's purchase history, preferences, and behavior. This can make the marketing feel more relevant and effective.

Let's Start Sending

Are you looking to incorporate SMS marketing into your business? Turn to the experts at Sunrise Integration to help you get started. Our team can help choose the right SMS partner and provide the integration required to get you up-and-running fast. Contact us today to learn more.