Improve Your Business with These SMS Marketing Best Practices.

I previously discussed the basic things to know about SMS marketing or text message marketing, stating how necessary it is to start sending text messages to your customers if you haven’t. I also looked at some stats that support how beneficial SMS marketing can be for your business in that article. However, we all know that the fact that a marketing strategy is great doesn’t mean it will yield great results for you. For that to happen, it has to be done well. This is why I thought to also write on SMS marketing best practices to help you win with this marketing channel. 

And without further ado, let’s get to it. What are these SMS marketing best practices you need to know?

Get Permission

This is at the top of the list for a reason. Nobody wants to receive unwanted messages from brands, it is counterproductive to you and illegal in certain climes. Permission-based marketing is not only limited to email marketing, SMS marketing is included as well. So, make sure you seek the consent of your customers and potential customers before sending them messages. You don’t want to be seen as a spammy brand but a professional one. 

There are different ways you can go about getting permission to send text messages to customers. You can request their phone numbers when they interact with your brand, stating clearly that the numbers will be used for promotional purposes or more specifically that they expect SMS from you. You could also have an opt-in message or pop-up on your website for text messaging marketing. Or you could get consent through SMS keyword, a word or phrase customers can send to your number to give consent.  

 

Personalise Your Message

Personalised messages to customers, across board, have been known to perform better than others. And the reason is simple; customers feel more inclined to respond to a  message that seems to be personalized for them rather than one that seems to consider them a part of a crowd. Now, it is not as though customers don’t know that these messages are bulk messages, but seeing their name indicated make them feel seen. And that will likely get them to respond. 

Plus, one of the appeals of text messaging marketing is that it encourages personalisation, so you should take advantage of that. Also, it is important to note that personalising your campaign is not just about including their names in the campaign – but also customising and segmenting campaigns to send specific messages to certain people that relate to them. For instance, you could send birthday messages to customers, or send a message that relates to an action they carried out as it relates to your brand. 

 

Add Value

Your customers want to receive valuable and relevant text messages and not messages that will not add any value to them. This is because, at the end of the day, most customers are not interested in your brand if your brand is not adding value to them. What can you offer them? That’s a question you should always ask yourself and can offer through SMS. So, instead of sending them random ads, you should be sending them important announcements or events, discounts, new products launch, and so on.

 

Be Responsive

Being responsive is one of the SMS marketing best practices that you should consider, especially when your message demands a response. If you send a message that requires them to click a certain link or take a certain action, this might not be important although the general responsiveness of your team is necessary. However, if you are sending a message where you require immediate response via text, you need to be available to reply to them. Of course, to make it easier, you could set an auto-responder to send a follow-up message but make sure it is personalised and relevant. 

Be Consistent

Many brands are scared of spamming and that worry is valid. However, on the other hand, if you send messages to customers inconsistently, you run the risk of being forgotten. And when they do get your message, they might consider you unfamiliar and feel disturbed by your text. So, the key is to find a balance. You can do this by telling them what to expect when they subscribe or being consistent with the time you send the message so they unconsciously come to expect it. For instance, if you plan to send them a text message once every week or month, you can pick a particular day/date to send it. That way, your customers will come to expect to get a message from you. 

 

Avoid Spamming

Now, I already mentioned that spamming your customers is not an option. Most people will not stay subscribed to a brand that keeps sending messages, whether it makes sense or not. You need to identify the type of news or promotional piece you will send via SMS if you have a lot of promotional items. Except for certain types of businesses, sending a text message every day might be pushing it. Also, send your messages at the appropriate times; during the day will always be preferred to late at night or early in the morning. 

 

Be Concise and Clear

Actually, this goes without saying because SMS is limited to 160 characters or less in some cases. So, you want to make sure you pass your message in 160 characters or less. Resist the urge to send any lengthy message through text; keep it short and straightforward. Pass your message in a few words as possible and get to the point from the get-go. You don’t have the luxury of going beyond the necessary with SMS marketing. 

 

Provide an Option to Unsubscribe

Just like you got them to subscribe before you could send them messages, you should also give them an option to opt-out. I know you don’t want them to unsubscribe but giving them that choice will make them trust you more. And don’t just provide the option, make sure the process is easy and simple. 

 

Track Your Performance

What is the point of any marketing campaign if you do not monitor your performance? I mean, you are investing money, time and effort into marketing, so you should definitely track your performance to see if you are doing well or if you are missing something. At the end of the day, you need to make sure that your ROI is reasonable and you are reaching your marketing goals.  

 

In conclusion, like everything else, SMS marketing will not yield the desired results if done shabbily. But if you apply the SMS marketing best practices discussed above, you will increase your chances of winning with this marketing channel. Let us know if you found this article useful in the comment section.