SMS Campaigns: 5 Key Strategies

What is SMS marketing?

When you think about customer retention strategies, you may not immediately think about SMS marketing, but it can be a very important tool that you have at your disposal. SMS marketing refers to the process of using text messages to help you not only reach out to customers but also retain them.

Think about how many text messages you receive on a given day. There's a good chance that you may not know exactly how many text messages you get because there are so many of them.

A lot of people get annoyed when they see a red bubble at the bottom of the screen, so they will instinctively open the messages and read them. Because SMS marketing has a relatively high open rate, it can be an effective marketing tool. That is why you should use it to help you.

Common uses of SMS campaigns

SMS campaigns are powerful tools for various business needs. They can be utilized for promotions, offering exclusive deals directly to customers' phones, ensuring high visibility. Reminders are another effective use, such as appointment confirmations or event updates, keeping your audience informed timely.

Additionally, SMS is ideal for order confirmations, providing customers with real-time updates on their purchases. Customer service through SMS allows for quick query resolutions, enhancing customer satisfaction. Lastly, surveys via SMS can gather valuable feedback, offering insights into customer preferences and improving service offerings.

Why you should consider an SMS campaign

So, why do you need to consider using an SMS campaign as a part of your digital marketing strategy? Some of the top reasons why this should be a tool in your toolkit include:

You can deliver time-sensitive messages

The first reason why you should consider using an SMS campaign is that you can use it to deliver time-sensitive SMS messages to your target market.

For example, if there is a sale or promotion coming up, you can use SMS marketing to help you. Or, if you want to update a customer on an order they might have placed, such as a shipping notification, you can use SMS marketing.

They are simple to create

You could also use an SMS campaign because these messages are very simple to create. Remember that text messages tend to be short and sweet. You don't have to put a lot of effort into the information you include.

It is very easy to craft several text messages that you can share with your target market, so consider using SMS campaigns to help you save time on your digital marketing methods.

You can personalize ads

You can even use SMS messaging to personalize the ads that people receive. If there is a specific message that you want to send to someone, you can use SMS marketing to tailor it to their expectations.

Or, you may want to segment your target market into different groups. Then, you can use an advanced tool to pick and choose the messages that you share with your recipients. This could help you increase your conversion rate.

Examples of SMS campaigns from top brands

Starbucks Rewards, Domino's Pizza, and Ikea have successfully leveraged SMS campaigns to engage their customers. 

Starbucks Rewards uses SMS to send personalized offers and updates, enhancing customer loyalty. Domino's Pizza employs SMS for order confirmations and exclusive deals, ensuring timely communication with customers. Ikea utilizes SMS to inform customers about new product launches and promotions, driving traffic to their stores.

These brands demonstrate the effectiveness of SMS marketing in maintaining customer engagement and boosting sales. By studying their strategies, businesses can learn how to craft impactful SMS campaigns that resonate with their audience.

Benefits of SMS campaigns

SMS campaigns offer several advantages that make them a valuable tool in digital marketing strategies. Firstly, they boast high open rates due to the direct nature of text messages, ensuring your message is seen promptly. 

SMS allows for direct communication with customers, fostering a personal connection that can enhance engagement. SMS marketing is cost-effective, often requiring less budget than other forms of advertising while still delivering measurable results. 

By tracking engagement metrics, businesses can easily assess the impact of their campaigns and adjust strategies accordingly.

Drawbacks of an SMS campaign

Even though SMS marketing can be an effective digital marketing method, there are a few drawbacks as well. Some of the biggest drawbacks of using SMS marketing include:

Can be expensive

An SMS marketing campaign can be expensive. Even though it might not necessarily cost a lot of money to send out text messages, the price can go up if you want to include images and videos.

Or, if your messages are more than 160 characters, you might find that the price is significantly higher. If you want to have an effective SMS marketing campaign, you need to have plenty of money you can spend on it.

Can annoy customers

While SMS marketing is a great way to communicate directly with your target market, you also run the risk of annoying your customers. If you send out too many messages to too many people, they may decide to unsubscribe from your text message list.

You need to think carefully about how to strike a balance between reaching out to your target market too much and not reaching out to them enough. You do not want to drive your target market away.

Can be difficult to track data as efficiently

With SMS marketing, you might find that you have a difficult time tracking information related to your digital marketing strategy.

You might send a lot of messages to someone, but how do you know that they have opened them? How do you know if someone is visiting your website because they got your text message? You may need to invest in some advanced tools to make sure you track the results of your SMS marketing campaign. That way, you can figure out what is working and what is not.

It is important for you to think about the benefits and drawbacks of an SMS marketing campaign before you decide to deploy it as a part of your digital marketing tactics.

5 SMS campaign strategies

If you want to get the most out of your SMS marketing campaigns, there are several strategies that you should follow.

1. Use the right software

First, you need to make sure that you use the right software program to help you. Think about the type of information you are sending out, and consider the number of messages that you need to send.

For example, if you think you will have to send more messages in the future, you need to find a software program that can scale with your company. Or, if you are interested in including images and videos as a part of your SMS messaging campaign, you need to find a software program that can handle that as well. If you choose the right software program, you can put your campaign in a position to succeed.

2. Keep texts short and simple

Today, people have shorter attention spans than they ever had in the past. Nobody wants to read a wall of text, particularly when it comes in the form of a text message. Therefore, try to keep your text messages short and sweet.

Keep in mind that the vast majority of SMS messages are limited to 160 characters. This is a good length for your message, so think carefully about what you want to include in the message box. If you keep your texts short and sweet, you will have an easier time holding the attention of your target market.

3. Make sure you obey regulations

There are strict rules and regulations that you need to follow if you are interested in using text message marketing to help you.

For example, you cannot start sending text messages to someone unless they opt-in. If you start sending messages to someone without getting their permission first, your company could end up facing sanctions. Furthermore, you need to make it as easy as possible for people to opt-out. Not everyone will want to receive text messages from you, so you need to give them the option to remove their name from your subscription list if you want to follow all of the regulations in your industry.

4. Pick the time wisely

You want people to open your text messages and read what you have to say. Therefore, you need to pick a time when you maximize the chances of your message being read.

For example, if you send a message to someone in the middle of the workday, they may decide to ignore your message. After all, they are probably busy working. Do you want to send your messages to people on the weekends? Do you think it would be better to send messages to someone in the evening? You need to figure out when your messages have the highest chance of being read.

5. Have a content calendar in place

When you crack your SMS marketing campaign, you need to have a content calendar in place. Keep in mind that you need to strike a balance. You do not want to wait too long between text messages. Otherwise, people may forget about your company.

On the other hand, if you send people too many messages, they may decide to unsubscribe from your list. It is beneficial to have a content calendar in place. Specify what you are going to send people and when you are going to send it. Furthermore, if you get a response from someone, you may want to have a system in place that allows someone to intervene using a personalized conversation.

If you think about these tips and tricks, you can get the most out of your SMS marketing strategy.

Enhancing SMS campaign success

To amplify the effectiveness of your SMS campaigns, concentrate on essential components such as audience targeting, message personalization, automation, urgency, and engagement. 

These factors are vital for creating compelling messages that connect with recipients and achieve impactful outcomes.

Targeting

Identify and segment your audience to send messages that are pertinent to their specific interests and needs.

Personalization

Personalize messages by incorporating names or previous purchase history, fostering a more intimate and engaging interaction.

Automation

Deploy automation tools to efficiently schedule campaigns and swiftly react to customer behaviors.

Urgency

Utilize time-sensitive promotions to instill a sense of urgency, prompting immediate responses.

Engagement

Facilitate two-way communication by inviting recipients to share feedback or responses.

By adopting these methods, companies can enhance their SMS marketing strategies, resulting in increased engagement and conversion rates.

Integrate your SMS campaign

In the end, it is important for you to have a strong SMS marketing campaign. You may also want to integrate your SMS campaign with some of your other digital marketing strategies. It might be helpful to use SMS marketing to encourage people to sign up for your email marketing list as well, which is a great way for you to build your email list.

Be sure to customize your SMS marketing campaign to meet the needs of your target market. That way, you can increase purchases on a landing page. At Mailchimp, we can help you integrate your SMS campaign into the rest of your digital marketing strategy. Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help you.

Key Takeaways

• SMS marketing can deliver time-sensitive messages and updates, such as sale promotions or shipping notifications.
• Creating SMS campaigns is simple, as the messages are short and do not require significant effort.
• SMS messages can be personalized to target specific customer segments, increasing conversion rates.
• Drawbacks of SMS campaigns include potential high costs, risk of annoying customers, and challenges in tracking campaign data efficiently.

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