Over 95% of SMS messages are received, opened and read, so if you’re looking for a new way to overhaul your marketing strategy, SMS is worth a delve.
We’ve picked our top tips for creating a successful SMS marketing strategy! Let’s get started.
What is SMS Marketing
SMS is the process of sending marketing messages by text message. It’s a form of opt-in marketing which requires contacts to subscribe. With the element of opting-in, it’s a completely contrasted form of marketing to social marketing strategies such as Paid Social or PPC, where users will like, follow or simply be targeted with public adverts. Instead, SMS users are actively choosing to receive marketing messages.
Over recent years, there’s been a huge uplift in people using and receiving SMS messages, and it’s extremely effective too. It’s estimated that 60% of people will check their text messages within 1-5 minutes of receiving them and 50% of people now consider SMS as a modern way for brands to communicate.
Like all forms of marketing, there are different ways to use SMS to your business's advantage. For example, many brands use SMS for:
- Creating personalised promotions
- Alerting customers to sales and discounts
- Asking recipients to answer surveys
- Remarketing
- Order and return updates
Best Practices for SMS
We’ve picked out a few best practices for getting the most out of your SMS marketing.
Include Opt-Out Instructions
To avoid angering potential customers or appearing as ‘spammy’, it’s important to clarify how to opt-out of receiving SMS messages. Not only is this best practice, but it’s often a legal requirement too!
Every SMS message you send out should include a clause, such as ‘Reply STOP to end SMS updates’.
Identify Yourself
One of the most important tips for SMS marketing is identifying yourself to your audience immediately. We’ve all been prone to spam messages from fraud companies posing as the Post Office or Amazon, so to avoid users deleting your messages, make it clear who you are.
The most effective way to do this is to include your company name at the top of the message. For example, “Digital Media Team: Hey {Name}”.
Think About Timing
Timing is everything in SMS marketing. While it’s easy to assume that a text can be sent out at any time, it’s an important factor to keep in mind when SMS you’re planning your marketing strategy.
It’s estimated that the ideal send time for SMS marketing is between 10 am and 8 pm, although this can vary depending on your brand and customers. The best way to understand your customers' wants and needs is to ask when your customers would like to hear from you when they sign-up.
Stick to the Character Count
The character count is the bain of every copywriter's life. Yet, there’s no escaping it within SMS marketing (much to our dismay). The word count for an SMS message currently stands at 160 characters with no leeway, no matter how hard you might try to add a couple of extra sneaky characters in there.
To make the most of SMS, keep the copy concise and simple without wasting any characters. Additionally, if you’re running coded promotions, try to make these as short as possible and use link shorteners to save on the character count.
