Why Use SMS Marketing with Other Channels? 10 Reasons
When you’re looking for ways to enhance and diversify your marketing efforts, SMS is your best bet. But what is SMS in marketing? And how do you use SMS marketing to benefit your business?
SMS stands for short messaging service—and it’s a slightly more technical term for what we usually call “texting.” MMS is texting that includes an image or video, but we’re focusing on text-only SMS in this post.
There’s a long list of reasons why SMS marketing is important. But keep in mind that it shouldn’t be a substitute for all other types of marketing. Instead, it can complement and enhance your existing marketing channels.
Check out our guide to learn more about how SMS is used in business and how to sell through text.
1. Connect on a Personal Level
So why use SMS marketing? Today’s consumers are looking for more than just a simple transaction when they shop. They want to connect with the company on a higher level—which is why it’s more important than ever for businesses to find ways to humanize their brand.
Texting is an easy way to do just that. This type of communication is usually reserved for friends and family, so when you reach out via text, consumers will be more likely to become a loyal customer.
2. Simplicity
In a fast-paced world, no doubt you’re looking for ways to simplify. And your customers are looking to do the same. SMS marketing is one of the simplest ways to reach your target audience—no need to design an elaborate email or spend hours creating video content. Simply draft a short message and get direct, immediate contact with consumers.
3. Target Your Niche
Customers will need to opt in to get your text messages. And though this may seem like an annoying hurdle on the surface, it can actually work to your advantage. Because SMS marketing is permission-based, it means you’ll be targeting only your most interested audience. You can even send messages that are relevant to an individual customer. Consider it an incredible opportunity to reach your most engaged customers.
4. Increase Open Rates
Is SMS marketing effective? Absolutely! It’s easy for consumers to dismiss traditional advertising, social media posts, and even emails. But texting is a much more intimate form of communication—meaning your target audience is much more likely to open your text and act on your message.
5. Tangible ROI
You spend so much time and resources on your marketing efforts. But even when you’re using metrics to measure ROI, it can sometimes feel like there’s a lot of guesswork involved. Luckily, SMS marketing delivers obvious, tangible ROI right away. Customers are more likely to convert on this channel than any other platform, meaning they’ll often respond directly to your messages, fill out surveys, or complete any other call to action.
6. Easy Integration
SMS isn’t a stand-alone marketing tool—instead, it should be used in conjunction with email, social media, and traditional marketing efforts. Fortunately, it’s easy to integrate SMS with your existing marketing efforts, software, and CRM. It’s a flexible, simple tool that you can implement without much of a learning curve.
7. Extensive Tracking and Management Tools
Once you’ve sent out a text into the world, you’ll immediately be wondering: How did your text perform? What went well? What can you do better next time?
You can get all of this information with detailed reporting and analytics. And because you already have data about the customers you’re sending your message to, you can get incredible real-time results to help you improve your business.
8. Get Quick Customer Feedback
Customer feedback should be treated like gold. And SMS marketing gives you a quick and efficient way to get even more of it. Send out a text and let customers respond directly for immediate feedback about your product, customer service, or anything else.
9. Boost Engagement
Above all else, marketers love SMS because it offers the highest level of engagement compared to any other platform. When you send a text, you’re reaching your customers wherever they are—riding the train to work, lounging at home, or out running errands. You’ll finally be able to cut through the noise and get the results you’re seeking.
10. Enhance Other Marketing Efforts
As we mentioned before, SMS shouldn’t be your sole marketing plan. Ideally, you’ll use SMS marketing to enhance other platforms. For example, if you’re having a weekend sale, you can create an email blast, run ads on Facebook, and send a reminder via SMS. Or if a customer clicks a banner ad but then abandons their online cart, you can send a friendly text inviting them to complete their purchase.
Launch Your SMS Marketing Today
So what type of company might benefit most from SMS? In truth, just about any company that implements SMS marketing will see positive results. If you’re ready to give it a try, contact ROI Solutions. We’ll help you get started with SMS text messaging and make it a powerful part of your customer communication strategy.
