You’ve probably heard about the advantages of SMS Short Message Service (SMS) marketing if you’re a savvy marketer or a business owner. Because of its extremely attentive audiences, unrivalled open rates, and promotions that succeed because consumers and prospects receive it on the mobile devices they carry with them all day. Whether for one-time texts or drip campaigns, Sendmunk is the multifunctional marketing software that will fulfil your campaign needs.
In a recent blog post, we talked about how to use SMS marketing for your business. Here is how to get started with an SMS/MMS campaign:
CHOOSE A NUMBER
The type of SMS phone number you’ll employ to send your text message marketing campaigns is one of the first things you’ll want to figure out.
To do so, you’ll need to know what your options are and what your goals are when sending SMS marketing messages. Your country of operation (and the countries where your subscribers are based); how quickly you want to start sending text messages; how many campaigns you want to send at any given time; and how fast you want those messages to be sent are all factors that will likely influence which SMS phone number you choose. Brands use shortcodes, SMS-enabled toll-free phone numbers etc. The different kinds of numbers or codes have their advantages and disadvantages. With Sendmunk, you have the option of choosing a phone number from various countries. The costs per SMS credit differ per country. With these phone numbers, your messages are not limited to text alone but media (MMS) can also be added. It is best to choose the country your organization is located. With these numbers, you can start sending messages instantly, unlike with shortcodes which might require some weeks to begin using.
BUILDING A CONTACT LIST
Only send text messages to people who have given you permission to do so, according to proper digital etiquette. It’s permission-based marketing, and it’s crucial for text marketing initiatives to succeed.
- You can ask customers to sign up for text messages offering special deals, new product updates, or other useful information via a web form, a contest entry, or by texting a certain keyword to a mobile number. In SMS marketing, a keyword is a one-of-a-kind phrase (letters and numbers) that users text to your phone number to join your mailing list. To get the greatest results, use a keyword that is easy to remember for your consumers. You should also choose something that is related to your brand.
- Existing customers, whether you’re a retailer or an e-commerce business, are a great source of new business because they already shop with you. Request clients’ mobile numbers at the checkout with the promise of keeping them informed about impending special offers or delivery updates. A feedback form or customer experience survey can be especially valuable for service-type businesses, such as restaurants, hair or beauty salons, and health spas, to collect contact information as well as useful insights.
- Create exciting pop-ups to encourage an opt-in
- If you don’t already have a VIP club, this is your sign to start one now. Encourage members to sign up for SMS notifications by encouraging them to text the word “VIP” to a certain phone number. Make sure your membership offer provides a measurable benefit, such as advance notice of specials and promotions, mobile coupons, invitations to an exclusive webinar, or one-day-only freebies that demonstrate the worth of membership. Make sure your customers believe they have exclusive access to benefits that aren’t available to the general public.
- If your business is service-based, you can add it to your onboarding form or sign up forms on your website or landing page.
SEGMENT YOUR CONTACT
We’ve all heard the expression “don’t run before you can walk.” When it comes to gathering client information, the same is true. If you focus on the wrong target group, a large list of numbers is worse than useless.
First and foremost, comprehend your customer. Learn about their wants, needs, struggles, and goals. Consider demographics, and behavioural trends to determine your typical consumer as accurately as feasible.
Now, you can segment using tags in your Sendmunk dashboard.
For example, segmenting based on demographics means that you might have offers exclusive to a particular region and SMS should only be sent to the audience in that region rather than your entire contact list. You might also want to schedule or send it instantly so it is received at the appropriate time for the different locations.
CREATE CONTENT OF TEXT MESSAGE
Don’t take advantage of the fact that your users have demonstrated an interest in hearing from you. Be smart, interesting, and succinct when sending text marketing messages. Make them an irresistible offer or provide them with vital information. If you don’t achieve the appropriate balance, you risk losing subscribers and significantly reducing your valuable contact list. If done right, your customers may treat you as if you were receiving an SMS from a buddy.
Make the opt-out process as simple as possible. It’s as simple as telling receivers to text “STOP” to your phone number if they don’t want to receive any more texts. If your consumers can’t opt out, they’ll likely complain to their wireless provider, potentially resulting in data filtering.
With Sendmunk, you have a 1600 character limit per SMS credit. Use this in measuring the cost of your campaign and how wordy you want your message to be.
ANALYTICS
What is a campaign, without analysis? Smart marketers are aware of how their ads are performing and can demonstrate a positive return on investment (ROI). Another big advantage of SMS marketing is this: SMS marketing is a direct, quantifiable, and trackable marketing channel if you have the correct SMS marketing software. It makes it simple to figure out which messages and promotions work and which don’t. This can assist you in fine-tuning your text campaigns and improving your marketing messages across all platforms. Just like email campaigns, it is important to test the effectiveness of your SMS/MMS campaign.
With Sendmunk, you are able to measure the deliverability rate and the number of clicks for each campaign. This makes it easy to do A/B testing for your campaign and decide what work best.
