The fact is — text marketing is one of the most exciting technologies for businesses in today’s direct marketing environment. Text marketing takes advantage of the most popular form of direct communication to attract new customers, develop high-value relationships, and increase sales. Unlike most other forms of direct marketing, Short Message Service (SMS) marketing is fast and personal. Text messages are delivered to mobile devices as soon as they are sent. Additionally, most text messages are opened within minutes of receipt.
Here, we discuss why SMS effectively improves marketing results, attracts new customers, develops high-value relationships, and increases sales. We’ll also share some tools your business can use to manage and optimize your text marketing promotions, offers, and more.
An Introduction to Text Marketing for Businesses & Organizations
The savviest businesses and organizations know that text marketing is simply texting a marketing message in real-time to large groups of customers simultaneously. Major corporations have used mass text messaging for over a decade to engage customers and build brand awareness. In fact, text messaging has greater reach than email, instant messaging, and social media — combined!
Here’s how text marketing works:
Text Marketing Requires an Opt-In
You’ll need a Keyword and Short Code to build your text marketing database. Once the potential customer texts the keyword and opts into the business´s mobile marketing list, they have given their permission to receive future text messages. By using an SMS message service, you are leveraging technology once only available to major corporations.
Send Ongoing text Marketing Communications
What makes this so desirable is that after the initial point of contact, businesses can contact customers by text with details of special offers and promotions, invitations to join VIP loyalty clubs or surveys from which information can be extracted about customers' preferences and their purchasing intent. With this information, businesses can further develop customer relationships and increase sales.
Why Text Marketing is Effective
29% of customers who opt into an SMS text marketing service click on links
47% of customers who click through to a business’ website make a purchase
Between 30-50% of coupons sent via text messages are redeemed
SMS texts are effective because you are marketing to an already hot lead versus traditional, one-way advertising or email marketing which doesn’t get read. Once customers have opted in, your business can use this information to incentivize the customer to buy more.
Effective Distribution: Easier distribution of discount coupons than printed media, email, or social media.
People Always Have Their Cell Phones: People are less likely to forget their mobile devices when they leave home vs a cut-out coupon or one sent via mail.
Receives More Shares: People tend to share any promotions and surveys they find appealing or entertaining with friends and family.
Better Exposure Than Social Media: Research has shown just 29% of Tweets and 12% of Facebook posts get read.
Better Open Rate vs Email: People receive hundreds of emails daily, and open rates get lower and lower. 24/7 Connectivity: People tend to keep their mobile devices on and within reach at all times.
Because of these reasons, your business can rapidly expand your mobile marketing database with a reasonable offer or survey that catches the public's interest. If you come up with a good offer, it's nearly impossible not to rapidly grow your database and customer reach.
Text Marketing Strategies: Dividing Your Text Marketing Database
When customers opt into a message service, they are automatically added to the businesses' database maintained on the group texting platform. While the use of Keywords and short codes are a straightforward way to obtain this database, once the database grows in size, it can become unorganized when trying to manage every customer who has opted in using the same Keyword.
What's the best solution? A solid mobile marketing strategy we like to call: Grouping.
Grouping allows businesses to use a selection of keywords that pertain to different goods or services, placing each customer into a group according to the keyword they have used. As a result, this benefits the business by providing the opportunity to:
- Target promotions to specific customers
- Reduce marketing costs
- Reduce “opt-outs” because they are receiving too many text messages
- Appeal to a wider range of customer interests
- Develop the business/customer relationship
- Increase sales
The added advantage of this strategy is that if a promotion is suitable for every customer in a business’ database, the ability is present to simply upload every group when sending text messages.
Try Text Message Marketing with EZ Texting
Text message marketing is a benefit to any business. Get started with EZ Texting today! There is also no contract and no obligation to upgrade to a higher level of service. This free offer includes a demo Keyword and a shared short code to help you build your customer database.
If you would like more details or to find out how mobile marketing can help grow your business, please call or contact our team of Client Success Managers today. After learning more about your unique business needs, they will demonstrate how our group texting platform works and can help you set up your free account.
