Ah SMS text marketing, the mysterious sorcery of marketing via short message service texts (fun fact for your next (virtual) pub trivia, that’s what SMS stands for). It’s a beauty of a tactic because of these few numbers.
96.
150.
96.
3.
Americans check their phones 96 times per day (with 66% checking them an eye-popping 160 times per day).
The average person unlocks their phone 150 times a day.
Another 96. This one corresponds to the percent of Americans who own a cellphone.
95% of texts are read within 3 minutes of being sent.
Whether you want to or not, you need to be part of that action.
SMS Text Marketing Explained
As mentioned at the top, text marketing is utilizing the tool that we’re all so addicted to for the purposes of marketing. There’s a fine balance between sending purposeful and timely messages that your audience and buyers will appreciate and the total abuse of the method by, oh I dunno, political campaigns.
If you’re looking for ways to not do SMS marketing, political campaigns are a great example of the pitfalls.
Benefits of Using SMS Text Marketing for Your Business
That said, there is tremendous upside to it when done right and with proper consideration.
It’s Immediate, Straight to the Point and Effective
Given the sheer number of people with cellphones and the number of times we all check our phones every day, whether they vibrate or not, it would be almost criminal to not take advantage. SMS marketing is perfectly suited to capitalize on those trends. Plus, by design, your messaging is required to be short and sweet.
Look no further than your own habits if you need convincing. If your phone vibrates or rings, what’s the likelihood you ignore it completely? At a minimum, you’re glancing at the preview/notification, no? And if that notification has some compelling offer like “50% OFF for the next hour” or something that grabs the attention, maybe you’re moved to act immediately.
People already read texts within 3 minutes of them being sent even without a compelling reason to.
That’s the power of SMS.
Bigtime Open Rates
That leads right into those open rates.
SMS marketing destroys the open rates of all its competing forms of messaging. We’re talking 98% open rates here. 98%!
Couple that with the aforementioned fact that those texts are read within mere moments of being sent and you have the building blocks for an extremely successful campaign on your hands.
Cheap, Cheap, Cheap
This type of marketing is extremely budget-friendly when compared to traditional forms of marketing like TV, magazines and even online ads. The only method that’s comparable in terms of price is email marketing but the returns with SMS are outsized even when put against that.
Easy to Track
Because it’s all digital it’s breathtakingly simple (sorry, a little dramatic with the language there maybe) to track the analytics. You can effortlessly see engagement, open and delivery rates and more in real-time. It makes learning about your customers easier and makes calculating that ROI a cinch.
Opt-in/Opt-out Ease
In many cases your audience will be opting in to receive your messaging by willingly giving you their number. These people are primed and wanting to get your communication. On the flipside and by law, SMS marketing requires an opt-out option which allows people a quick out if they’re not feeling your vibes anymore. It’s a win-win for you and the recipient in that sense.
Kickstart Your SMS Text Marketing With the Snow Agency
SMS marketing can truly be a game-changer for your company, if it’s not something you’re currently doing or have had a subpar experience with it in the past, no problem. We get it. Give us a buzz at The Snow Agency and let us help you unlock the magic of SMS.