Have you ever received an appointment confirmation text from your doctor or hair salon? These days, these helpful electronic reminders are not only common, but a wonderfully efficient way to confirm your appointment. The real question, however, is what’s next for text?
Well, we’re already seeing it and it’s called SMS (or Text Message) Marketing. The same convenience and efficiency behind those appointment confirmations also allows businesses to connect to their clientele to announce new products or events, and reach a more intimate level of marketing than an email or catalog mailing.
What is SMS marketing?
Short message service (SMS) marketing is basically a marketing strategy that utilizes permission-based text messaging to share promotional messages with prospective customers or clients.
SMS marketing examples include sending discounts and special offers, urgent updates, reservation or appointment scheduling and reminders, as well as company-wide alerts. In order to receive these texts, customers are usually required to opt-in to help prevent unwanted texts, so you’ll usually see the opt-in at common points of contact where it is less intrusive to obtain the user’s permission.
Is Text Message Marketing Useful for Small Business?
Many small business owners these days are pondering whether or not SMS marketing would be useful for them. Small business owners with many years of email marketing experience often fee that it’s a more tried and true method of delivering content and don’t want to jump into the much newer SMS marketing. However, studies show that 90% of people read a text within three minutes of receiving it, while email click-through rates average just shy of the 20% range.
If conversions aren’t a good enough reason for small businesses to utilize SMS marketing, then they should also consider the cost. When compared to traditional advertising, such as television or newspaper ads, SMS marketing is a bargain, only costing a fraction of those more traditional advertising platforms. And at that lower cost, text message marketing can be personalized and targeted to a specific audience.
There are currently quite a few SMS marketing platforms to choose from, so competition is keeping the costs down. From Twilio and SMSEdge to Avochato and Textedly, there is undoubtedly an SMS marketing platform and plan that will fit your business.
Just like all marketing, however, the key still lies in the messaging. For quality sales via SMS marketing, knowing the customer is of utmost importance, along with writing clear, concise messages that are less than 160 characters. Including calls to action using a branded link to “Buy Now” or “Click Here” allows the customer to trust what they are clicking to.
As usual, timing is everything, so be sure to entice those last-minute impulse buyers and don’t send when they’re sleeping! And don’t seem desperate for their attention; 2-4 messages a month should be the limit.
Developing Technology and Blink;Tech
Blink;Tech’s approach to technology has always been to explore every possible opportunity to see how it can work to our clients’ advantages. However, just as a given social media platform may not be the right fit for every company, the same goes for developing technologies.
Our job is to understand how that technology will intersect with a client’s goals and bottom line. SMS marketing is just one of the latest technological trends that can help your small business generate new revenue.
Wondering if SMS marketing is right for your business? Call Blink;Tech today and get help maneuvering through these new opportunities to find the success you’re looking for.
