Implement some of these tips and watch the efficiency and ROI of your SMS campaigns skyrocket.
SMS Marketing is usually a neglected division of marketing, and yet, it delivers numerous benefits for businesses. With over 60% of the world owning a mobile device, finding an audience to target shouldn’t be a problem. And with more and more opting for smart devices, the creative capabilities and targeting options are endless. The long-established Short Message Service is certainly an excellent approach for organisations who are looking to connect with new or existing customers.
Because of this, we’ve put together a list of 6 key recommendations that will enhance your marketing campaign and overall lead generation activity.
If you say too much in a single message consider redrafting it. It is vital that you keep your SMS campaigns short, sweet and to the point. In 2015 Wyzowl discovered that on average consumers have an attention span of a mere 8.25 seconds, that’s less than a goldfish. Less is definitely more in SMS marketing so always focus on the content, clarity and the conclusion (3cs).
SMS tends to be more expensive than the likes of email, therefore keeping your messages short will reduce the chance of multi-part messages for those unexpected costs.
It seems like an obvious one right? You’d be surprised at how many times we are asked if it is important (Yep! very important). Understandably a transactional SMS doesn’t have to include an opt-out as you’re making the customer aware of the transaction, i.e. a purchase receipt or confirmation. However when you’re remarketing to these customers then it’s vital to include an opt-out. If you want people to stay on your list then give them a reason to stay – offer them an incentive. However once a customer has opted out, it’s good practice to send a confirmation message that they have been removed from future messaging. This can be done via
an autoresponder. We go into more detail about autoresponders towards the end of the blog, so stay tuned!
With GDPR just around the corner, it’s important that you’ve got permission to remarket to these customers with the correct opt-in procedure. Check out our GDPR Blog for a quick refresher.
The ultimate goal of SMS marketing is to create a catalog of consumers who actually love your offering thus are welcoming to your messages. Don’t be afraid of keeping this list lean, as it makes your campaigns more efficient. You wouldn’t keep a customer locked up in your shop so why keep them locked in your SMS list? This is why it’s essential that you always center your SMS campaigns on quality, well timed, & appropriate content.
A study by Doctor James Oldroyd at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that real estate agents contacting inbounding leads within 5 minutes of capturing their information were 100x more likely to hear back from them. Like we mentioned in our previous blog, (5 Tips to Guarantee High-Quality Leads) customers who are ready to transact now can quickly forget and/or lose their impulse
to buy. Therefore striking whilst the iron is hot is critical when it comes to converting prospects to customers.
A mistake marketers tend to make is the assumption that consumers will know what to do next after reading an SMS. After all, they’re supposed to be short and straight to the point right? Wrong. Not having much room to work with isn’t a justification to leave out your call to action. Whether it’s a “buy now”, “opt-in”, “text to win”, “text to vote'' or the classic “click here”, it’s tells the customer what to do next, and makes a significant impact on conversion rates, therefore, its essential to include this in your messages.
Think about it, there’s always a glimpse of excitement when we receive a new text message. However, this short burst of eagerness can be cut short when we notice the robotic sounding first line, or even worse, a text code. When this happens we automatically assume, “SPAM” and switch off after realising the message sent was from an automatically generated business template. Adding a conversational touch or even using the recipient’s name humanises and enhances the feel of the message.
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Thinking about taking SMS Marketing to the next level? We thought we’d throw the 6th tip in for the price of 5. Value for money or what ey? Integrate SMS Autoresponders and make SMS Marketing routine, effortless and efficient. Autoresponders allow you to personalise and build a schedule of messages based on triggers to drive ROI.
LeadBytes autoresponder technology could be a standalone platform in its own right (it’s that awesome!). Whether you need to squeeze more profit out of every lead or connect to your prospects as soon as you acquire them, LeadByte is the platform for you. Give us a call on 01244 911207 or request a demo today and discover the full capabilities of LeadByte.
