Short Message Service (SMS) marketing remains a popular marketing tool despite free chat applications. Many corporations utilize SMS marketing through cooperation with telecommunication service providers.

The second party typically provides phone numbers of the provider’s customers. From the list, enterprises use them as their client contact database. Companies and institutions make use of the contact numbers through which they send SMS marketing.

What does an SMS marketing do?

Companies and institutions usually send SMS marketing that contains product or service promotions, discounts, events, sale offers, brand awareness, appointment reminders and vouchers. SMS marketing is sent to both existing customers or potential ones.

SMS marketing stems from text messaging as a broad way that allow corporations reach out their customers or potential clients through words. Besides SMS, text messaging can take in forms of emails, newsletters, brochures and online chats. As SMS roughly suggests, creating an effective and engaging SMS marketing is quite challenging. Within super-short space, you have to create marketing contents that speak your brand or message at most.

SMS marketing remains a good choice because it has a high readable percentage as compared to emails. At the same time, SMS marketing more likely reaches out wider audiences. Potential clients living in remote areas, for instance, will find it difficult to enjoy free chat applications due to slow internet connnection. But as long as their areas are connected to telecommunication signals, they will obtain SMS marketing.

Who can be the targets?

SMS marketing applies for any age group as your clients or customers target. The platform is open for various  enterprises, such as shopping malls, retailers, banks, restaurants, education institutions, government offices and even churches. Engaging with customers is the simplest purpose for an enterprise chooses SMS marketing.

According to a recent research, 95% of Americans have cellphones, 81% of whom actively use text service. Out of the 95%, 82% of them agree to receive texts of any kind in a day. The research further shows that 85% of elderly persons aged 65 and more are active on their cellphones. They prefer to open SMS than emails.

How does SMS marketing help you?

It’s recommended for you to track effectiveness rate of SMS marketing. Work with text message provider or telecommunication firm in your country to send tracked messages. Doing so will allow the provider to monitor the engagement of the message. In turn, you will be able to analyse how effective or not the marketing strategy is.

Else, you can use Google Analytics to measure the success rate of SMS marketing for text services provided that you insert a web link that is recognized by Google. All you have to do is building a link by using Google link builder.

The Google link builder recognizes the website URL, campaign source, campaign medium, campaign name, campaign term and campaign content. The elements will help Google tracking SMS campaigns then produce reports according to interactions.

Besides Google Analytics, you can use Return on Investment (ROI) to calculate the SMS marketing effectiveness. For example, apply click-through rate to measure the percentage of users who click a link inserted in a message. Another way is measuring opt-out rate that refers to the percentage of subscribers who opt to leave the text service campaign.

Conversion rate accommodates you to determine the ROI, as well. Conversion rate is the percentage of users who respond to the intended call to action after they visit an e-commerce site, a sign up on a website, a purchase, or a reply to the text or a phone call.

You can depend on growth rate for the ROI measurement. Growth rate refers to the increase in the number of your subscriber. The more the subscriber rises, the growing the ROI is.

Which are simple yet effective SMS marketing samples?

IKEA, a Swedish furniture company, uses SMS marketing to send updates on their products and exclusive offers. Simply click “JOIN” to the number provided by IKEA to receive the updates or “STOP” when you choose the reverse.

CNN, a global media company, uses Short Message Service marketing to send news alerts to their audiences. Simply click “ALERTS” to the number provided to get regular updates.

Facebook, world’s social media giant, chooses Short Message Service marketing as a collaborative mean between the firm and companies. They later produce smart digital marketing strategies through this tool. The enterprises can engage their clients both online and office when online campaigns are in progress.

How can you put the examples into practices?

In light of the examples, you need to set campaign goals clear from the very beginning. Some of the purposes that you can choose encompass creating new product or service awareness, sending information on discounts, rebates or freebie claims instructions.

In addition, you can use SMS marketing to send renewal reminders for subscription-based services, create drip campaigns and invite them to local events. Whenever necessary, form simple Short Message Service marketing for driving receivers coming to a certain competition. For example, Type WIN to 55555 to enter the weekly raffle.” The last is making Short Message Service marketing as a 2-factor authentication channel.

How will you create on-target Call to Action?

An Short Message Service marketing aims a Call to Action at the end. You hope those receiving SMS marketing that you create will act in accordance with the information. To put the theory into practice, include texts, such as “RSVP” for persuading the receivers coming to a certain event.

For 2-factor authentication text, direct users to click on the sent link or to key in a definite set of numbers or characters to successfully log in. While for reminding users on utility bill payment, direct them to click on the sent link to authorize automatic renewal of that service.

What should you consider for an SMS platform?

Given a short space in a Short Message Service marketing, you need to create an SMS platform that sends bulk messages to the contacts in your database, automatically updates the contacts database with users opting in and out and runs analytics on the effectiveness of your strategy.