SMS marketing is an increasingly important channel for brands trying to break through the noise. When done right, SMS can boost sales and improve relationships with your best customers.<\/p>\n
If done wrong, text messaging can frustrate subscribers and even land you in legal hot water. In this guide, we\u2019ll show you how to do SMS marketing, the right way.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Bonus: Get a free, easy-to-use Customer Service Report Template<\/span><\/strong> that helps you track and calculate your monthly customer service efforts all in one place.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n SMS marketing is the practice of sending marketing messages by text message.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a form of opt-in marketing that requires contacts to subscribe. This differentiates it from social marketing<\/a>, where the marketer posts public content that people can choose to like or follow.<\/p>\n Common types of short message service (SMS) marketing examples include:<\/p>\n In SMS message marketing, brands interact and reach customers and prospects using text messages. In fact, two-thirds (66%<\/a>) of all customers worldwide say they use SMS messaging to engage with companies.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>eMarketer<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n To run an SMS marketing campaign, you need software to manage contacts and communications (more on that later!). In terms of SMS marketing pricing, Statista estimates<\/a> that brands worldwide will spend $790,000,000 on SMS marketing in 2024.<\/p>\n With numbers like that, it\u2019s essential to understand the various ways you can use text messages for marketing (keep scrolling!).<\/p>\n This is probably the first thing you think of when you think of SMS marketing. A brand offers a discount, promotional offers, or another incentive to encourage consumers to opt-into their promotional SMS messages.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Shoppers Drug Mart<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n To really incentivize a customer, your offer here needs to be a good one. SMS is a direct route to consumers\u2019 phones, so they won\u2019t give out their number without a good incentive.<\/p>\n However, once consumers do<\/em> opt into SMS targeted messaging, they tend to be quite responsive to offers: 82%<\/a> view reading an SMS from a brand as valuable. Think of your SMS subscribers as your most interested customers (and potential customers) and target your promotions accordingly.<\/p>\n SMS is an effective method of communication for real-time updates you don\u2019t want customers to miss. Receipts, delivery updates, appointment reminders, and other transactional details are all good candidates here.<\/p>\n Source: Skip the Dishes<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n However, this is an under-utilized form of SMS marketing. Gartner found that only 10%<\/a> of customers received an SMS during a recent purchase experience, even though 87%<\/a> said purchase-related SMS messages are valuable.<\/p>\n Your payment provider may offer a digital receipt service incorporating SMS messaging opt-in from your point of sale terminal. This is an easy way to get started without using dedicated SMS marketing tools.<\/p>\n Source: Little oOties Mini Donuts<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n SMS is also an effective channel for customer satisfaction surveys. For example, <\/a>Shaw Mobile makes it easy for customers to respond when all they have to do is send a single number.<\/p>\n Source: Shaw Mobile<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n More than half (52.3%<\/a>) of U.S. marketers who use text message marketing say it\u2019s their most efficient channel for customer service<\/a> or tech support. It\u2019s an efficient way for consumers to get real-time help. Everyone, take note.<\/p>\n Almost everyone owns a cell phone. In the United States, 97%<\/a> of adults have one and among Americans aged 18 to 49, that number rises to 99%.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Pew Research Centre<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n That gives SMS messages a wider potential reach than any social platform. Facebook, i the highest-reach social network among Americans, reaching 68%, pales in comparison.<\/p>\n While the percentage of Americans who own a cellphone has remained unchanged since 2021 (since it has virtually no room to increase), the percentage of people who use a smartphone continues to rise. <\/p>\n For marketers, this means that messages featuring images, GIFs, and link previews will work for more consumers.<\/p>\n Source: Booking.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n More than sixty percent<\/a> (60.5%) of U.S. marketers who use text message marketing say they see higher engagement levels from customers than on other channels. And more than half (53.5%) say they see higher open and clickthrough rates than on other channels.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been struggling with low open and click-through rates, SMS marketing may provide a more effective way to engage with customers.<\/p>\n With more engagement and click-throughs, come more sales.<\/p>\n SMS is a natural environment for guided shopping since it allows customers to ask questions and get shopping advice in real-time. Incorporating an AI-powered chatbot<\/a> can automate your sales recommendations and steer customers to the products they\u2019re most likely to purchase.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s someone who left a product in their cart or someone who used to be a regular customer but hasn\u2019t purchased for a while, SMS messages are an effective way to reengage with existing customers,<\/p>\n For abandoned carts, a \u201cforgot something?\u201d message with a discount can motivate people to complete a purchase. Likewise, a \u201cwe missed you\u201d offer may reactivate a dormant customer.<\/p>\n When engaging with existing customers, be sure to personalize your offers for the best results.<\/p>\n However, remember that you must have consent before sending a text message. If someone has not clearly opted-in to reminder SMS messages, you\u2019re better off using email or social channels for re-marketing.<\/p>\n SMS marketing works best as part of an omnichannel sales and marketing strategy. That means your teams need to work together to understand each other\u2019s needs and determine how text can support other sales and marketing efforts throughout your organization.<\/p>\n Since SMS will likely outperform all other channels for open rates, it\u2019s important to collaborate so that you save your most valuable offers, updates, and promotions for this channel.<\/p>\n Remember, SMS messaging can reach just about everyone, making it an important tool for supporting customers who primarily interact with your business offline.<\/p>\n You probably already collect phone numbers from your customers. But that doesn\u2019t mean you can start mass SMS marketing. Much like email marketing, SMS message marketing requires a clear opt-in.<\/p>\n You can ask customers to opt-in to text messages on your website or other channels. But, before you start sending, you should get a text confirmation that they really do want to subscribe.<\/p>\n One way to do this is to send one SMS (and one only) thanking them for subscribing and asking them to confirm their opt-in with a simple Yes or No. If they don\u2019t respond, don\u2019t text them again. And, obviously, if they text No, don\u2019t text them again either.<\/p>\n This is a best practice (and often a legal requirement) for all marketing communications. But it\u2019s especially important for a more personal method like SMS. Repeatedly texting people who don\u2019t want to hear from you is likelier to lose customers than lead to sales.<\/p>\n You should include unsubscribe information even for transactional messages like shipping updates or appointment reminders. Not everyone wants to get these kinds of details by text.<\/p>\n Source: PC Optimum<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Since open rates for SMS messages are consistently much higher than those for email, your unsubscribe rates will be higher, too. (SMS messages have a 98%<\/a> open rate!) Don\u2019t panic if you see a spike in unsubscribes after a message goes out.<\/p>\n But do<\/em> analyze your unsubscribe rates over time. Once you\u2019ve fully implemented your SMS marketing strategy, you can establish an unsubscribe baseline.<\/p>\n Check all future messages against that baseline, and look for any outlying results. If unsubscribes are unusually high or low, analyze the message to see if you can identify what led to the change in result.<\/p>\n SMS message marketing is subject to privacy regulations and other compliance guidelines. In the United States, those regulations and guidelines are found in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act<\/a> (TCPA) and the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association\u2019s Short Code Monitoring Handbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n The rules can be quite detailed, but they are based on common-sense principles:<\/p>\n Choosing the best time<\/a> is important for any marketing message. But for SMS, it\u2019s critical. That\u2019s because people are more likely to have notifications turned on for text. And while some people put their phones on Do Not Disturb, they don\u2019t want to be interrupted.<\/p>\n Recognizing the intimate nature of text messaging, the TCPA stipulates that business-related texts can only be sent between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient\u2019s time zone.<\/p>\n The good news is that area codes make it relatively easy to identify your target audience\u2019s time zones. Rather than sending bulk SMS marketing messages to everyone at once, choose an appropriate time and send your messages in stages.<\/p>\n If you have an in-person business, sending SMS messages right after an appointment is another great option. You\u2019re already on the customer\u2019s mind, and you know they\u2019re up and about.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>It\u2019s a good idea to do some testing<\/a> to see what times get the best response and the lowest unsubscribe rate. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Create. Schedule. Publish. Engage. Measure. Win.<\/strong><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFree 30-Day Trial<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Identifying your business is a requirement of SMS compliance regulations in the United States. It\u2019s also a best practice since consumers otherwise won\u2019t know who\u2019s texting them from your unknown number.<\/p>\n You may want to ask SMS subscribers to add you to their contacts or even send a contact card. Source: Local Laundry<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n SMS messages max out at 160 characters. That\u2019s not much to work with when you\u2019ve got to identify yourself and provide an opt-out option. You\u2019ll need to know exactly what you want to say and not waste any characters.<\/p>\n Get to the point quickly, and use links (and link shorteners<\/a>) to fill out the details of your message.<\/p>\n 81%<\/a> of U.S. consumers unsubscribe when they think brands send too many messages. And that doesn\u2019t just mean text messages. That means messages across all<\/em> channels.<\/p>\n SMS is a form of direct contact that needs to contain unique or time-sensitive offers so that subscribers feel it\u2019s worth the intrusion. <\/p>\n The offer also needs to be personalized in a way that consumers won\u2019t see it on a more passive channel like your website or social channels. That way you can facilitate the option for real-time guided purchasing.<\/p>\n SMS marketing and SMS customer service require more than a simple messaging app on your phone. Here are some SMS marketing platforms to help you incorporate SMS into your marketing and customer service strategies.<\/p>\n Sparkcentral<\/a> brings all your customer service messaging\u2014from SMS, social media, WhatsApp<\/a>, and apps\u2014into one inbox. Since customers may reach out across multiple platforms, this is a key way to ensure your SMS customer service response is part of a unified customer care approach.<\/p>\n Sparkcentral also allows you to incorporate chatbots. Routine care requests can be handled automatically without overwhelming your customer care team. When it\u2019s time for an agent to step in on SMS, they\u2019ll have access to data from your CRM and the existing chat. They\u2019ll be well-equipped to delight your customers with the most helpful response possible.<\/p>\n You can connect Sparkcentral to CRM systems such as Zendesk, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and Salesforce CRM.<\/p>\n Psstt:<\/strong> To learn more about Sparkcentral or request a demo, check out the\u00a0Sparkcentral product page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>EZ Texting<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n EZ Texting allows you to send mass SMS marketing campaigns to your opt-in list. Your SMS marketing campaign can involve contests, coupons, promo codes, and transactional messages like appointment reminders.<\/p>\n They also offer built-in opt-in tools and an AI composition tool.<\/p>\n SlickText offers a number of opt-in tools, including website pop-ups, landing pages, social links, QR codes, and checkout forms. You can use this service to run contests and surveys or offer coupons and loyalty rewards.<\/p>\n SlickText offers list segmentation capabilities so you can target the right subscribers with the right offers, at the right time.<\/p>\nWhat is SMS marketing?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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How does SMS marketing work?<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"channels](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image5.png?resize=472%2C432&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n3 types of SMS marketing campaigns (with examples)<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Promotional SMS marketing<\/h3>\n
![\"Shoppers](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image13-620x463.png?resize=620%2C463&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n2. Transaction updates and confirmations<\/h3>\n
![\"Skip](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image2-620x814.png?resize=620%2C814&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"SMS](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image1-620x267.png?resize=620%2C267&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n3. Customer service and satisfaction<\/h3>\n
![\"Shaw](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image11-620x908.png?resize=620%2C908&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nThe benefits of SMS marketing<\/span><\/h2>\n
Reach a wide audience<\/h3>\n
![\"graph](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image8.png?resize=616%2C459&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Booking.com](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image3-620x1034.png?resize=620%2C1034&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nGet more engagement<\/h3>\n
Close more sales<\/h3>\n
Re-engage existing customers<\/h3>\n
Support other sales and marketing channels (online and offline)<\/h3>\n
SMS marketing best practices<\/span><\/h2>\n
Get a clear opt-in<\/h3>\n
Include instructions to opt-out<\/h3>\n
![\"PC](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image12.png?resize=474%2C213&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nComply with privacy regulations<\/h3>\n
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Send at the right<\/em> time<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Inpost-CTA-Planner.png?ssl=1\"\/)
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t#1 Social Media Tool\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\nIdentify yourself (and make it easy to add your number to contacts)<\/h3>\n
![\"contact](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image7.png?resize=585%2C184&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\nKnow your character count<\/h3>\n
Make it worth customers\u2019 while<\/h3>\n
SMS marketing software for 2024<\/span><\/h2>\n
Sparkcentral by Hootsuite<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Sparkcentral](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image4-620x318.jpg?resize=620%2C318&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nEZ Texting<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"EZ](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image10.png?resize=461%2C349&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nSlickText<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"SlickText](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image6.png?resize=487%2C502&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Source: <\/em>SlickText<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nSimpleTexting<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"SimpleTexting](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image9.png?resize=607%2C587&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n