What the Future Holds for SMS Marketing?
Considering all of the different digital marketing options small business owners have these days to promote their business, you might assume that SMS marketing isn’t as effective as it once was just a few years ago.
However, you couldn’t be further from the truth. SMS marketing campaigns still do surprisingly well in a world that’s saturated with social media marketing.
Specifically, local businesses can reap the potential benefits of SMS marketing since there’s little personalization required for regional marketing.
While the hype surrounding social media marketing is justified, SMS marketing has some surprising statistics that just can’t be ignored.
With that said, SMS marketing has a wide scope today and in the future. Below, we take a look at the benefits of SMS marketing, particularly for small to medium sized local businesses.
Why tap into SMS marketing?
SMS marketing allows you to be right where your customers are the majority of their time – on their phones. It’s not only the most logical but also the fastest way to access your customers.
Experts at Forbes consider it to be the tool of the future, and we certainly agree. Here’s why:
Fast engagement
A cell phone user takes 90 seconds on average to respond to a text message. On the other hand, users take about 90 minutes to reply to an email.
While this alone is enough to demonstrate the efficiency of SMS marketing at getting instant engagement, marketers also need to keep the open rate in consideration.
Open rate refers to the percentage of texts or emails that the receivers open.
As compared to a 20% open rate for emails, 98% of the receivers open their text messages, making the letter a quick way to reach your customers.
Let’s say you’re a local bakery offering customized cakes for the holiday season.
SMS marketing is the fastest way to inform your customers about this offer. Meanwhile, email marketing is a slower channel, and the customer may open their email after the holiday season.
SMS marketing can help boost your email marketing campaigns too.
According to a Smart Insights report, sending a follow-up SMS like “Did you read our email?’’ can increase the email open rate by up to 30%. It’s a win-win on both sides.
High ROI
SMS marketing yields a 45% return on investment when used solely and up to 50% when applied in combination with other marketing channels like email or social media marketing.
It’s also a great way to funnel a customer through your omnichannel marketing approach.
For example, as a local spa you could send out an SMS message to those who opted-in to receive notifications about upcoming specials on your massage packages.
The receiver will read your SMS and head over to your website to get information about your services.
They’re also likely to visit your social media pages to read reviews and see user-generated content, such as pictures and videos. In this way, SMS marketing can help bring traffic to other channels too.
Finally, they visit your business and sign up for a massage. The trend is bound to continue into the future since 63% of the consumers still use their phone’s default texting app, and the number of people using SMS to stay in touch increased substantially in the future.
Considering this, 61% of the marketers intend to invest more in SMS marketing following 2020.
Cost effective
If you’re a small start-up or a home-run business, you may not have the budget for email or social media marketing.
Fortunately, SMS marketing is an affordable alternative that gets an incredible response from the customers without breaking the bank.
Many SMS marketing companies offer subscription packages costing $50 to $500, depending on the number of messages you want to send every month and the keywords you wish to rent.
More importantly, you do not need to hire anyone to create graphic illustrations, shoot videos, take pictures, as you would in social media marketing.
You can either write the SMS copy yourself or hire a copywriter based on your needs.
High responsiveness
Most businesses prefer using SMS marketing since text messages incite a quick response. 26% of the businesses use text messages to inform customers about coupons and discounts.
Even better, they manage to reach 67% of the consumers, which is an impressive reach.
Another way for local businesses to leverage SMS marketing is to allow customers to make appointments through text messages.
It has worked in the past—44% of the consumers schedule their appointments through SMS—and it’s bound to work in the future.
Having said that, 53.75% of the marketers and business owners consider fast delivery to be the most significant benefit of SMS marketing.
Thus, the sooner local businesses jump on board, the better it will be for ROI and customer engagement.
Future trends in SMS marketing
In the coming years, businesses will focus on interacting with their customers through SMS. The concerning fact of marketing called conversational commerce is expected to come into play.
Basically, it refers to having one-on-one conversations with your customers.
For instance, you can let them ask you for sizing, product recommendations, or compare product options through SMS.
Although it’s non-promotional, it helps generate revenue and bring more customers into the loop.
Links in SMS
Another upcoming trend is sending links through SMS. In fact, the CTA is associated with the link. For instance, if you’re a local hair salon, you can send an appointment form to the customers through SMS.
They can simply fill in the form to book an appointment for any service. Similarly, businesses will be sending links for promotional offers, their social media pages, contests, and websites.
Rich Communication Services
Rich Communication Services is a messaging technology that will allow businesses to add features like maps, videos, and chip lists into text messages.
For instance, as a local gym, you can send a map to your location to the target audience.
Similarly, local hotels and guest houses can send area maps to show customers the proximity of their business to nearby locations.
However, RCS is forecasted to become a trend later in the future since only 8.1% of the global mobile phone networks have adopted it so far.
In conclusion
Without a doubt, SMS marketing is one of the quickest and most effective ways to reach your customers. It’s actually the best when it comes to return on investment and open rate.
So, if you want to generate a high ROI and ensure a significant open rate, you should be writing the copy for your SMS marketing campaign right now.
Recent Posts
Connect with Us
Send Us A Message
Have a Topic You Want Us To Talk About?
LATEST BLOGS
Stay up to date with the latest marketing tips, trends and news
The Importance of Blogging for Your Business
Blogging is a powerful tool any business can use to enhance its online presence and connect with customers. By publishing regular blog posts, you can provide valuable information, showcase your expertise, and address common customer questions. Blogging also helps you stay relevant and visible in ...
Simple Tips for Better PPC Ads
Creating successful Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads can make a huge difference in attracting potential customers to your business. With PPC advertising, you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, so it’s important to make sure every click counts. Well-crafted PPC ads can help you reach the right ...
Easy Guide to Understanding PPC Advertising
PPC advertising, or Pay-Per-Click advertising, is a popular method used by businesses to drive traffic to their websites. Unlike traditional advertising methods where you pay upfront regardless of results, PPC allows you to pay only when someone clicks on your ad. This makes it a cost-effective w...
Best Strategies for Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is a powerful way to connect with your audience, build brand awareness, and drive traffic to your website. It offers businesses the chance to reach a large and diverse audience with targeted messages that resonate. However, achieving success on social media requires more th...
How to Make Your Website More User-Friendly
Creating a user-friendly website is crucial for keeping visitors engaged and encouraging them to explore more of your content. A website that is easy to navigate and quick to load improves the overall user experience, making it more likely that visitors will return. Making your site accessible an...
Understanding Google Analytics for Beginners
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that helps you understand how people interact with your website. With the right setup and a basic understanding, you can track important metrics and make data-driven decisions to improve your site’s performance. For beginners, grasping the fundamental con...
Easy Steps to Create Engaging Content
Creating engaging content is essential for capturing the attention of your audience and keeping them interested in your message. When we produce content that resonates with people, it helps build trust, loyalty, and even drives more traffic to our website. The goal is to create something that you...
How Local SEO Can Drive More Customers
Local SEO is a powerful tool for businesses looking to attract more customers. Many people search for local services and products online, making it essential to have a strong local online presence. By focusing on local SEO, you can ensure that your business appears in relevant searches, leading t...
Understanding Social Media Algorithms
Social media algorithms play a huge role in deciding what content we see on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These algorithms are like secret recipes that determine which posts appear in our feeds. By understanding how these algorithms work, we can create content that reaches more...
Enhance Your Site with User-Friendly Design Tips
In the digital world, user experience is king. A well-designed website not only reflects our brand’s professionalism but also facilitates the engagement that we strive for with our audience. We understand that every element of a website, from layout to load time, plays a crucial role in its...