10 Invaluable Ways to use SMS Marketing for Your Business

In a world where emailing and social media is thought to stand a higher chance of gaining the attention of customers and clients when selling products and services, SMS marketing is getting more popular than ever and your company shouldn’t miss out.

There is something about SMS marketing that is not like any other form of marketing. With SMS, you are aware that the message has been received and that clients have been instantly informed of new products and services without any hard graft. It is a simple form of communication, but highly effective in forging close relationships with clients who purchase from you regularly.

Here are 10 key ways to use SMS marketing for your business and how to get the most out of your clients:

Unlike emails and social media which have to be logged into when it suits the client, text messages can be received instantly by being directly sent to a phone. The client doesn’t have to search far to see your message – it will be the first thing that is seen on their home screen as soon as the phone is picked up. No matter what country the client is in or what time of the day it is; a short, intriguing message could be the key to another sale. Over time, you may come to realise when is the best time to send texts due to response rates.

The great thing about SMS marketing is that you know who your dedicated clients are depending on who responds. Those who book in or buy a service upon receiving a text may thank you for informing them, which could build a great customer relationship. This form of marketing is much better than a general email which clients and customers are highly likely to ignore if they have no reason to reply.

When using SMS, always use first names to get on a personal level with your clients, as they should find satisfaction in the company knowing their name. It is also positive that you are willing to contact them directly rather than through email which may end up in their junk box. Texting is a much more personal way of marketing. Perhaps add a final friendly note stating that you look forward to seeing or hearing from them soon.

If texts are sent out to your clients too often, they will most likely block your number if it becomes too intrusive. Understand the privilege of having their personal number and use it wisely to promote the most important deals of your business that you don’t want them to miss out on. Don’t cross the boundaries and end up harassing clients.

If your products or services are only relevant once every so often; e.g. car dealerships promoting new cars, or having a valet done; understand that there is only so many times a client can buy a new car or have a valet, and therefore are unlikely to need your services again anytime soon. Not only that, but your texts will lose value and appear impersonal, as it may look like you are sending out general messages without considering your customer’s interests. Limit the amount you send and figure out which texts are suitable for specific clients.

When a text comes through, only a few words are previewed, therefore ensuring that you choose the correct wording is crucial to success. No-one wants to see ‘buy’ in the first few words. If clients aren’t looking to buy at that current moment, they won’t be interested. ‘Free’, ‘discount’ and ‘save’ are always good choices as they are beneficial to the customer rather than the business.

Texting clients to ask for their email addresses is an ideal way to understand whether they want to be contacted by email as well as by phone. SMS can only deliver bits of information at a time, therefore giving clients the option to sign-up by email is much better than spamming them with impersonal texts surrounding offers. Sign-ups allow for more generalised emails if that is what they prefer, so you can keep texting to a minimum when the right deal comes along.

If your product or service requires an appointment, sending reminders when your client has an upcoming date would be ideal. This is especially important for self-employed businesses who will lose out on no-shows and need all the business they can get. This can give you a better understanding of the loyalty of your customers; if they did fail to show up, they can’t come up with the excuse that it was sent to the ‘junk box!’

Similar to an appointment reminder, a booking or purchase confirmation can be sent out to put the client’s mind at rest and shows that there is evidence of an exchange of money. This provides a sense of reliability on behalf of your company and demonstrates to the client that purchases are tracked efficiently.

As an incentive for sending SMS messages to your client, make it clear that by agreeing to SMS messages they will be the first to know of any deals. This way, they will be more likely to appreciate the benefits of SMS marketing. This is especially important if the stock or service you provide has limited availability because it gives them a heads up to grab the offer before anyone else.

SMS marketing may be an ideal way to ask your clients and customers whether they have any feedback on your company that you can use for promotion purposes. Gaining any sort of feedback whether positive or negative can be a huge advantage to your company in order to make realistic improvements.

If you would like any further information on SMS marketing from a UK-based SMS provider, please contact us at Fastsms today, to see how we can assist your company with text messaging solutions for your business.