Is SMS Marketing Like Social Media?
The easy answer to that question is no, not really.
While there are similarities (both can be considered in mobile marketing for example), they offer completely different ways to communicate.
Social media consists of various social networks. The big ones are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, and a few others. There are many, many smaller networks, as well as new ones popping up all the time. But all the networks basically offer a one to many form of communication. It really is much like traditional advertising in that respect. The difference is there’s an opportunity for the audience to interact with you.
SMS messaging though, should be considered a one to one form of communication. This is true even though you may send a single message to many people. Why? It’s because an SMS message gets delivered in a personal way – just to the one person reading it on their mobile. While there is a way for the recipient to respond to you, there usually isn’t the type of interaction you’d see in social media.
How you use them in marketing is different too.
How And Why You Use Social Media
Raise brand awareness – Pew Research says over 75% of online adults use social media. The number climbs to almost 90% for the younger generations. If you want people to notice you, social media is a great place to be.
Accelerate word of mouth advertising – The sharing mechanisms social media uses make it easy for your happy customers to tell their friends (remember unhappy customers can do the same).
Improve search engine rankings – Google takes into account Google+ sharing in its rankings. For a time many thought the other social networks were taken into account too. Earlier this year Google seemed to say the other major networks aren’t influencing rankings. But Google changes all the time, and sharing certainly can’t hurt.
Engage with many people at one time – You can share updates, discounts, or other relevant information with many people at once to get the word out fast.
Learn from your followers/customers – The comments or posts people leave is feedback directly to you about your brand, product, customer service – anything they contact you about. Also important is what people are saying about you, but not posting to your brand page or account.
How And Why You Use SMS Messaging
Provide specific information to one person – You can send account status, bank balance, package arrival, or any short message relating to your business and the receiver.
Quickly reach customers, employees, parents – anyone – with important or timely messages – When you need to make sure someone gets the message, SMS is the right choice. Delivery is almost immediate, and over 90% are read in the first three minutes.
Simple and easy to implement – Unlike social media, much of the process can be automated – even replies can be sorted automatically using keywords. Once established, there is much less management than maintaining social media engagement.
SMS is universal – Whilst a lot of people can access email and some social media platforms on their phone we are still a long way away from access being universal. With SMS messaging however this restriction doesn’t exist. Every phone on the planet can receive SMS messages which adds a different dimension to messaging.
As you can see, both SMS marketing and social media have their own purpose. Which one you choose will depend on what your marketing objectives are, but many brands are including both in their marketing plans.
Related Articles
Personalising Your SMS Marketing
Using people’s names in marketing is great. It does provide a certain level of personalisation that can get people more interested in what you’re sending them. Of course in text messaging, you don’t always have the room for a name, your message, and the required opt out information … usually there just isn’t enough room. So how can you make your marketing messages personal?
SMS Marketing: Don’t Forget About Print!
The focus for advertising campaigns today is often mobile, web, or digital. It’s certainly true that more and more people are using technology for just about everything. But with all that technology, it’s easy to overlook another, more traditional form: Print!
Our 10 Best SMS Mobile Marketing Blog Posts
Need to know all about mobile marketing with SMS messaging? We’ve pulled together the top ten blog posts that tell you everything you need to know. The list starts with the basics and goes through analysing the success of your campaign.
5 Things To Consider Before Launching Your First Text Marketing Campaign
SMS is well established as a successful marketing channel - however that doesn't mean you should just dive in head first. Here's five things you should consider before launching your first SMS marketing campaign.
Restaurants Can Turn Every Table into a SMS Marketing Campaign
In sit down restaurants, what is the one feature every patron will look at? The table. Think about it. They need to look down to pick up utensils, put their glass back down, find their napkin, or to find a distraction for those awkward moments with your fellow diners. What if you could turn that time into a SMS marketing opportunity?
6 SMS Marketing Faux Pas To Avoid
SMS marketing can be an incredibly useful tool for successful mobile marketing campaigns. However, it is not without its pitfalls. We have compiled a list of six of the worst SMS mobile marketing faux pas, so that you can avoid them and text your way to marketing success.
4 Basic Metrics for Your SMS Marketing Campaigns
One key to successful marketing is to know when you’re doing it right. And when you’re doing it wrong. The great thing about SMS marketing is you can get that information pretty quickly. But to understand how your messages are performing, you need to do a little maths. Thankfully, it’s all rather simple once you see it.
[Infographic] How to Write the Perfect SMS Message
Is there such a thing as a "perfect" SMS message? Yes, there is, but there isn't just one example of a perfect message. There are so many uses for SMS messages that each of them would have their own perfect example. How many different types are there? This infographic includes a short list of some types.
What You Need to Know About Choosing SMS Keywords
Keywords are a big deal in SMS marketing. They’re more important than ever, whether you use a shortcode or a virtual mobile number (VMN) if you’re planning on using two-way messaging. Here's what you need to know to help you choose the right keyword for your SMS marketing campaign.
One Simple Trick Can Boost Your SMS Marketing
SMS marketing offers the ability to send time-sensitive offers to your best customers. But are you missing out on the potential of your own brand in your offers? Read this post to see an example of how a simple trick can potentially boost your results.