Why SMS Marketing Can Be More Effective Than Mobile Banner Advertising
A recent eMarketer article on the effectiveness of mobile banner advertising reports the main reason people don’t click is because they aren’t interested in the offer. In fact, only 24% of those surveyed say they clicked on a mobile banner on a website in the last three months. The number of people clicking on in-app banners is even lower at 19%.
Personally, I think the only time I’ve clicked on an in-app banner is by mistake. Sometimes they just get in the way of what you want to do in the app. Sometimes your finger slips. I honestly do my best not to look at the ads at all. And I’m not alone. The article also reports 20% of people don’t even look at the ads in apps.
Mobile website banners can be different because we’re used to them. After all, most of us have been surfing the web long before the mobile revolution. Banner advertising has been around since the beginning (almost). Apps are a different beast though, they are purpose built to DO something. Ads just become an obstacle to what we want to do in the app, rather than simply advertising.
The second most reported reason people don’t click on mobile banner ads is because the ad content has irrelevant offers. For example, I am forever getting ads about cat food or kitty litter. I love cats, but I’m also extremely allergic. Cat products are not only irrelevant, but annoying since I can’t have one. On occasion, I may see a banner or video ad that offers the ability to “chose” my ads. We’ll, no ad is my choice. I don’t get that option though and instead I almost always have to choose between cats, insurance, or financial ads.
What’s the take away? Mobile marketing needs to be relevant and interesting in order to get people to respond.
The value of SMS messaging is that once you have the opt in, you know the people are interested in what you have to offer. The trick then, becomes making sure the offers are relevant.
Make sure the messages you send are targeted to the topics the person signed up for. If you start a new campaign on a different topic, offer them the chance to opt in via a reply text. Don’t send a blast to everyone assuming they’ll want to know. For example, assume someone opted in to receive text alerts for concerts at your event location. But you’ve lined up a circus and sports entertainment. Should you send them a message about those events? Not unless they say they want to hear about them. Otherwise you’ll just annoy them with irrelevant offers. Send them a text instead asking if they want to know about the different types of events. You’ll have less opt outs and a higher ROI overall knowing they want what you’ve sent.
Related Articles
Apps vs SMS: Why Your Marketing Messages Work Better via Text Message
With the rise of the app, some marketers have been quick to sound the death knell for the SMS. But reports of the SMS's death have been greatly exaggerated. With over 76% of the UK population now dependent on their smartphones for everything from news to personal communication, the SMS remains a great tool to directly engage with your customers.
How A/B Testing Works in SMS Messaging
A/B testing in SMS messaging is something that sounds vague and possibly complicated. But with a little knowledge it’s something you can do for your organisation. We make it simple to understand and share some tools to make it easy to do.
5 Reasons SMS Marketing Rocks for Bank Holiday Weekends [Infographic]
The Psychology of SMS Marketing
In marketing, everyone wants to be more influential and persuasive in order to build loyalty and return custom. To gain the highest ROI, businesses want their marketing campaigns to speak to every individual in such a way that makes them feel connected and yet, with every will in the world, an SMS marketing campaign is only going to achieve this high conversion and success if it manages to tap into consumer psychology.
How to use SMS for Highly Targeted Marketing
While brevity might be one of the keys to good advertising, perhaps the most important is to make sure your message reaches the right people. The goal of targeted marketing is not to bombard so many people that some will inevitably listen, but rather to target and nail down your core demographic.
9 SMS Marketing Power Words
With its 456 character limit, SMS Marketing challenges us to be succinct, ensuring we pack the most into our punch and deliver powerful and effective calls to action in a minimum of words. With some research and planning, it is still possible to craft great messages that get results and still stay well within the limits. In this article, we share 9 power words and phrases to help to you do just that.
An A-Z of SMS Marketing: D is for Distribution List [Infographic]
What’s in a Keyword? Three Rules to Using Keywords in SMS Marketing
Keywords are single words that can be used within two way SMS marketing campaigns. They can be used in conjunction with SMS shortcodes or with Virtual Mobile Numbers. Learn three basic rules for the use of SMS keywords that will increase click-through rates and conversions.
How SMS Messaging can Boost your Social Media Marketing
Is your social media struggling? Read this article to learn how businesses of every shape and size can use SMS messaging to drive social media engagement and generate revenue from increased brand exposure. Whether the goal is to support a one-off sales campaign or a long term drive to increase reach, SMS messaging offers an unparalleled opportunity to make your brand's voice heard in the increasingly noisy social media space.
How to Choose the Incentive for Your SMS Marketing Opt-In Campaign
You’ve decided to try out SMS marketing. But you’re stuck on that first step of choosing the offer for your initial opt in campaign. Don’t worry, if you know the story of Goldilocks then you’ll understand just what to do after reading this blog.