On The Rise: 6 Changes in Marketing That SMS Can Help Exploit

While traditional advertising methods are declining, SMS marketing is increasing and it is a trend that looks likely to continue.

This year, there are an estimated 7 billion smartphones in use around the globe and each one is a potential target for your business text messaging.

And with 98% of all text messages opened by the target customer, you can be sure that every marketing message you send will be seen by the right person.

It has a higher response rate than emails and it is growing year on year.

Using an SMS provider in the UK, you can save time as well as make sure you get in front of your potential customers at the right time.

Text messaging is king and these trends show it is not only here to stay but it fast becoming the marketing method of choice for savvy business owners.

With everyone glued to Twitter and Snapchat, the ability to communicate your message fast is more important than ever. As mobile users spend more and more time on their devices, using a text message provider to build your brand and enhance loyalty is definitely key to a successful business.

Whenever you send your message, you are almost guaranteed that your customer will be holding their phone or at least have it very close by.

You can react to trends immediately; you can offer a flash sale on umbrellas if rain is forecast, or offer a free coffee during the height of the Christmas shopping period. It is this ability to react that will set you ahead of the competition and definitely puts online text messaging before other more dated means of marketing, like print or billboards.

The number of people using their phone while watching TV is increasing. Target your messages around a specific television “event” like a big football match or the final of the X Factor at the times they are broadcast and you will get great engagement.

Creating a digital “tribe” and a loyal brand following is the holy grail for most business owners. Repeat custom is invaluable and will help your business thrive in a competitive marketplace.

If your customer receives SMS marketing relating to them or making them feel valued and special as a customer, they are more likely to spend money with you again. A sense of belonging is a strong marketing tool and will help build your brand presence and reputation in a crowded marketplace.

Online SMS systems are easy to set up and quick to use but they still retain a sense of personalisation. You are communicating with your customer right to their hand. Unlike an email which feels impersonal, a text message is something received from friends or family, putting you in a unique position to foster trust and build that relationship.

As marketing becomes more targeted in general (think Google sponsored ads and Facebook preferences) the consumer has become fussier about what they respond to and what they don’t. By building that relationship with your customer through SMS marketing, offering discounts or deals, you are becoming a trusted source, rather than just being at the helm of a scattergun approach advertising campaign.

Budgets are scrutinised more than ever and every penny counts when it comes to your marketing campaigns. SMS marketing is easily measurable and the results of your latest promotion or offer can be seen at a glance. Delivery rates, click-throughs and how many people are subscribing or unsubscribing are all available to you and this is one of the biggest benefits of business text messaging.

Using analytics, you can see which campaigns work well, what messages your customer base responds to best and what turns them off. This is a valuable insight into your target market and you can plug this data into a customer relationship management system and use it to inform your future marketing campaigns.

With analytics becoming an industry in itself, this year is definitely seeing a growing number of businesses switching on to what this information means for them and how they can use it to improve sales and boost their brand.

It also allows you to fix mistakes and tailor your message to give the customer what they want. A brand that “knows” their customer will get much better results than a spamming service.

The advertising landscape is changing. Consumers are not as engaged with print advertising as they once were and the drop in the number of people buying a paper or magazine means the audience your business can reach through these mediums is limited and getting smaller by the day. Even outdoor advertising is suffering with a lack of measurable engagement.

In the last year, there are more and more people turning to mobile advertising to get to their customers. Watch for these trends carefully and consider how you can use a text message provider to get your offers in front of the right people.

The number of people using mobile phones in developing countries is growing year on year, marking a huge opportunity to use SMS marketing to grow your business and customer base.

This year, it is expected that growing economies will catch up with developed countries in mobile usage and it is then that the importance of business text messaging will become even clearer.

The relaxation of privacy due to the explosion in social media means more and more people are willing to share their mobile number. A recent survey revealed 51% of millennials would hand over their mobile number to businesses at the first point of contact.

Capturing this data and using it to market to your customers can revolutionise your business overnight.