9 Reasons SMS Marketing is Far From Finished

If you have not yet tried SMS marketing, you may have been put off by rumours that the golden age of the text message is over. Many sceptics of SMS messaging have argued that this is an inevitable effect of the ever-increasing popularity of mobile internet and instant communication apps. There is, however, plenty of evidence to suggest that text messaging still has plenty of life left in it. Here are nine reasons why SMS Marketing still has a lot to offer:
#1 Massive Reach
According to the most recent research by Ofcom, 93% of the UK’s adult population personally own or use a mobile phone. The figure for smartphones, in comparison, is considerably lower at 73%. In a nutshell, no other communication channel to date has been able to offer businesses the same potential for reach.
#2 An Active Channel
In the same report, Ofcom reported that the average number of text messages sent per handset per month was 107. Whilst this marks a slight fall from previous years, it is still equivalent to over three messages daily – and any one of them could potentially be a lead or a sale for your business.
#3 Incredible Open Rates
As a business you almost certainly use email marketing, so here’s the big question – what’s your average opening rate? The average is generally reported to be in the region of 22% for small and medium-sized enterprises. The estimated SMS opening rate, on the other hand, is an incredible 98%.
#4 The 3 Minute Rule
If fact #3 wasn’t enough to convince you that your business really needs to be embracing SMS marketing, try this fact for size: 95% of SMS marketing messages are opened within 3 minutes of being received. We challenge you to find any form of marketing that can offer that kind of attention.
#5 A Bird in the Hand...
One of the unique features and key attractions of the SMS is that it places the message right into the hand of your customer, wherever they happen to be and whatever they happen to be doing. Used with care and respect, this gives them an incredibly powerful edge and can be hugely incentivising if the three R’s of marketing are adhered to – that is, the right offer made to the right person at the right time.
#6 It's Personal
One of the beauties of SMS marketing is that customers must expressly consent to receive SMS communications from your brand, related specifically to your offer. In agreeing to participate, the customer has already confirmed an interest in what you have to offer, whether that is now or in the future. Once you have that buy in, careful use of the SMS marketing cycle (before transaction, at the time of transaction and post-transaction) can help to turn leads into sales and turn first-time customers into repeat customers – improving both turnover and customer loyalty.
For more information about how businesses in your sector are taking advantage of SMS marketing, check out our use cases available here.
#7 Low Costs
SMS marketing remains one of the lowest cost forms of marketing currently available. Combined with some of the statistics previously mentioned, this means that it offers substantial potential for ROI. With Fastsms, cost per message is 2.1 – 3.5 pence – making us the lowest priced provider in the UK market*.
If you’ve not used SMS marketing before, you can sign up for an account in under a minute and receive 100 free messages to experiment with. For complete peace of mind, the no-obligation trial does not require any credit card details or subscription.
#8 It's Simple
SMS marketing is one of the simplest strategies to implement. With so many options available from Fastsms including our versatile cloud-based platform, email to SMS and direct messaging from Outlook, small businesses can choose exactly how they want to send and receive SMS messages. In addition, we offer a robust API solution for integration directly into your existing applications, complete with free documentation and access to developer support via live chat.
The Fastsms API uses well-known protocols and is tried and tested on a number of industry standard CRM systems including SalesForce, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM and many more – chat to us now to find out more.
#9 Untapped Potential
Despite all the evidence in favour of SMS marketing, many businesses have simply not taken notice of this golden opportunity – largely because of their attention being drawn to louder voices in the traditional and internet marketing sphere. The trouble with these is that it is ever harder to make your voice heard in such a noisy, crowded space. With as few as 14% of businesses using SMS for real-time marketing, you really could use it to stand out from the crowd and get the leading edge in your sector.
If you haven’t tried SMS marketing for your business yet and would like to know more about how Fastsms can help you succeed, call us on 0800 954 5305 and talk to a knowledgeable human now – you’ll soon see why we have the highest customer satisfaction rating in the industry.
*based on a comparison of per-credit prices with competitors using tier-1 delivery routes.
Related Articles
Planning Your SMS Marketing Campaign: Back to Basics
SMS messaging is one of the most cost-effective forms of marketing available. Like any marketing, though, it is vital to plan your campaign effectively to ensure maximum success. So let's look at a few basic principles that will help you make the most of your online SMS marketing.
8 Reasons to Use SMS in Your Service Based Business
When the glass ceiling on your annual turnover and profits is governed by the number of hours you have to trade, it's even more important to ensure your marketing strategies are as fruitful and affordable as possible. SMS marketing appears, at first blush, to require a lot in the way of technology, budget and management, but it's incredibly successful for small businesses in service industries - even the ones with small budgets and limited resources...
Five Things Every Marketer Needs to Know About SMS
There's no better time to take a closer look at SMS marketing - could it fit your marketing strategy? What should be at the forefront of your mind when you look at whether SMS could fit with your business? Here we've highlighted five things you should know before getting started.
4 Tips for SMS Marketing Success
SMS marketing is one of the most effective and efficient marketing channels currently available, enabling businesses to directly communicate with their target customers. If you're considering building your first SMS marketing campaign, or you have already ran a campaign but achieved limited success, read on to see how you can build an effective SMS marketing campaign to achieve your business objectives.
Out-Of-The-Box Thinking in SMS Marketing
Do you know what your customer’s want? Would you ever offer something other than coupons, discounts, or other deals in your SMS marketing? At least one company is giving it a try, and differentiating themselves from the competition. Read the blog for details.
How To Craft The Best Content For Your SMS Messaging
You need concise, memorable and high-impact content with a clear call to action in your SMS messaging. That, in a nutshell, is what's needed to achieve with any marketing or engagement communications in any form. But this is never truer than with an SMS campaign when your business text messaging has to rely on a small window of recipient attention.
5 Tips For Super-Powerful SMS Marketing Campaigns
Mobile messaging is the most effective means of direct marketing for a lot of industries. If you really want to capitalise on your SMS marketing campaigns and achieve the best possible results, there are a few things you can do. Here are our top five tips for running super powerful SMS marketing campaigns.
Beginners’ Guide to SMS Marketing – July 2016 Update
If you've considered SMS marketing to new and existing customers by text message but dismissed it, it really is time to think again. SMS continues to outperform and outreach all the newer models of communication designed to replace it. The latest competitor to run into difficulties against business text messaging is mobile internet advertising.
6 Top Tips for Successful SMS Marketing
SMS marketing has come a long way since its introduction to mainstream marketing back in the early 2000’s. As well as dramatic changes in technology, there have also been sweeping changes to the laws governing this powerful and popular form of marketing. With its low cost, high ROI and tremendous versatility, it can now benefit almost every sector. But all this aside, the fundamental rules for successful campaigns remain largely unchanged. So just what are the big do’s and dont’s of SMS marketing? Read this article for six top tips from our team that will help you unlock the key to SMS success
SMS Marketing Disasters – and How to Avoid Them
SMS Marketing, also known as test message marketing, is one of today's most powerful and cost efficient marketing tools when used correctly and offers endless opportunities with a little creativity added to the mix. However, whether careless or intentional, some mistakes can be harmful to your brand and reputation - as well as leaving you in legal trouble in certain circumstances. Luckily, this is extremely rare and it is easy to stay safe and make sure your SMS Marketing is an all round success. In this article, we look at come examples of how not to do things and offer our advice for ensuring your campaigns are effective and profitable.