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
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.
SMS Campaign Strategies Your Customers Will Thank You For
SMS marketing is defined by the use of text messaging to convey deals, offers or information to customers. When it's used properly, SMS is a high-return and low-cost marketing method with the ability to provide your business with a stable and effective platform for reaching customers. The main goal of an SMS campaign is a conversion; you want the recipient to perform an action as a result of reading the text message, so it's important to know what your customers will most appreciate. For a truly effective SMS marketing campaign, simply follow a few customer-centric guidelines.
SMS Marketing Best Practice: Do’s and Don’ts
Whilst social media has gained the attention of many small businesses as a marketing technique, SMS marketing has become a highly beneficial way of keeping your customers and clients close and building solid working relationships. According to research, 90% of text messages are read within three minutes, meaning SMS marketing shouldn't be overlooked when it comes to your advertising and customer service strategies. SMS marketing may be an ideal tactic for your business marketing, so here's a list of what to do and what not to do to ensure you're making the most of your campaign.
10 Steps to Launch a Successful SMS Marketing Campaign – Infographic
7 Channels for “Free Promotion” of Your Opt In Campaigns
While there are many ways you can probably think of to promote your SMS opt in campaign, there may be some “free” channels you’re neglecting. Thanks to Google, I can point out seven of them. At the mCommerce Summit Google gave a presentation about app promotion and optimising. I can’t even convey how exasperated the presenter was when he talked about how many opportunities companies just let slip by.
5 Tips to Stay Ahead for Your Bank Holiday SMS Marketing
Sending Your First SMS Marketing Campaign
6 steps to sending your first SMS marketing campaign. Whether you've already decided to use fastsms, or are still trying us out - these simple steps will show you how quickly you can get up and running and sending texts to your customers.
Business SMS Marketing: Striking the Right Tone
Tone of voice is important in all business communications, from letters to direct mail campaigns. The way you speak to clients is all of a part of the image you create in their minds of your brand. As short as they are, this also applies to business text messaging. It may even be more important to get the language and tone right in your messages, particularly your SMS marketing, than in an emailed leaflet.
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.
11 Benefits of Using SMS Messages in Your Network Marketing Strategy
Given that network marketing is very much dependent on communication, there are ways in which SMS marketing can be used to help increase recruitment, improve retention rates, create effective discussion, boost sales and motivate teams. Here's how...