Don’t Worry, SMS Messaging is Still Perfect for Marketing
Have you heard the news? According to a survey by Aimia, “people feel bombarded on their mobile phones by growing volumes of text messages and excessive notifications from apps”.
That’s awful news for anyone who has invested in SMS marketing. But let’s not be hasty. When I look at the survey details, the picture isn’t so gloomy – but there is a lot to learn from the data.
Too Many Messages
First, let’s look at what the survey says about the people feeling “bombarded”. The following is quoted from the press release about the survey:
- Nearly half (48%) of people say they receive too many SMS messages from brands, up from 39% in 2015.
- Over four in ten (44%) feel brands send too many push notifications through apps, up from less than a third (30%) of people last year.
- Three in five (63%) Brits have blocked numbers and over half use ad blocker technology (52%);
- 56% have unfollowed brands on social media and 47% have changed preferences to minimise brand communications.
It’s worth noting that the above mentions app notifications and social media too. So while some percentage of Brits think they have too many SMS messages, the overall feeling they present is likely due to all sources.
So if you connect with customers on multiple channels, it may be worth your time to see if you’re overdoing it – even just a little. That’s because they aren’t afraid to block you, unfollow or unsubscribe if they do feel they’re hearing too much from you.
Digging Deeper
Why are such large percentages of people getting so annoyed? The answer is in another statistic – probably the most important one out of this survey:
“The majority of messages received are not applicable to individuals’ needs and interests, with just 17% describing the communications they receive as very relevant”.
That’s a horrible statistic for marketers. But also very enlightening.
It means that the issue isn’t with the channel, it’s with the marketers. If only 17% of customers feel they are getting very relevant offers or communications, then a huge number of us are just getting bombarded by blatant advertising on their mobile. And they clearly don’t like it.
According to Jan-Pieter Lips from Aimia, “Never before has there been such a direct way to communicate with customers and it’s a channel which will continue to grow. However, if used incorrectly, brands will damage customer relationships rather than strengthen them”.
He was speaking of mobile in general. But SMS messaging is the most direct way brands can interact with their customers – even more so than notifications and social media.
"May I Come In?"
People, myself included, consistently call SMS messaging a personal form of communication. But it’s hard to convey why that is in a few words. I’ve developed an analogy I think will help make it clear for marketers.
Imagine a neighbour you exchange friendly waves with each morning, but you’ve never actually spoken to before, knocks on the door of your house and asks to come inside. As you stand there in the door, you have to decide if you want to let this person in. You like them well enough from your morning encounters, but do you know them well enough to let them into your house? Into your personal space? Would you let them in knowing they were intending to sell you something?
Chances you’re at least a little hesitant, if not leery, of someone you don’t know that well trying to come into your house. Now if you have some relationship with them – like a friendly neighbour – the decision to let them in might be easier.
But if you do let them in, how they act determines if you’ll ever let them in again. Do they become a welcome friend, or an unwelcome, obnoxious houseguest?
In this analogy, your brand is the neighbour, and the door is the customer’s mobile number. When they sign up for your messages, it means they consider the relationship they have with your brand good enough to open their door to you. More than that, they open their life to you via their mobile. You’ll be able to enter any time you like, simply by sending a message. You never even have to knock again.
And if you take advantage of that, or worse, just don’t understand you’ve entered their personal space, then you’ll likely end up on the blocked or unsubscribed list.
Don't Worry. Be Personal
If those survey numbers still concern you, don’t worry. Making sure your customers stay on your list is as simple as providing value and staying relevant. While segmenting your lists can help with that, you’re going to have to get personal at some point. Knowing your customer is the only way to do that.
There are numerous ways you can make your messages more personal. To read about them in more detail, visit these two blogs on the subject: Use All The Data You Can When Personalising Your SMS Messages and Personalising Your SMS Marketing.
And next time you run an opt-in campaign, remember you’ve just asked to enter someone’s house. If they let you in, act accordingly so you’ll be invited back.
Related Articles
Copywriting Principles for SMS Marketing
In a recent post I covered how to create urgency in your SMS marketing messages. It didn't feel right to leave out a few other key components - the U companions. In copywriting circles they are often called the 4-Us. They are: Urgent, Useful, Unique, and Ultra-specific. So to make sure I don't leave anything out, here I'll show you how to use the others in your SMS messaging.
SMS Marketing Ideas To Celebrate Wimbledon
9 Phrases to Add Some Winter Wonder to Your SMS Marketing Campaign
[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.
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.
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.
6 Psychological Tips for SMS Marketing Success
Getting to grips with the underlying psychology of how audiences react both consciously and subconsciously to your message is key to achieving the maximum effect in any type of marketing. All kinds of things come into play with different media, from colours and shapes to images and videos. Even the way things move can have a powerful effect on a viewer. Unlike many other forms of marketing, however, SMS marketing is unique in that the only tool you have is words - and not many of them. But armed with a basic knowledge of consumer psychology, 456 characters is more than enough to get the desired effect. In this article, we present our six top tips to take advantage of the psychology of SMS messaging.
13 Words That Inspire Action in Your SMS Messages
Because they are so short, word choice is important in SMS messages. You need to convey instructions and the benefits of following those instructions in few words. If you’ve ever struggled to find just the right one, check out our list of action inspiring words for SMS messaging.
