Using Perfectly Timed SMS Marketing to Engage Customers

One of the greatest advantages of SMS marketing is the ability to be personal. Yes email can be personal too, or personalised, but these days most people are so familiar with email that it doesn’t have the same impact it used to have. But SMS messages delivered directly to a person’s mobile still are seen as personal. People have not yet become jaded to hearing the notification sounds and usually read the message immediately.
For marketers this is a great opportunity to engage customers based on actions. For example, here are some actions that could trigger perfectly timed SMS messages:
Retail purchase. After a customer makes a purchase is a great time to follow up with them to offer additional information on the product, discounts on accessories, ask for feedback, or just to say thank you for their business.
Major purchase. Insurance companies, banks and estate agents can reach out to their customers after a major purchase like a home with updates, first payment reminders, referral requests, and customer surveys.
Registrations. After registering for an event, class, or trip, organisations can offer up travel deals, meal discounts, add-on purchases, upgrade packages, or social media requests (to like or share their registration to get the word out).
There are any number of actions that might work for your particular business or organisation. And beyond actions, think about how you can use the information you already have on your customers. Birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, and major holidays are also possible reasons to send an SMS with a related offer or marketing message.
Some people call this kind of marketing “just-in-time”. And that term does describe the concept really well. It also isn’t new at all. In the “old” days, organisations would send a post card or make a phone call with the offer. More recently email was the main method to follow up with customers. But the immediacy and intimacy of SMS messaging give more power to this kind of SMS marketing.
Just remember you always need permission to send a message regardless of what the trigger is, as well as providing a way to opt out.
Related Articles
5 ways to increase your click through rate
How Social Media and SMS Messaging Work Together
Social media platforms pop up so frequently it's hard to keep track. And if you're doing any mobile marketing, it can really create some confusion about what to do and which platform to do it on. This blog isn't about choosing a social platform, but it does address how focusing on social and SMS marketing together - but differently – can lead to greater success in your mobile marketing.
5 Winter Phrases for SMS Marketing [Infographic]
Do Your Customers Trust You?
I think for much of the last decade, people used the Internet and then mobile devices, without giving too much thought about what they were doing. Or more accurately, what other people were doing with their information. But then came Edward Snowden in 2013 who revealed governments were collecting and using our personal data in ways we hadn’t imagined.
SMS Marketing for Jewellers and Jewellery Makers
Using Perfectly Timed SMS Marketing to Engage Customers
One of the greatest advantages of SMS marketing is the ability to be personal. This gives the opportunity to engage customers based on any number of actions such as purchases and registrations. Some people call this kind of marketing "just-in-time" which describes the concept really well.
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
Referral Marketing Through SMS Messaging
What is one almost guaranteed way of getting new customers? Ask for them. Really. Studies show that 83% of satisfied customers are willing to recommend a company, product or service to their family and friends. Here's how you can use SMS to simplify and improve your referral marketing.
Insights Into The Best SMS Marketing
It’s been said that to be successful at something, you need to find someone that’s already done what you want to do, then emulate them. You don’t need to create or rewrite the rulebook every time. This is true of marketing too. While it’s a creative field, there are tried and true examples of what works. This is why case studies are so important to helping you understand how something like SMS marketing can work for you.