SMS marketing, or marketing via text message, is a strategy that some have written off because it has been incorrectly perceived to be obsolete. However, the truth is that SMS marketing can provide many businesses with a series of unique benefits that will increase engagement and help them stand out from the crowd. Using SMS as a marketing medium can be effective, but it requires concise planning and expertise to be put into action.
Text vs Email Marketing: Vying for Customer Engagement
Every business wants to be “heard” over the din of other companies. In terms of marketing, text messaging has a unique capability compared with other formats, leading to higher customer engagement rates. Although email marketing is an incredibly powerful tool, studies have revealed that SMS marketing has a response rate that is between six and eight times higher than email. About 45% of SMS garner a response, too.
Another interesting statistic is that roughly 20% of marketing emails are opened while that same number is 98% for SMS. Finally, 95% of all texts are read in a minute and a half after the reception.
What do these statistics tell us? Essentially, customer engagement is higher for text messages; businesses that want to provide actionable information to their customers should get a text message marketing strategy in place.
SMS Marketing Helps Save Time and Increase Results
Text messages do not have the luxury of space like emails. Your messages must be concise, or they will be “left on read.” Fortunately, this brevity means your marketing department does not have to spend as much time developing messages. Moreover, since the customer engagement rate is so high for texts, it means that shorter messages and less effort will lead to better results.
Stand Apart from the Crowd
Many businesses are developing email marketing campaigns. In fact, so many businesses are involved with email promotions that many customers feel comfortable mass-deleting their news and advertisements. Using an SMS marketing campaign helps a business stand out from the crowd and focus on smaller, more impactful interactions. Texts allow companies to climb out from the bog of emails and shine!
Send Coupons and Offers Instantly
Customers do not want to wait for their loyalty program email to come to them when they are standing in line at the store. They want to have the means to access that coupon right now. Fortunately, that is something that SMS interactions do very well. The instantaneous, highly accessible format of marketing does not require an internet connection or more than a minute to receive. When speed is everything, texting is the way to reach your customers.
Looking at the benefits of text messages in the realm of marketing, it is easy to see why businesses desire these outcomes. With our Marketing4WiFi platform, WiFi guests can provide their phone numbers in a simple and effective way while accessing the guest WiFi you give away for free. GoZone WiFi has to tools to not only grow your SMS list but to also help you create fast and efficient SMS campaigns.
Contact us today to learn more.
