By Kelly Wilson
With so many media for sending messages like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Viber, there might be some concern about the effectiveness of SMS marketing. However, luckily, it’s more transactional and business-like tone and easy accessibility has helped it to survive the competition well.
When looking for a budget-friendly online marketing campaign that draws close attention, there are many more reasons to choose SMS marketing or text messaging marketing. Besides being budget-friendly, it costs you almost nothing to send across an SMS. The marketing technique evokes high response due to extremely high open and reads rates that encourage users to take some decisive action. However, you must create the right strategies for launching the campaign to get the right results. To know how to get your SMS marketing campaign up and running so that it provides the desired returns, take time to go through this article.
Plan the campaign
The ability to send messages to subscribers and customers at a personal level ensures better communication. A closer relationship puts SMS marketing ahead of other similar tools, especially e-mail marketing. However, it is vital to ascertain the suitability of the campaign for your cause. From political parties to retail marketers as well as customer service centers and discount offer providers, everyone finds it useful.
Why you need the campaign – for informing, engaging, selling, or customer support is what you must be clear about. Knowing the answer should help to structure the text messaging marketing needs better that would shape your strategy. Ask some questions to yourself like who the audience is and whether they are prospects or clients. Is there any particular focus like a special offer or a specific event? Would you need coupons, landing pages, shortcode and keyword, and what would be the duration of the campaign point to consider? Will the SMS marketing campaign be a part of your marketing package and run in conjunction with other online marketing campaigns like e-mail marketing and SEO? You must also consider the demographic requirements of the campaign, especially concerning location.
Only when you find answers to these questions that you should consider which type of tools would suit you.
Get the subscriber list ready
After you know the audience to target, you must obtain their consent for sending them SMS messages and in the process, create a list of subscribers. You must comply with the regulations that govern SMS marketing.
Create the list – To create a new list of subscribers, you can provide a form on your website or social media page. It will enable subscribers to opt for messages by giving their phone numbers. Maintain a complete list of subscribers by including the details like phone type, country, and continent. It will help to customize your message by segmenting the list that can dramatically enhance the effectiveness of the campaign. You can create messages for a specific audience that addresses their needs.
Strategic segmentation – Whether you have a new list or an existing one, you must segment it to manage the list better besides creating customized content. It will also allow you to develop strategies for a specific subscriber segment. Segmentation of the list provides better insight into the buying habits of subscribers and enables connecting with them with the right messages.
Manage your list – Keep the list updated by managing it well so that there are no superficial subscribers. Integrate the campaign software with other marketing tools that you are using like the CRM or your e-mail marketing campaign.
Select a provider
Comparing offers bases on features and price not always the best way to zero down on the service provider like Simpletexting.com/ because there are many things to look for beyond it.
Cost – In general, you must focus on the cost that usually comprises of the fee for renting keywords and the fee for sending the text based on a monthly plan.
Message format – Some providers allow you to add images and sound as well as features like voting that enhance engagement.
Digital coupons – Coupons are a great way to add value to your campaign. They are highly popular because its effective use can give you great results. For better interaction and engagement, consider the functionality of coupons.
Shortcode and keyword options – Any SMS marketing campaign will have these basic components. The provider will allocate a short code, and using it is the best option despite the limitation in choosing keywords. Although other clients of the service provider would use the same code, you can set your campaign apart by choosing distinctive keywords that others do not use.
Campaign workflow capabilities– The SMS marketing campaign can be just one part of your marketing plan, or it can be a drip campaign on its own. You can use it together with your e-mail marketing campaign by using the feature of targeted location-based marketing.
Create a campaign design
- Create messages that are relevant and important for customers but be careful not to bombard them with messages in your desire to grab their attention. Sometimes you must engage in casual messaging that helps to strengthen the relationship instead of trying to gain mileage from it every time.
- Including an active Call to Action (CTA) in the message is essential. It will ensure that the message content is easily recognizable by the recipients. Including keywords in the message helps to make it interactive. You can use a keyword for the nearest location that triggers the nearest stores that stock your products.
- SMS messages are great for impulse purchases and last-minute notifications. Messaging your subscribers and customers when some special offers are going on is a great way to make them act fast. It highlights the importance of timing your messages so that it allows the recipients to act on it.
Keep monitoring the campaign to gauge its performance and identify the areas of improvement to ensure that it helps you to achieve the marketing objectives. Keep improving as you track the campaign through testing and by optimizing.
About the Author
Kelly Wilson is an experienced and skilled Business Consultant and Financial advisor in the USA. She helps clients both personal and professional in long-term wealth building plans. During her spare time, she loves to write on Business, Finance, Marketing, Social Media. She loves to share her knowledge and Experts tips with her readers.
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