As a modern marketer, you can’t sit still for too long. New technologies are continually being developed, and innovation is at an all time high in the business world. If you sit back and watch others, waiting to see if something works, you’re going to fall behind. It’s the movers and shakers who see the highest return on their marketing dollars.
Value of SMS Marketing
With that said, now’s the time to turn you attention toward SMS marketing. While most businesses play it safe with traditional digital marketing channels such as social media, it’s clear that mobile marketing is going to play a major role in the future of this industry.
In a time when the craze is to develop a mobile app, digital marketing expert Neil Patel likes to remind marketers that texting is an apptoo. In fact, texting is available on any phone – regardless of whether it’s a smartphone or not. If you really want to expand your reach and engagement, consider giving SMS marketing a chance in 2016.
Four Reasons to Try SMS
While the effectiveness of text message marketing will vary depending on your target market and the industry in which you operate, here are a handful of the top reasons why you need to give SMS a try:
1. Highly Targeted
Traditionally, the goal of marketing is to develop a message that you feel will connect with people and to blast it out to as many people as you can. Whether you realize it or not, you’re essentially casting a massive net and hoping that you catch some good fish along with everything else that the net brings in.
Well, SMS marketing is exactly the opposite. By law, customers have to opt-in to your SMS program before you can send them messages. In other words, when someone is on your SMS list, you know that they’re already engaged. They’ve signed up to receive messages and are considered interested leads. As such, you can expect your ROI to be much higher than it is with other channels.
2. Quick and Direct
There’s no delay with a text message. You send it, and a notification pops up on the recipient’s phone. And, as data indicates, 90 percent of all incoming text messages are opened and read within the first three minutes. In total, SMS has an astounding open rate of 99 percent.
From a marketing point of view, the value of SMS is that it’s quick and direct. People always have their phones with them, and they check text notifications on a rolling basis throughout the day. This stands in stark contrast to email marketing, which currently has much lower open rates.
3. Cost-Effective
If you’re operating on a limited budget, you’ll be overjoyed to know that SMS marketing is very cost-effective. According to one vendor’s rates, text messages cost between $0.035 and $0.10 per message. In other words, if you were to send out a message to 50 customers, it would only cost a few dollars.
4. High Conversion Rates
Not only does SMS cost a fraction of the price of alternative marketing methods, but also, the conversion rates are significantly higher. On average, conversion rates are around 8.22 percent for SMS marketing. When you compare that to an average conversion rate of 1.73 percent for email marketing, it’s clear that SMS offers a massive advantage.
Don’t Overlook SMS
As you can see, SMS marketing has the potential to add a lot of value to your marketing efforts. It’s an extremely flexible channel and allows for direct, uninhibited engagement that’s quick, efficient, and cost-effective. As your company prepares to reevaluate its marketing efforts for the new year, be sure to mention SMS.
