Why Text Messaging Is Still Relevant In A World Of Smartphones

While this can be true, text messages are one of the best mainstream channels that people still use to communicate, even if they're not used as much as they were a few years ago. 

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Moreover, it has proven to be an excellent marketing strategy for many businesses. If you're contemplating using it yourself, here are the top reasons why you should.

It Complements Online Marketing Strategies

While there are many people who don't believe that SMS can be used anymore, it still can be as efficient as social media and other marketing strategies for driving more traffic to your website. You can use it to drive traffic to your social media profile, from which you can compile leads and drive them into your website. You can also host an online competition that requires people to provide their phone numbers in order to receive SMS communication. After that, you can text the winner or provide a consolation prize (discount code) for those who came in second and third place.

No Internet Connection Needed

One of the best features of SMS marketing is that it doesn't need an internet connection in order to function properly. Internet connection, while it can be great when you up the speed, won't always reach your target audience. The SMS marketing specialists from VoxDirect.com explain that your direct audience doesn't need to have data in order to receive your SMS or even be in a Wi-Fi zone, as all they need to do is they need to be in an area where there's sufficient coverage and they'll get all the messages they need from you. In addition to that, SMS messages are easier to get through than WhatsApp messages.

Easy Personalization

SMS messages are great in the way that they can be easily personalized. While other marketing strategies mostly lack that advantage, SMS marketing makes up for it by automatically including the name of the person you're communicating with throughout the messages. You can hook them to the content simply by using their name both at the beginning and the end. You may also bring up a product that they have recently bought and maybe ask for feedback. You can also recommend other products to your clients based on the information you get. Of course, there is a thin line between being helpful and downright creepy. To avoid coming off as a stalker, be sure to wait for a while before replying to your customers' reviews.

Banking and Financial Services Through SMS Customer Support

Sometimes banks support their clients by sending them messages while they're abroad, which proves the fact that SMS messaging is one of the safest channels to communicate sensitive information to other people. Customers might expect you to send them financial information regarding their purchases or account information, which you should dutifully provide them. They might request to receive alerts about top-ups, which you should also provide. Make sure that your SMS messages can reach your clients/ customers anywhere in the world. Since people are now carrying their phones everywhere, you can rest assured that your messages will reach them immediately, as opposed to using tweets, for instance, or Facebook Messenger.

Increase Customer Engagement

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SMS marketing is an excellent method with which you can enhance how your brand engages customers. That's why you should remember to vary the content you send out to them. Customers will surely value information about future developments for your brand, but if this information will be written in long paragraphs, send it out in the appropriate medium, like emails. Email marketing can work in conjunction with SMS marketing, but you must know where to send longer content and where to send brief content.

Use Response Data for Your Future Campaigns

When you identify customers, engage them via SMS messages, and track your ROI, you surely will be able to deliver successful SMS messages in the future by tracking their responses and responding to them accordingly. SMS is a trackable channel, so unlike email marketing, businesses can initiate targeted campaigns and make changes in their products and content delivery accordingly. This will allow you to build a better mobile database.

Starting with an SMS marketing campaign can be a bit difficult, but it is certainly rewarding if you do it right. It has helped increase the relevance of using technology and smartphones in our daily lives, so be sure to use this powerful tool along with your next marketing campaign. If that's the first time you try to create this sort of campaign, you can consult an expert first to point you in the right direction.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 28 September 2020