Updated June 15, 2023
Introduction to SMS Marketing Services
We have all been using the mighty service of texting, which has made the life of people much easier. Text messages have made the transfer of information easier and helped many business houses promote and market their business. The SMS marketing service of text messaging has come to our aid numerous times. If we are busy somewhere and can’t make a call at the time, then we could drop a message to the caller. If we have something important to tell the other person but can’t call the person, don’t want to get into the formalities of calling, or can’t reach the receiver, we can drop a message for the person. But there are some other functions that text messaging has been performing.
SMS marketing services, or the short message service marketing technique, allow you to send promotional text messages to people after acquiring their permission. It is a way or a means of SMS marketing services where the particular showroom or outlet lets you know about the various schemes available in their outlet to attract you to shop there. For example, the text message received by you regarding the various offer schemes available from the different showrooms or outlets you become a member of.
Registering for the text message marketing service is incredibly easy. All you have to do is send the company an initial shortcode. Once the code has been sent to the company, the mobile number will be stored in the text marketing software. This way, you can be sure of receiving all the recent updates about the various schemes available in the market. Once you have sent the text expressing your wish to subscribe to the marketing text, you will receive a confirmation text stating the confirmation receipt and the code for unsubscribing the text messages if the need is in the future.
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The benefits of this type of marketing can be endless. Text messages help you notify the customers in your vicinity without you having to go through the process of using the push notification application. The main aim behind SMS marketing services is to increase the customer base and customer loyalty towards the company. The SMS marketing services of the company are helpful for companies who want to notify their customers in the vicinity about the updates and various offers available.
SMS marketing services also remind people about the upcoming events in their company, make them participate in various polls, and know their opinion on multiple topics. Many customers prefer SMS marketing services over email marketing as it helps segment the messages to be sent and the customers to whom they are to be dispatched based on the response received from the various customers.
The SMS marketing services of the company can be considered the most effective way of marketing because the emails can remain unread in the inbox of the recipient, the phones can be ignored by the receiver or even left unanswered, and You can throw away the flyers without a second glance. StillThe majority of text messages are read quickly. , which helps ensure that the customer is informed about the new marketing scheme provided by the company. According to James Citron, about 95% of the customers to whom the text messages are sent open and read the message as quickly as within the first 3 mins of receiving the text. That probability is highly in favor of the companies sending the text message.
But it is important to understand that the SMS marketing services system only works with the consent of the customers to whom you tend to send the message. It is unethical and illegal to send such messages to people without their permission. But the ease with which the customers can opt for such messages and opt out of receiving such messages makes the whole system of SMS marketing services much easier. Hence it saves you the trouble of spam emails you receive almost daily. And also, the design of opting in or out makes the whole process a much more effective technique than sending emails.
The email marketing system has so many wrongs in it that the SMS marketing services system was just a big hit when it was introduced. As stated by James Citron, marketing emails contain about 95% of spam emails even if they are opt-in by the customers, so they mostly end up in the spam box. And even if they don’t end up in the spam mailbox, the customers receive so many emails daily that the mail will likely be lost.It is important to maintain the importance of SMS marketing services. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the SMSs also stay visible, and it is important to understand how exactly this marketing tool will work.
How Do SMS Marketing Services Work?
Following are the 6 best ways to know how exactly SMS marketing services work.
1. Get the consent of the customers
Any company needs to make sure that they have the consent form from the customers wherein they specifically state their desire to receive such promotional messages from the company. The company needs to ensure that the customer’s consent is not due to inattentiveness or forgetfulness. Hence they need to make sure that for the customer to provide their support, they need to do something specific that they cannot do in the state of forgetfulness, like asking them to send a particular shortcode to an exact number or scanning a specific QR code. This way, the company will have the consent of the customers, and the company will be able to prove that the support received by them is not illegitimate.
It is so because sending spam mail or text is illegal, and hence the company also needs to maintain records of the consent received by it for promotional emails. The message sent by the company confirming the customer’s approval should also contain the method of opting out of the marketing messages. It is essential to explicitly state the customer’s consent.
2. Make your message irresistible
Several companies are opting for the SMS marketing tool, and customers are opting for the SMS update service of various companies, but what will make your business offer stand out. The only way to ensure that your messages are read and are paid heed is to ensure that your note or request is tempting. Offer an extra discount to the customers who show the letter sent by you informing them about the sale at your outlet. Or provide them with goodies related to the company before anyone else. This way, you can ensure customers won’t opt out of the company’s update messages. The customers are also given an added advantage that receiving a letter from the company is not just a headache but have something for them in it too.
3. Take into account the customer’s opinion
Most companies often ignore the desires of the customers. So, ask your customers what kind of message updates they want, when or how often they would like to get them, and if the information you send them through the SMS marketing tool is relevant. So once you get the data, customize your messages according to the needs and preferences of the customers you are sending your letters. Also, ensure you send the same information to the customer they signed up for. Don’t send messages that they didn’t ask for. It will create a negative image of you and your company in the eyes of the customer. They are your target audience. Serve them well, or they will leave your company, and I am sure that is different from what you want.
4. Be considerate enough
Being considerate never costs anyone anything. So if you send a marketing message to someone, ensure you are not sending them the letter at inappropriate times. Of course, you can only keep track of some of the customers to whom you are sending the message. Still, you can keep in mind the few broad guidelines that will help you ensure you are not disturbing the customer while they are not in the mood to receive any promotional text message. So make sure that you don’t send the messages before 9 A.M. or after 9 P.M., keeping in mind the privacy of the customer and some family time they might want to enjoy.
So don’t disturb them with promotional text outside working hours. Or don’t send them messages on public holidays. Why would someone be interested in your marketing messages while they are on holiday? Also, keep track of the time difference between your overseas customers.
5. Think beyond the line
Think beyond the ordinary course of action. Consider creative techniques to make your text message more appealing. If a multimedia message can better explain your marketing strategy, opt for that. Current generation phones are capable of viewing multimedia messages. Or even if you want to send an SMS, you can use some nice catchy phrases to grab your customers’ attention. You can add links to the websites where you have better explained your marketing strategy, like YouTube. YouTube’s ability to reach a significantly larger portion of potential customers compared to MMS is a proven fact. Studies have shown that YouTube has the potential to reach up to 50-60% of customers, while the reach of MMS is limited to only 10% of customers.
And make sure that the images or video you use clearly express your idea of the brand or services the customer might like. Moreover, provide the customer something they can utilise that will strengthen their bond with the business. And will not choose another company if the customer understands the marketing strategy and they understand that the company also has something in store for them.
6. Let them know about the additional charges
When you ask for the customer’s permission to opt-in for the SMS marketing tool, make sure that you let them know about the extra charges that may apply to avail of the service. “Caveat emptor” is the strategy that needs to be used here, i.e., the customer is the king, and he has the right to know everything before he agrees on anything. This way, the customer can avoid challenging the company for keeping them in the dark and siphoning off money from them. Make the terms and conditions of the agreement clearly stated, and ensure that the customer understands the terms and conditions of the contract. Cover all your grounds and leave no loop in the marketing service.
The SMS marketing tool may seem like a lot of work, and some people may also say that this way of marketing is less effective than other marketing sources, but the statistics show a different story. If you can tick all the boxes for a good SMS marketing tool, everything can go smoothly. So choosing this marketing strategy is effective as long as you know what needs to be done and what the customer wants. This marketing strategy is quite effective and efficient.
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This has been a guide to SMS marketing services. Here we have discussed the basic concept with top-six effective ways how SMS marketing services work in detail. You may also look at the following articles to learn more –
