There is a common misconception that audiences don’t want to hear from your brand via SMS marketing. However, according to Klaviyo’s SMS marketing consumer sentiment report, more than 50% of shoppers would prefer to hear from you over text as opposed to social media. So, if you are a digital marketing agency, this might be something to bear in mind.
Using SMS Marketing to Benefit Your Business
Let’s start by answering the question: what does SMS mean? The term “SMS”, is an acronym for “short message service”. Brands often use SMS marketing as a form of communication with their customers, to approach them on a more personal level. This is the practice of sending audiences text messages that can be used for a variety of purposes. This includes promotional messaging, discount and sale announcements, reminders and more.
This type of marketing is opt-in only, meaning brands can only send SMS marketing messages to customers who have specifically consented to receiving them. Audiences can also unsubscribe at any time. This is also evident in MMS marketing, but what does MMS mean? It stands for “multimedia messaging service” and is used for sending texts that contain images, GIFS or media related. There are a number of benefits of SMS marketing which, as an SMS marketing agency, we’ll dive right into.
Types of SMS Marketing
Promotional Messaging
The functionality of promotional SMS marketing messages is to promote a product and increase sales. These types of messages can be integrated in a flow, or used as a one off campaign. If the message is used within a flow, the SMS message will be sent after the customer has completed an action on your website. For example, once a customer has consented to receiving SMS text message marketing, the customer has hypothetically completed an action on your site by adding an item to their cart. A promotional message can be integrated with an abandoned cart flow, to encourage the customer to return to their cart and complete the purchase.
Examples of promotional SMS marketing messages include:
Providing information about a new product launch.
Informing about a promotion or sale.
Providing an exclusive discount.
Sharing brand announcements.
Transactional Messaging
These types of messages are used to inform customers of updates about their order. This acts as a form of customer service that aims to keep your audience up to date with any important information. According to the SMS marketing consumer sentiment report from Klaviyo, audiences were most receptive to transactional messages, and wanted to receive these the most. It’s important to note that customers who have opted in for transactional messages might not have opted in for all promotional messages.
Examples of transactional messages include:
Updates on shipping.
Information about shipping delays.
Confirmations on delivery.
Order confirmations.
Conversational Messaging
Conversational marketing messages offer two-way interactive communications. This type of SMS marketing uses a customer-centric approach. This allows businesses to understand a customer’s needs, provide tailored solutions and build on customer relationships. Conversational SMS systems often use a combination of automated messages with human customer service agents. This provides a personalised and effective experience.
The main use for conversational marketing is to improve a brands customer service. This encourages higher retention and customer lifetime value. Examples of these messages can include:
“Hi [Name], welcome to [Brand]! To get started, reply ‘HELP,’ and we will get in touch”
“Hi [Name], get 20% off on your next order by submitting a survey about your experience at [Brand].”
“Hi [Name], thanks for your recent purchase of [Product Name]. You might be interested in our sale item [Related Product Name]. Reply ‘YES’ to add this to your cart!”
Need help with your SMS Marketing? We have a team of specialists who would love to help! Get in touch today!