Marcus Webb 
Not all text message strategies are created equal. You have brands that fully integrate it into their business and others that use it carelessly. Don’t be one who aimlessly sends boring texts to your customers.
SMS marketing campaigns encompass more than sending bulk messages every now and again. It takes testing, planning, and getting into customers’ psyches. You must get to know your audience—learn about what motivates them, the kind of content they want, and the type of messages they engage the most with.
Yes, SMS marketing takes a ton of work and diligence. However, when done right, it can produce excellent results. It can drive sales, keep customers happy, and grow your business. Data shows that you could see a 106% increase in conversions by adopting a solid SMS strategy.
Want to know how you can reap the benefits? We’ve compiled a list of 5 ideas to level up text message marketing.
Let’s look at a few SMS marketing strategies that help boost your chances of success.
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5 Ways to Supercharge Your SMS Marketing Campaign
As we know, SMS marketing can help you reach customers directly and enhance your brand experience. But it’s not enough to simply send messages. You must use methods that engage customers and keep them looking forward to your texts.
Let’s look at a few SMS marketing strategies that help boost your chances of success.
1. Promote Exclusivity and Rewards
One way to reel customers and keep them is through exclusivity and rewards. First, let’s discuss exclusivity in marketing. No, this doesn’t involve a velvet rope or a waiting list. Instead, exclusivity marketing attracts people by making them feel like they’re missing out if they don’t take action. In the context of SMS marketing, customers can only have access to special deals and other content if they subscribe to your texts. In other words, it’s good ol’ FOMO at work. Why is exclusivity effective? It’s human nature. The power of exclusivity can be explained by the scarcity principle. The more elusive something is, the more curious people will become. And it sparks a sense of urgency to know what they’re missing out on. It’s these emotions that make people want to convert or click through. Another explanation is the sense of belonging. People want to feel like they’re one of the few to have access to benefits. The effects of exclusivity are amplified when you add rewards. For example, when you reward customers for signing up for your texts and staying subscribed, you encourage behaviors that keep them engaged. And when they’re rewarded for interacting with you, they’re more likely to enjoy the experience with your brand. And they’ll want to keep performing those actions—creating a lifelong customer. A survey from RetailMeNot even proves the allure of exclusivity and rewards in marketing. Check out these stats:- 66% of consumers have made an unplanned purchase after finding a coupon or discount
- 80% of consumers feel encouraged to make a first-time purchase with a brand that is new to them if they had a coupon code
- 93% of people say they would repeat a purchase with a business if they consistently offered good discounts
- About 65% of survey participants said getting a good discount was more important than superior customer service
2. Send Automated Drip Campaigns via Text
A drip campaign allows you to send personalized and targeted communication that corresponds with an action the recipient has performed. Drip campaigns are triggered from some of the following actions (or inactions):- Making a purchase
- Signing up for your texts
- Completing a lead capture form to receive a product or freebie
- Abandoning a cart
- A repeat customer not making a purchase after a while
- Creating a customer support query
- Emphasize the value of each interaction.
- Build momentum toward an end goal.
- Ensure each text is relevant.
3. Set Up Two-Way Interactions
Sending one-way promotions and offers is great. But consumers want to interact with brands. You can use two-way texting to streamline your customer service and boost engagement. Regarding customer service, consumers want quick and convenient responses. Most of the time, they want answers to basic questions from your team. They don’t want to go through a bothersome communication process to talk to a rep. Making your customer service experience complicated can lead to impatience, anxiety, and negative opinions about your brand. But you can easily solve this by having a two-way text channel. Using two-way texts for support queries enables customers to chat with an agent instantly, speeding up resolution times. Research shows that increased response time can significantly impact customer satisfaction and loyalty. Here’s what a TCN survey found:- 33% of consumers said they would post a positive review online after a smooth customer service experience
- 42% said that they would leave a negative review after receiving poor customer service
- 69% of consumers said talking to a live rep by phone is their preferred method of communication
4. Send Reminders and Confirmations via Text
Life is busy for many. You can make things a little easier by prompting customers with helpful reminders and alerts. As the name implies, confirmation texts confirm something for the subscriber. The most common example is an appointment confirmation. But that isn’t the only type. Some other situations you would send a confirmation text include:- Canceled appointments
- Rescheduled appointments
- Order confirmation
- Shipping confirmation
- Delivery confirmation
- Class reminders
- Payment reminders
- High open rate: Opting for confirmation texts gives you a 98% open rate. So sending confirmations via text is an awesome way to boost your chances of customers seeing them.
- Enhanced customer engagement: Most people prefer to be contacted via text. And adhering to customer preference is a key way to retain and keep them engaged.
- Customers expect them: Consumers have come to expect brands to send confirmation messages. If they don’t receive one, they may wonder if their order went through or if their appointment was scheduled. This can lead to confusion or, worst—mistrust.
5. Get Your Timing Right
SMS is all about immediacy. Most people read texts within five minutes of receiving them. Of course, the speed at which they open and read your messages depends on the time you send them. Obviously, your text will go ignored if you send it at 5 in the morning—not to mention, this might annoy your subscribers. Why is timing your texts so important? Business messages aren’t like personal ones between friends and family. And even though they will receive your message, they won’t always be receptive, depending on the time of day it was sent. For instance, some people may respond well to texts in the morning. Others may be more likely to read your texts in the evening. Figuring out the perfect timing can be complicated, but we’re here to make it easier. Check out these three tips to determine the best time to send marketing messages:- Consider the message type: Text message types usually fall into two categories: promotional and transactional. Send promotional texts during regular business hours between 8 AM and 9 PM. Since transactional messages are triggered by an action, these should go out as soon as possible.
- Look at the clock and the calendar: Remember time zones and holidays when sending messages. For instance, sending text messages at 9 AM in Chicago might not go over well for subscribers in California. Also, avoid sending messages on widely celebrated holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter.
- Never stop testing: Disperse your text campaigns across various days and analyze metrics like open and response rates. This will help you figure out which days work best for your subscribers.
Nail Your SMS Marketing Strategy With Gleantap
As you can see, amplifying your text marketing is doable. You can easily use all these methods to improve engagement and boost revenue. However, you can’t level up your SMS marketing without the right software. You’ll notice that many of the tactics we mentioned today are customer-centric. And to implement these strategies, you will need a platform that integrates customer relationship management features. Gleantap provides both SMS and CRM capabilities, which allow you to use valuable customer data to create optimized campaigns. Schedule a free demo to discover what Gleantap can do for your brand.
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Ready to Run Successful Marketing Campaigns and Grow Your Business?
Gleantap helps you unify customer data, track behavior patterns, and automate personalized campaigns, so you can increase repeat purchases and grow your business.
Ready to Run Successful Marketing Campaigns and Grow Your Business?
Gleantap helps you unify customer data, track behavior patterns, and automate personalized campaigns, so you can increase repeat purchases and grow your business.