SMS Marketing Strategy: Tools and Tips for Businesses

There are many ways to spread the word about your business, but SMS marketing ranks among the best. When you incorporate SMS into your marketing strategy, you can reach customers through their mobile devices. And there’s an extremely good chance that subscribers will read your message. In fact, SMS open rates average a hefty 98% —  increasing the likelihood that clients will see your content.

SMS marketing ranks among the most valuable advertising strategies simply because it lets you connect with subscribers one-on-one. You can use it to share product updates, solicit client feedback, and provide real-time shipping notifications, among other uses. While email marketing offers a similar connection, there’s a lot of competition among your subscribers’ inboxes, and open rates tend to be lower. 

You can incorporate SMS marketing into a multichannel strategy that complements your other techniques. For instance, you might use social media to showcase your products and SMS to provide shipping updates when a client orders one. You could use email to request a customer’s evaluation after they receive your product.

Legality and ethics of SMS marketing

There are lots of laws concerning marketing text messages, including the TCPA and the CAN-SPAM Act. The regulations aim to protect consumers from unsolicited text messages and spam. They require that organizations receive a customer’s written consent before sending marketing texts and that brands don’t take advantage of subscribers by sending messages at odd times or selling their personal data.

Before you embark on an email and SMS marketing strategy, it’s crucial to understand these regulations and how they apply to your campaign. Speaking with a qualified legal advisor can help you learn what your business is responsible for to help you stay in compliance. 

What are the benefits of SMS marketing?

Engaging in SMS marketing provides numerous advantages that can benefit your brand. Here are a few reasons why text message marketing is so advantageous.

SMS marketing is cost-effective

Sending an SMS message is one of the most inexpensive ways to reach your audience compared to other marketing channels. A single text typically costs just a few pennies to send. Other marketing strategies — like online ads, commercials, and curated social media posts — can run into the thousands of dollars to create. Since SMS marketing is so economical, it is a useful tool for nearly any organization, regardless of its budget.

Direct communication with customers

SMS marketing is one of the best ways to connect directly with your audience. Since messages go straight to your subscribers’ cellphones, they receive individual communications from your brand — something that other channels, like social media and online ads — can’t offer. You can personalize your SMS texts directly to individual clients or send targeted messages to specific audience segments.

Real-time updates and high open rates

SMS messages boast significantly higher open rates than email. An SMS marketing text has a 98% chance of being read, while email open rates hover around 24.7%. Since people typically keep their cell phones on hand, they’re more likely to see messages when they’re immediately delivered. Brands can use SMS messages to give subscribers real-time updates, like appointment confirmations and package delivery notifications.

Ability to drive sales and customer engagement

SMS marketing messages are an excellent way to boost revenue and client engagement. You can use them to notify customers of flash sales or recommend complementary products based on their prior purchases. They’re also an easy way to request customer feedback or solicit opinions via surveys and polls. 

Strategies for building an SMS subscriber list

Before you can send SMS marketing texts, you need a base of willing subscribers who want to receive your messages. Here are a few techniques that can help you build and support your audience.

Ethically incentivizing opt-ins

Sometimes, customers need a little motivation to subscribe to SMS texts. After all, they’re providing you with their personal phone number and trusting that you won’t take advantage of it. You can prompt them to sign up with an incentive. For instance, you might describe the value of subscribing, such as access to exclusive deals or promotions. 

Creating an effective SMS welcome automation

Once a subscriber signs up to receive SMS texts, it’s good practice to welcome them to your list. Consider setting up an automated process that sends them an immediate text when they join. You might also ask them to verify their subscription by quickly replying to your message. You can describe what they can look forward to in your future SMS texts and allow them to set preferences, such as how often you want them to hear from you and what type of content they’d like to receive.

Expanding your SMS list and using checkout experiences

Your subscriber list will gain momentum over time, especially if you use every opportunity to promote it. One of the best ways to gain text message subscribers is during the sales checkout process. Once someone buys from you, they’re already familiar with what you have to offer. Whether they buy online or at your physical storefront, you can encourage them to sign up for your SMS texts when they purchase.

Targeting email subscribers for SMS opt-ins

If you already have an email subscriber base, use it to promote your SMS list. You can send an email to your audience telling people what to expect if they sign up for your SMS texts and how it differentiates from your other marketing channels. You can also include a simple and clear CTA so your customers can quickly sign up if they want to.

Designing your SMS marketing campaigns

As your SMS marketing gains steam, you must decide on strategies that compel your subscribers to engage with your content and continually attract new audiences.

How to create SMS marketing campaigns

Designing an SMS marketing campaign requires some planning. You don’t want to start sending SMS texts without addressing a few key elements first, including the following:

• Your campaign goals: What are you hoping to achieve through your SMS texts? Do you want to build a loyal following or boost sales? Are you hoping to learn more about your customer base? Do you want to use SMS texts to promote new products or services? Defining your campaign goals can help you establish a clear SMS business marketing strategy.
• Identifying your audience: Define the traits and characteristics of your target customers. Learn what motivates them to subscribe to your marketing messages and why they want to hear from you. Knowing their demographics, interests, and purchasing behaviors can help you cultivate tailored content. 
• Establish a campaign timeline: Determine how frequently you’ll send SMS texts and when they’ll be delivered. Remember that time zones may vary across your customer base, so ensure you send messages when your clients are most likely to engage with them.

What are best practices for SMS campaign design and timing?

Understanding the best practices of successful SMS campaigns can help you avoid faux pas that hurt your results. Here are a few to be aware of:

• Provide valuable content: Any time you text a subscriber, ensure your message is relevant to their motivations and interests. Avoid sending texts that don’t apply to their needs. Otherwise, your audience may complain or unsubscribe.
• Include a clear CTA: Unless your text is informational — such as a shipping notification or update to your store hours — provide a CTA that tells recipients what you want them to do. Providing links and shortcodes can help you engage with subscribers.
• Personalize messages: Include elements that personalize your message content, such as your subscribers’ names, location, or connections to a recent brand interaction. 
• Integrate your SMS campaigns with other marketing channels: Chances are, your SMS campaigns aren’t the only marketing channel you have. Integrate your texts to coincide with your other channels. For instance, you might use email to promote a new product line and then send an SMS text receipt if a customer places an order.
• Promote special offers: SMS texts provide a great platform to promote flash sales or one-time deals that your subscribers can use.
• Automate SMS marketing for efficiency: You can ensure your subscribers receive timely messages from you through automation. Use automation for welcome texts, shipping notifications, and other similar content. 
• Evaluate performance: Use KPIs to monitor the effectiveness of your campaign. For instance, you might set benchmarks for open rates, conversions, and click-throughs, then compare them to your actuals. If your results don’t meet expectations, find ways to improve your SMS campaign.

Advanced SMS marketing techniques

When you first begin SMS marketing, you’ll put new skills to the test. You’ll learn how to build a subscriber list, develop an effective SMS marketing automation strategy, and evaluate results. As you become more confident in your abilities, you can try out some advanced techniques to enhance campaign performance.

Using two-way SMS for customer engagement

Not all of your SMS texts have to be one-directional. Instead, work on developing relationships with your clients through two-way SMS texts. For instance, you might send an SMS text asking clients to rate a recent product they bought and provide a short review. Their feedback can help you learn more about how they feel about your brand.

Personalizing messages with targeted segments

As you would with your email messages, develop a segmentation strategy for your SMS texts. Categorize your subscribers based on their buying motivations, demographics, location, and other factors. Instead of sending text blasts with the same content, vary your messaging to cater to each segmented group.

Improving customer loyalty through tailored SMS programs

A tailored SMS messaging strategy can enhance customer trust and loyalty. Consider offering clients something they’ll appreciate when subscribing to your texts. For instance, you might recognize a subscriber’s birthday with a special message and one-time offer or reward them with loyalty points they can use toward future purchases.

Supporting post-purchase experience with SMS

After customers buy from your brand, use SMS to learn about their experience and solicit feedback. For instance, you might send them a customer service survey to find out what they thought about their purchase. Or, you could use SMS to recommend other products they might like.

SMS marketing software solutions

An effective SMS marketing campaign requires software with supportive features. You can choose from several different solutions, including Twilio, Omnisend, Klaviyo, and Constant Contact. Here’s a breakdown of how they compare. 

Constant Contact’s SMS marketing plan includes built-in features designed to support all marketers. Unlike some other platforms, you don’t need to be a software expert to get started. You can begin developing SMS texts immediately after subscribing and use an AI content generator if you need a little messaging inspiration.

Pairing SMS marketing with other digital strategies

Think of digital marketing cohesively. It’s not simply email marketing or SMS texting; it includes other strategies like social media and ecommerce advertising. When combining your SMS texts with other marketing strategies, find ways to complement them so you’re not simply repeating the same information in every channel.

For instance, you might use email to provide news updates on your business and social media to display your newest products. You can use SMS messages to follow up with clients after they order a product or to provide shipping status updates.

A solid SMS marketing strategy can reap huge benefits

There’s no doubt that SMS marketing can bring tremendous value to your business. It provides an opportunity to form stronger client relationships and is extremely cost-effective compared to other marketing strategies. To get started on your SMS marketing campaign, define its purpose and your goals, and start building an organic subscriber list. Remember to integrate SMS best practices, including personalization, automated workflows, and integration with your other marketing channels. As you become more comfortable with SMS marketing, you can try more advanced techniques, like two-way SMS and segmented texts. To learn more about SMS text marketing, check out our guides to SMS for Retail and SMS Text Message Marketing for Small Businesses.