Currently, more than half of the top 1,000 online merchants use text message marketing, but that doesn’t imply they are ignoring email and other marketing channels. Even though they may look identical, it’s crucial to develop strategic email and text messaging programmes that give your users a seamless and tailored experience.
Using Email to SMS together in your marketing strategy has several advantages.
Like every technique, email to SMS marketing both offer certain advantages. Their advantages are balanced out when you mix the two for an all-encompassing marketing strategy. Among the advantages of merging your plans are:
Cost-effectiveness
Due to cheap execution costs, email marketing generates a strong return on investment (ROI). By combining the two, you may spread your message across a variety of channels and reach a huge number of subscribers at a cheap cost. Prices will vary since Bulk SMS rates for companies are set by regional cellular providers.
Mobile-friendliness
You can contact your clients on mobile phones using several marketing techniques, and you can let them choose whether to read or connect with your company.
Better knowledge of your audience
When you integrate SMS service and email marketing feedback and analytics, you get a more comprehensive view of your subscribers and can see trends in the data to tailor your strategies.
There are certain recommended practises to bear in mind, though, before you quit reading and immediately start sending Bulk SMS messages to your clients.
Below are five suggestions to help you include an SMS strategy into your email marketing campaigns and develop an omnichannel marketing strategy that provides a consistent customer experience across all of your customer communications.
Approaching SMS in the Same Manner as Email
Like sending emails often demands, you must first obtain your consumers’ consent before sending them SMS messages. You can comply with the FCC’s requirement for written consent before sending commercial text by collecting cell phone numbers, sending recipients an SMS message, and asking them to respond with “yes” or another indication of consent in order to receive your messages in the future.
But as usual, confirm the laws that apply to you and, if required, get advice from your company’s legal team.
As with your email list, you should next segment your list of Bulk SMS message receivers so that you may address certain cohorts in your messaging. It goes without saying that when you customize your email marketing, users respond better.
The same personalization possibilities are available with many SMS message sending providers, allowing you to include first names, birthdays, locations, and other details. Just be careful not to overdo it because there won’t be much room.
Triggered, transactional, and promotional SMS messages
They are all possible to send.
As with email, take into account delivering various communication kinds by SMS:
- Customers are informed through triggered alerts about events like order shipments. Suspicious account log-in attempts, approaching bill due dates, and monthly reports.
- When a consumer makes a purchase, pays a bill. Opens a new account, or resets their password, transactional messages are sent in response.
- Customers are informed about new items, exclusive offers, prizes based on their activity. And other methods that increase sales through promotional communications. Additionally, you can design chances for cross- and up-selling.
- SMS service are ideal for communications that require greater urgency than an email would due to their immediate nature
You might wish to get a short code if you plan to send a lot of SMS messages to avoid being labelled as a spammer by carriers. A five- or six-digit phone number known as a short code is one that has been pre-approved for usage with commercial activities by mobile carriers. For a choice that will be simple for people to remember, choose one that spells out a word.
The essence of SMS messages is concision
Your emails should be concise and to the point, but since SMS messages are limited to 160 characters, each letter must be utilised.
Use a link shortening programme to compress any links you include to conserve space. Although it may be tempting to combine several SMS messages into one message, doing so may raise the likelihood that your recipients will begin to unsubscribe in large numbers. At most, try not to send SMS messages more than a few times each week.
Think about how your SMS communications may support your emails. For instance, you might send a follow-up SMS message reminder right before the deal expires. If you email your list about an unique promotion that has a deadline. You may plan out your marketing initiatives by scheduling the delivery of SMS messages. To reach your consumers throughout the daytime when they are available, you must be able to manage the message’s timing.
Use Short, Useful Keywords, and Respond to Messages Right Away
You can ask clients to text a word or phrase to your phone number (preferably a short code) to enrol when you advertise your new SMS service. Consider employing a memorable phrase. You may invite consumers to text “fashion” to your phone number to sign up, for instance. If you own an online business that offers women’s clothing and accessories.
Use an auto-responder to make sure consumers get a response right away after enrolling. Welcome them to the service and inform them of how to cancel by texting a word like “stop” back. Make sure it’s simple for them to opt-out, and let them know you’ll respect their decision by acknowledging them when they do
Boost one channel while using the other
Some companies have had success asking customers to text their emails in exchange for a discount. Prior to sending out emails, the business often promotes using physical signs and social media campaigns. Businesses may do this to collect email addresses and mobile phone numbers in one text message for many methods to interact with subscribers. By texting a certain word or phrase from an email. Customers may opt-in for subsequent SMS marketing messages, expanding your SMS service list from your present email subscriber base.
Utilizing SMS to Email to prepare your customers for a longer email is another technique to take advantage of the small footprint of the messaging service. Your open and engagement rates can go up if you send them a quick text letting them know what’s coming and outlining the benefits of spending more time on your email to SMS.
