History and use of the simple text message
Texting or short message services (SMS’s) is a means of sending messages from a mobile phone or PC to other phones/PCs and handheld devices. It’s short because you’re only allowed 160 characters, regardless of which platform or service. Whether it’s professional election campaign text messages or fundraising texts for a non-profit, the text message has grown up and is a great way to reach and target specific audiences. From a marketing perspective, this has seen an increase in personalized and mass text campaigns to drive sales and build brands.
The benefits of the text message for marketing
There are numerous benefits of text messaging for marketing. Those mentioned below are the most basic and should form the foundation of any text messaging marketing strategy.
It’s immediate
The fact that most people in America have a mobile device and that it’s generally with them wherever they are, means that the text message is the most immediate and direct means of reaching your customers or clients.
Integrates well
It can be used on its own as a singular marketing tool, and yet the SMS links or integrates well with email and social media. It’s a messaging service that can be securely sent to both the platforms mentioned above, both on the handheld device and in the office.
Can build up customer information
The fact that customers can respond will show if they’ve read your message; the SMS or text is increasingly being used for simple surveys allowing customer feedback on specific company processes or previous purchases.
Allows you to reach the largest amount of people
As aforementioned, with over 97% of Americans owning a mobile phone, the SMS is the simplest form of message and can be received and sent by all of these devices. Access to customers has never been easier.
Top tips for using the text message effectively
Some of the most successful text messaging campaigns have used the following tips to maximize this means and method of marketing and are worth considering based on their previous success for the big players out there:-
- Logo placement in the message
- Send coupons or offers direct to customer phones, people come in for the coupon and then made a few other purchases.
- Clearly outline the desired goal, political text campaigns are a good example here…
- Use texts to thank your customers for a recent brand positive action, a post, a purchase.
To successfully use the SMS as a marketing tool, you will need to ensure that you legally have access to your customer numbers and have permission from them to send messages to this number. A simple tick box or non-ticked box at the point of purchase or registration online will provide this, and the rest is about analytics and learning your clientele or customers. Knowing what to send to who is a key to text messaging marketing and will be the crux of your success.