Today’s consumers are more tech-savvy and aware of how they share their personal information than ever before. While Short Message Service (SMS) Marketing is an enormously effective way to reach your target audience, it must be done with transparency and strategy. Crafting an SMS marketing copy that converts your interested prospects into paying customers is more complicated than writing a 160-character shipping notice or access code. If you want to create marketing text messages that have a high conversion rate, you need to consider each step of the process.
Partnering with a trusted name in vanity phone numbers is the first step in building credibility with your consumers. You want to ensure when your audience receives a message notification, you don’t receive a quick reply to ‘STOP’ sending texts. The average open rate for text message marketing campaigns is 98%, making SMS marketing one of the most immediate and intimate methods of communicating with your customer base.
Incorporating text messages into your marketing strategy is essential, so all 800.com plans include texting as part of the complete marketing experience. The versatility of this type of marketing outweighs nearly any other method. Craft messages that fall under a wide array of campaigns – welcome, transactional, loyalty, triggered, and promotional. But if you’re going to experience the potential benefits, your messages from a vanity number must be written with quality.
Benefits Of SMS Marketing
What if you had a marketing tool within your arsenal that your customers actually wanted you to use? By the end of 2020, it’s estimated that 48.7 million consumers will opt-in to receive business SMS messaging. Once they’ve opted in, three-fourths of recipients don’t mind receiving regular messages from businesses. Now that you know SMS marketing is one of the desired forms of communication by your customers, let’s dive into the benefits of using this simple but ultra-strategic tool.
1. Immediacy
The average open rate of an email is 20%, but 90% of text messages are read within three minutes. SMS is the most immediate way to get to your audience. Whether you’re promoting a flash sale or offering an in-store discount to boost your purchase rate, a text is the fastest way to get your brand into someone’s hand.
2. Cost-Effective
When you take inventory of how much you’re spending on traditional and digital marketing tools, you’ll discover it doesn’t cost much to reach a customer via text. Promotional efforts like Facebook ads, PPC, and other online platforms can take a chunk out of your marketing budget with little return.
SMS marketing, however, proves to deliver a high conversion rate. Statistics show 50% of US consumers purchase after receiving an advertising text, a discount coupon, or a QR code. This makes SMS marketing a great choice for all businesses.
3. Easy Integration
Text message marketing is easily integrated into a larger promotional campaign. Use SMS alongside other tools to reach your audience, like email, social media, video, and more. Use messages through your vanity phone number to cross-promote other platforms.
- Link recipients to digital discounts
- Push your audience to a Facebook Live video
- Offer promotional codes to encourage an instant purchase
Use SMS marketing to complement other promotions by sending action-based texts like, “Read our latest email for a 25% discount,” or, “You left items in your cart! Purchase now for an instant discount.”
4. Tracking
Text message marketing can be tracked into a reliable ROI stat. Identify the types of messages that your customers engage with most. Support your customers through the purchasing process from beginning to end.
Send welcome texts to new members and encourage them to experience your service or product with an initial discount. Confirm purchase and send tracking information to your customer. Once the product is delivered, follow up with a text survey to gauge your customer’s experience with the item.
5. Define Target Audience
Surveys sent via text messages can offer feedback from customers and help you better define your audience. An estimated 31% of consumers say they will respond to a brand that sends text messages asking for their feedback or input. Those who respond usually do so within five minutes, so you can generate information about your customers quickly.
Benefit and grow your brand in several ways with SMS marketing. Not only will you save money on your digital marketing plan by incorporating texts from custom phone numbers, but you’ll also grow your loyal customer base. To get the most out of your text marketing campaign, you must know how to write converting SMS marketing copy.
Write Converting SMS Marketing Copy
You have 160 characters to write the most compelling copy to get your audience to take the desired action. Whether you want them to make a purchase, volunteer for an event, or give feedback on a service or product, your message must grab their attention yet be simple enough to understand in the first read. If you want to write the best marketing text messages, use these pointers for your copy.
1. Attention-grabbing
With an article or blog, the headline is generally the piece of copy that can make or break a click thru. With SMS, there is no headline, so your first few words need to immediately grab the recipient’s attention. You don’t have enough real estate to prep the message or write a concluding statement, so get right to the point! Example phrases include:
- “Hurry! This sale ends tonight…”
- “Your favorite item is almost gone…”
- “Did you finalize this order?”
- “Pick our next product.”
Keep your message concise while offering a luring deliverable.
2. Simplicity
Keep your message simple. While nine out of 10 people will open a text message within three minutes of opening it, they don’t want to have to read it multiple times to get the idea. Do not exceed your 160-character limit and, as with a landing page, make your Call To Action clear and easy. Don’t feel the need to max out your message by overly explaining yourself. SMS is one of the most trusted means of marketing, with only 1% of SMS marketing messages considered spam. If there’s a simpler way to say what you mean, use it.
3. Skip “Text” Language
Avoid using text language abbreviations that may confuse your recipient. While “BRB” and “LOL” may be commonly used in texting conversations, they don’t make for great marketing messages. If you’re opting for text abbreviations to fit all of your characters into the message, it will be more beneficial to re-evaluate all of the copy rather than dilute your message with unprofessional truncated versions of real words.
4. Follow Regulations
Text regulations should be followed at all times. Check with your local regulations and laws and choose a text marketing company that is reputable for following communication rules. There are regulations on how messages can be sent from businesses to consumers. To keep your customers happy and continue your marketing campaigns, be aware of, and follow these laws.
5. Incentivize The CTA
Make your Call To Action more luring by offering a special discount or bonus to those who respond immediately. Use promotions that are measurable, like:
- Text “shake” to 56789 and receive a free milkshake on your next visit
- Respond “Y” to opt into our frequent flyer club
- Review your latest purchase by clicking here and earn free shipping on your next purchase!
Not only will you grow your loyal customer base with customized promotions, but you’ll receive valuable information to help strengthen your marketing strategy.
6. Stay Connect At A Distance
While the average person receives 32 texts per day, you don’t want to be the intrusive brand that reaches out too often. Text your customers no more than once a week. When you do reach out, be sure that your message has a purpose and offers a clear Call To Action. You don’t want to lose customers because you’re overzealous with your text message marketing.
SMS marketing copy offers ample opportunity to reach your audience. Connect with customers immediately and increase your conversion rate compared to other methods. By understanding the benefits of this digital marketing platform and using effective copy, you can engage with your consumers and come to better define your target audience.
Why 800.com Is The Best SMS Marketing Partner
Consumers are savvier than ever, paying particular attention to the customer experience and how brands handle each interaction. While SMS marketing is one of the lesser-priced options, utilizing a company that understands the importance of voice and text messaging — and how the two work together — is paramount in your success. With access to endless companies at their fingertips, your customers will quickly make the switch if they become unsatisfied.
When you partner with 800.com for a custom phone number, no matter the toll-free plan you choose, text messaging is included. To build a loyal customer base, your brand communication must be extraordinary. 800.com helps you differentiate your brand and build a loyal customer base with text messaging at the center of your strategy.
