Text messaging has gone beyond just sending a message to your family and friends, it has become a powerful tool within businesses and their marketing strategy. Smartphones have become the hub of our daily lives, with Ofcom confirming that the UK is now a smartphone society. We are spending on average over 2 hours a day on our mobile phone, twice as long as desktops and laptops!
Surprisingly though, many start-ups seem to overlook text messaging when building their business and marketing plan, deeming as it to be ineffective. Statistics show that 97% of customers would rather be contacted via SMS. Also, 98% text messages are opened and read within 3 minutes – you would be hard pushed to find these stats, when sending emails, or when using social media!
The statistics are clear that start-ups should not only be investing in, but implementing SMS right from the very beginning. With this in mind below we have detailed 7 key SMS guidelines, that every new business should consider implementing…
1. SMS is more than just sending promotional discounts..
Even though mobile offers are redeemed ten times further, compared to other channels, SMS marketing can surprisingly be leveraged far more. Depending on what your business has to offer, there are various different ways in which you can utilise SMS marketing more effectively. You can send general appointment reminders, delivery notification or changes to your business times. If you’re running a special event, then make sure everyone turns up by sending an SMS invite and get people to RSVP by replying back to your text. You can run exciting competitions by using a short-code keyword. For example; advertising text “WIN” to 81025. This is surprisingly cost effective! If your business is B2B, don’t dismiss SMS, mobile usage is intensifying throughout the entire B2B buying cycle.
2. You don’t have to stay within the “character limit”
Contrary to popular belief a text message isn’t restricted to 160 characters. Through our service you have the ability to send up to *918 characters (6 total text messages). This will show up on the handset as one whole message. This opens up a great opportunity if you need to send out lengthier messages to your customers. Always ensure that the messages you send add value to your business and are straight to the point. Avoid sending out lengthy messages to your customers, it’s best to remember it’s not always a convenient time, so you don’t want to bombard people.
3. Simple list building…
List building is difficult right? No – not when you’re building your SMS marketing list. There are various different ways that you can collect your SMS marketing data, without breaking the rules! Whether it’s adding an additional line on your registration form or promoting a short-code keyword on your marketing channels – building your list doesn’t have to be a strenuous task. Even if your list is small, it’s about the quality rather than quantity. Those people have to opt-in to receive your messages, meaning that these people are already engaged with your business and have a higher chance of reacting to your call to action. Take a look at our great guide on the different ways you can legitimately build your opt-in list.
4. A great return-on-investment
With TextAnywhere, we offer competitive and cost efficient pricing. Depending on the volume you send, a text message could cost you as low as 2.9p. But what exactly do you get in return? The average return-on-investment of a text-message campaign is a lucrative 45%. When you combine SMS with other popular marketing channels such as social media and email it increases to over 50% – the highest marketing channel return!
5. Target your audience directly
In the busy world we live in today, the one thing every business is fighting over is getting people’s attention. Cut through the everyday noise by going straight to where you know your customer will be looking – at their mobile phone! Get to know your audience well and send your text messages at the right time for them to read and take action appropriately. By sending a simple text message, you can reach your audience directly and stand out from your competitors.
6. A great market research tool
In the early stages of building your business you will need to conduct as much research as possible. With Text Survey, you can build your own survey and make it as basic or detailed as you want it to be. Studies show that consumers are more likely to respond to a SMS survey compared to any other. This means you will be getting genuine feedback that will help you make the best decision for your business. With people more likely to respond to text messages, you are more likely to gain higher volumes of valuable data. If you want to find out more, take a look at the various surveys you can create with our SMS survey templates guide.
7. Easy set up, little maintenance and big results..
With TextAnywhere getting set up can take a matter of minutes by simply filling out our registration form. There are no setup or maintenance fees. Just pay for the messages you send. Our system is straightforward to use. Should you need any assistance, our customer service team who are on hand 7 days a week, will be more than happy to help. Maintaining your SMS campaigns is simple by uploading your contacts with a CSV file and the ability to schedule your messages in advance.
The message is clear SMS marketing is vital for your start-up.Take a look at our checklist for setting up your first text message campaign.
Need help further help with your SMS campaign or have any questions about our service? Talk to our friendly customer care team on 0845 122 1302 or email [email protected].
*Just to let you know..when sending texts up to 918 characters you will be charged for each text (160 characters). i.e. 918 characters, you would need to apply 6 text message credit charges.