SMS marketing and social media are both key players when it comes to a business’ core marketing strategy. They each have their own features and advantages – but which comes out on top? We’ll let you decide. Let the battle begin…
Audience reach
With 93% of UK adults owning a mobile phone, the potential reach for both text messages is extremely high. Many social media accounts are now accessed via a smartphone, and with over 2 billion social network users worldwide, social media also has the potential to reach a huge number of users.
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SMS
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An impressive 98% of text messages are opened within the first three minutes of it being sent. The average click-through rate via SMS is 36% – you can see why many businesses are including hyperlinks in their messages!
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Social Media
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The average reach for a Facebook post is around 2%, and of that 2%, only an average of 11% engaged with said post
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Twitter has around 100 million active users, but only a measly 29% of tweets are read!
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Verdict: SMS wins
Engagement
With so many smartphone users across the world, the potential engagement rate for SMS and social media can be massive. Participation can include anything from checking a mobile phone or social platform, to sending a text or posting an update.
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SMS
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Smartphone users check their phones 150 times a day, while 86% of all mobile users check their phones within an hour of waking up.
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Social Media
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Only 46% of Twitter users check their account once a day, while the average time spent per Facebook visit is 20 minutes
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Verdict: SMS wins
Conversions
There are many types of conversions, and these are all defined by the core business strategy and goals. It could simply be brand awareness, redeeming a particular promotion, or selling your company’s products or services.
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SMS
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Conversion rates via SMS have reached an apparent 23% for retailers that use promotional messaging, as well as including a limited time to redeem an offer and using a strong call to action
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Social Media
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According to Shopify, Facebook holds the highest conversion rate for all social e-commerce traffic at 1.85%
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Verdict: SMS wins
Easy of entry
When you are ready to start your marketing promotions, how much competition will you face to get your promotional work started?
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SMS
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Your contacts are well-qualified, having verified their interest in your offers and willing to buy. There is no need to compete for “attention” with SMS Marketing. You can successfully engage with your audience to the offer without the need of extensive dialogue like social media.
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Social Media
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Social media is a constantly changing and this can make it a competitive environment, especially when you’re a “newbie”. You need to invest serious time in building your social profiles, regularly updating your content so you don’t lose followers. People don’t go out their way to follow businesses on social media; you need to ensure you carefully tailor your message content to attract the right audience.
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Verdict: SMS wins
Despite being seen as a more method, SMS marketing is the proven winner here as a more beneficial marketing tool. A significant 45% of SMS campaigns generate a favourable ROI, however, combined with other popular channels such as Social Media ROI can reach over 50%.
For more information or to discuss how SMS marketing can be beneficial to your business or organisation, contact us on 0845 122 1302 or email [email protected].