What is the digital marketing industry’s future? This is a frequently asked question at marketing industry gatherings. With the ongoing evolution of the internet, it appears as though marketers are constantly on the lookout for the next channel to incorporate into their marketing program to drive results. From the early days of email marketing to the advent of social media, mobile, and video marketing, new channels have emerged on a regular basis, with some establishing long-term positions and others fading into obscurity.

As marketers, we are frequently drawn to the novel and innovative, as no one wants to be left behind when the next digital channel explodes onto the scene and begins delivering outstanding campaigns. However, something peculiar occurred in 2019. While some marketers were on the lookout for the next big thing, others were reflecting on a channel that has existed for years and has become nearly ubiquitous.

Effectively cutting through the noise in order to attract, convert, and retain customers is one of the most difficult challenges for marketers. Using the incorrect tools or tactics to communicate with customers not only wastes time and money, but also jeopardizes customer trust. SMS marketing has grown significantly in popularity over the last few years, particularly over the last 12 months. When done correctly, SMS marketing can be a powerful tool for building customer relationships and converting prospects into long-term customers.

Prior to diving headfirst into SMS marketing, there are a few critical points to consider and grasp.

What Is SMS Marketing Exactly?

SMS marketing is the practice of sending promotional and other marketing messages to customers via text messaging.

These messages may be promotional in nature, informing customers about upcoming sales, new products, and other opportunities, or they may be transactional in nature, sent in response to customer interactions such as purchasing or opening a support ticket.

As a result, text message marketing can be used for a variety of purposes, from promoting sales and new products to enhancing customer service and generating new leads.

What Is SMS Marketing and How Does It Work?

While SMS has some similarities to other forms of direct marketing, it also has some unique characteristics. While images can be sent via text messaging systems, not all users’ devices support them, making SMS primarily a text-only channel. This requires marketers to rely entirely on their marketing copy to communicate their message and elicit a response.

To begin, you must obtain permission via an opt-in process to send SMS marketing messages. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, from completing an online form to texting your business’s SMS number.

Following that, you can send promotional SMS text messages to their mobile phone. As a result, unlike other digital contact methods, text message marketing can still reach offline customers.

What Is SMS Marketing’s Allure?

• Nearly 96.89 percent of the Malaysian population owns a mobile phone (according to a Statista Study). As a result, your text message marketing campaign will be able to reach nearly everyone.

• SMS marketing generates a response rate of 45 percent (according to SMS Global), whereas email marketing generates a response rate of only 6%.

• The majority of people keep their phones within easy reach throughout the day, which means you can always contact them if necessary. Not only can you contact customers regardless of their location, but you can also send marketing messages to customers who do not have access to email or a data connection.

What are the rules and best practices for SMS marketing?

Verify that your contacts have consented to receive SMS messages.

Text messaging is an incredibly efficient and direct way to communicate with customers. However, when developing your SMS marketing strategy, there are several guidelines to follow. The first and most critical step is to obtain your contacts’ permission to send SMS messages to them.

While SMS has a high open-rate, this does not help you if you send messages to people who have indicated they do not wish to receive them. Not to mention that the majority of countries require opt-ins.

Keep your message’s timing in mind.

People almost immediately open text messages, in contrast to email, which is only checked a few times per day (at most). While this is advantageous for urgent messages, you do not want to abuse this capability by disturbing contacts at inconvenient times of the day.

Would you want to redeem a coupon that required you to wake up at 2 a.m. on a Wednesday night? I was not convinced.

Certain countries have enacted legislation defining when it is permissible to send promotional text messages (e.g. France does not allow SMS marketing on Sundays, holidays, or anytime after 10 PM).

Include your company’s name in your messages.

When sending bulk SMS messages, the majority of providers use a shortcode to disguise the sender’s identity. That is why, first and foremost, you must inform your contacts of the sender of the message.

You wouldn’t want to send a customer a promotional coupon and then leave them in the dark about how to redeem it, would you?

SMS can be used in conjunction with the other components of your digital marketing strategy.

The allure of digital marketing is that it enables you to communicate with your customers via a variety of channels. All of these channels work in concert to create a marketing communication system that enables businesses to develop large-scale relationships with their customers and prospects.

SMS and email marketing are complementary channels. You can create campaigns across both channels, using email to communicate more detailed information and SMS to communicate time-sensitive or urgent information.

There are numerous factors that contribute to the success of a content marketing campaign, and with the increasing prevalence of online life, businesses must adapt to become more literate. By registering for ViSight Marketing as a Service (VMaaS), you can gain access to the entire world’s potential customers by ensuring your company is always at the top of an internet search, potentially resulting in an increase in revenue. With VMaaS, we can create and distribute the content for your company.

Discover how ViSight Marketing as a Service can help your business grow its sales and revenue. Call 1-800-22-2020 or visit maas.cyngus.com to take action now.