Text message marketing involves sending promotional texts to share important information with customers. If you’re looking for a cost-effective marketing strategy to try, text message marketing could be a good choice.
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What is text message marketing?
Have you ever received a text reminding you about an upcoming doctor’s appointment? Or received a 15% off coupon for signing up to receive texts from your favorite clothing store?
If so, you’ve experienced text message marketing in action. Text message marketing involves texting potential and existing customers about information that could benefit them.
It’s often used in the following ways:
- Promotional texts: You can send your customers promotional texts letting them know about upcoming sales or a new product coming out. Promotional texts are a great way to increase sales in your business.
- Notifications: If you run a service-based business, you can send your customers text message reminders. These text messages can be used to remind customers of upcoming appointments or to let them know they’re overdue for an appointment.
- Transactions: You can also use text message marketing for transactions. For instance, you can text your customers a link to check out after an appointment. You can also send buyers delivery reminders after they place an order online.
- Internal alerts: If you have a large number of employees, you can use text messages to communicate important news with them. For instance, you can let them know if the office is closed for the day or remind them about an upcoming office party.
5 benefits of text message marketing
Most people prefer text messages
Text messaging marketing occasionally gets a bad rap, but most of your customers want you to text them. According to one report, 91% of customers are willing to receive text messages from brands, and over half of these customers reported that they already had.
When compared to other marketing strategies, text message marketing is pretty cost-effective.
It has a high engagement rate
Text message marketing has a higher engagement rate than any other form of marketing. Text messages have a 98% read rate instead of just 20% for email marketing.
The average American checks their phone 47 times a day, and 89% check their phones within the first 30 minutes of waking up. The bottom line is that when you text your customers, most will read it.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you can bombard your customers with text messages. But when used appropriately, text message marketing can be an effective marketing channel for your business.
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It’s a cost-effective marketing strategy
When compared to other marketing strategies, text message marketing is pretty cost-effective. If you pay for Facebook or Instagram ads, you’re casting a fairly wide net. You can limit factors like the audience and geographic location, but you’re still paying for an ad that won’t reach the majority of your audience.
In comparison, you can only send text messages to people who opt in to receive them. So that means you’re only contacting people who want to hear from you.
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You can reach customers instantly
If you want to get in touch with your customers right away, text message marketing is the way to go. After all, it takes the average person just 90 seconds to respond to a text message.
If you have a promotional offer you want your customers to act on immediately, texting them is your best chance at seeing the returns you want. Whereas if you post about it on social media, many of your customers won’t learn about the promotion in time to act on it.
It’s easy to personalize your messages
One of the best ways to avoid coming across as spammy is to personalize your interactions with your customers. It’s easy to add a personal touch to text messages by including the customer’s name and sending personalized offers. For instance, you can send a freebie related to customers living in a certain area.
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