10 Reasons Brands Should Use Text Message Marketing

Why should businesses use text message marketing?

Text messaging has become one of the best ways for businesses to communicate with customers and leads. If you’re on the fence about implementing SMS business marketing into your digital marketing strategy, here are 10 ways it can benefit you.

Marketing text messages get noticed. 

Your SMS marketing message will likely be seen and read. A widely touted industry statistic states that 98 percent of text messages are opened and read, with most being read within three minutes of delivery. This effectiveness, coupled with excellent customer service in the form of quick follow-up and replies to questions, can prompt immediate purchases. 

“Texting allows for small businesses to get their message directly in front of customers. This can build customer loyalty, drive sales with timely discounts or promotions, or [let you] answer customer questions in real time through a quick text,” said Sidharth Ramsinghaney, director of corporate strategy and operations at Twilio.

Texted marketing messages are delivered instantly. 

Text messages typically arrive within seconds of being sent. The average SMS delivery time for most mobile carriers is less than 10 seconds. This capability allows brands to deliver time-sensitive marketing messages and offers instantly. 

“Put simply, SMS text message marketing meets customers right where they are, considering that the average person spends as much as three hours and 50 minutes per day on their mobile devices,” said Jamal Miller, senior director of product marketing at Mailchimp.

Another great thing about SMS marketing is that even people who don’t own a smartphone can send and receive text messages. This makes SMS marketing one of the most accessible and effective tools for instantly delivering promotional messages to consumers.

Marketing text messages have a higher open rate than emails.

“Text message marketing for small business is an effective means of reaching customers because of its high open rates and almost immediate reach,” said Ramsinghaney.

As mentioned above, 98 percent of texts are open and read. This number contrasts starkly with the average email open rate of about 37 percent, according to Constant Contact. A higher open rate makes a marketing campaign more effective. Plus, brands don’t have to worry about crafting a great subject line that will encourage recipients to open and read a text message. The buzz going off in a mobile user’s pocket is all the motivation they need to open a text message.

With brands struggling to increase email deliverability, the high level of SMS deliverability makes this marketing channel a worthwhile investment.

Marketing texts have high conversion rates.

SMS has an impressive conversion rate. Mobile users respond to calls to action in text messages more than any other marketing channel. Studies show that SMS messages have an average response rate of 45 percent, compared with an average email response rate of 6 percent. The reason conversion rates are higher with SMS is the simplicity of the marketing message. Text messages are short, don’t include many links and aren’t bogged down with excessive images. The call to action is clear and concise.

It’s easy to personalize and customize marketing texts.

Text messages are more personal than other forms of communication. Since your marketing messages are delivered directly to your prospects’ and customers’ personal messaging inboxes, you can use casual, friendly language instead of traditional marketing and sales language. You can communicate as you would with a friend — an approach that helps you build a rapport with consumers and create a great customer experience. It’s also easy to personalize your messages with recipients’ names and send customized offers. 

Text message marketing can boost brand awareness.

SMS marketing is an excellent way to increase brand awareness. Implementing effective SMS messaging between brands and mobile device users helps attract and engage customers throughout the buying process. Since users check their text messages multiple times a day, consistent messages can help you stay top of mind.

Personal, consistent and reliable messages can also foster trust and loyalty among your consumers. When customers are loyal and engaged with your business, they are more likely to recommend your product or service to a friend, thus expanding brand awareness.

Text messages help you get quick feedback from customers.

You can initiate surveys and polls via SMS and receive results quickly. Customer feedback is valuable for helping companies improve their products. It could also help you learn more about market trends and better understand customer preferences.

Text message marketing is cost-effective.

SMS marketing efforts are inexpensive compared to other marketing solutions. Since text message marketing has a high open rate and response rate, it can garner a high return on investment as you connect with your target audience. This makes it a cost-effective tool to add to your overall marketing strategy. See our picks for the best text message marketing services to evaluate pricing.

Text message marketing is easy to implement.

Text message marketing is permission-based, so you already know your customers are opting in to receive your messages. Once you’ve created an SMS campaign, you can track, manage and optimize performance easily. With the help of SMS marketing automation, brands can create, schedule and automate smart targeting campaigns.

Marketing texts won’t get caught in spam filters.

Marketers don’t have to worry about their promotional text messages ending up in the spam folder — the filters email marketers must battle with do not exist in the world of SMS. When someone opts in to receive SMS marketing messages, marketers don’t have to remind them to safelist their shortcode, so their messages don’t accidentally land in a spam folder.