Consumers use their cell phones for everything – from listening to music, to paying their bills, shopping on social media – and everything in between. It almost feels too obvious that brands should utilize this one stop shop to their advantage.
SMS marketing is proven to drive revenue, build loyalty, and increase consumer retention, yet not all brands are doing it. 91% of consumers are interested in signing up for texts* demonstrating the huge opportunity to grab consumer attention, and more importantly, their $!
It’s not surprising that brands have used SMS marketing over the years to engage with subscribers in ways such as welcome messages, post purchase follow ups and abandoned cart notifications but it’s evolved. It’s now become a direct marketing channel that lets brands connect with consumers in a more personalized and measurable way.
One way to implement this is to integrate your e-commerce platform with SMS marketing to allow for extremely personalized interactions with consumers, using their recent shopping/product data. However, SMS marketing shouldn’t be treated just as an acquisition tool, it should be an integral part of your CRM strategy. Like other marketing channels your brand uses (emails, social etc), your brand should be using analytics and data to help tailor your brand messaging based on consumer preferences, to build a relationship with them.
A recent SMS marketing consumer trends report held by Attention revealed that 51% of consumers would be more likely to make a purchase if they received a text message that included a GIF, image or video*. There’s an abundance of high performing campaigns that your brand can capitalize on:
- VIP content and perks
- New product launches
- Sale and limited-time offer announcements
- Invites to loyalty programs*
…and to keep engagement rates high, and increase ROI, brands should consider segmenting their database before communicating with them. This ensures you’re acknowledging consumer preferences and behaviors and hitting them with the brand/product messages that resonate.
Typical segmentation and personalization includes:
- How often a subscriber segment wants to hear from you
- Whether a subscriber has clicked or purchased within a given period
- What types of messages a subscriber is interested in (such as limited-time offers and behind-the-scenes looks)
- A subscriber’s browse and purchase history
- A subscriber’s VIP and loyalty status
- A subscriber’s geographic location*
Exclusivity can make consumers join, as they feel by being part of this channel they will get something no one else will, be it first access to a new product launch or a special promotion or event. The exclusivity game is definitely one to use to your advantage.
There’s so many opportunities to use SMS marketing to stand out from your competitors and get to know your audience a little better. We’re seeing some brands jumping on board, but right now, you have a huge opportunity to become an early adopter and gain an advantage over ‘the guy next door’. If you’re looking to drive subscriber growth, get in touch with us so that we can talk about how your business can implement SMS marketing into your overall marketing strategy.
Source:
*Attentive SMS Marketing 101: Everything You Need to Get Started Guide.
