What is SMS Marketing? How Can It Help You Succeed?

What is SMS Marketing?

In short, it is permission-based text messaging to spread promotional messages.  You may be more familiar with it as a consumer.  Have you downloaded a fast food app?  Many of them will send you promotional text messages as soon as you are near one of their restaurants.  Or apps such as Joanns or Michaels Crafts – as soon as you enter the store, it sends you deals and promotional information.  These types are called Close Range marketing though not all SMS marketing is close-range and Bluetooth-initiated. Link here to learn more.

As a couponer and person always looking for deals, this SMS Marketing strategy is awesome.  I know I can always score some deal, and I don’t even need to look for one.

These services require some sort of opt-in such as through signing up in an app and agreeing to receive notifications, as well as relying on SMS API to serve customers.

Marketing Goal

The marketing goal is to have a messaging platform that creates mobile engagement.  People are more mobile than ever, and we all want to have everything we can at our fingertips delivered right to us so we don’t even have to search for it.  The easier it becomes for a consumer, the more likely they will become actively engaged.

Why SMS

With SMS marketing, the consumer will see what you send and have agreed to it – so they want to see it.  A high conversion strategy is to engage them through SMS actively – ask them a question and identify what the response should be.  For example – I am subscribed through CVS.  I don’t even have to manage my prescriptions actively.  CVS will ask me if I want a prescription refilled – YES; It then tells me I have no additional refills, should they reach out to my medical provider on my behalf – YES.

This is also a way to determine quickly if a consumer is satisfied.  Quick answers – if they say NO, it can prompt additional automated questions, and the retailer can follow up on those concerns.  There are very few platforms that can offer the ability to have just about instantaneous, relevant feedback.

Even with the success that has been proven with SMS marketing; still, more than 50% of businesses do not utilize it as a viable marketing option.  So those of us that do – have the market advantage.  It is shortsighted to ignore the advantages and opportunities of mobile marketing.  All you need to do is look around; everyone is on their cell phones all the time.  I have recently started working as an Instacart Shopper – easy as can be and with everything at the tip of my fingers.  Who knew that not only mobile phones would change the world of marketing and even the world of working from home and becoming independent contractors?  Not only that – the world of watches is now a world of smartwatches where everything can end up directly on our wrists!

SMS Marketing is one of the best return-on-investment strategies today!