3 Keys to Successful SMS Marketing
While we post a lot of content about Email Marketing, OPTIZMO is also involved in the SMS Marketing arena, supporting marketers in their compliance efforts. SMA marketing can provide an invaluable tool for advertisers, but like any marketing channel, there are different best practices to help drive optimal performance. Here are three guidelines to employ in your SMS marketing program for maximum return.
1. Send only when you have something to say
In the email marketing arena, there are two schools of thought regarding regular vs. irregular email advertising efforts. Some email experts maintain that it is important to regularly produce content for recipients in order to stay relevant and in the readers’ minds. Others, however, believe that it is better to only create a campaign when the advertiser has a specific reason to reach out to recipients – such as a new product or upcoming special offer.
In SMS marketing, determining the best message frequency is a bit less ambiguous. Text messages that are viewed as frivolous or unimportant to the recipient may be seen as intrusive and generally unwelcome. So, it is essential for marketers to only use the SMS channel to inform subscribers of real-time, immediate news and events.
When it comes to email marketing, recipients can read a message whenever they want, because of the inbox structure and the way email is used in general. Text messages are typically different. Recipients generally read text messages as soon as they arrive. They grab immediate attention and drive much higher open rates than email. However, if the messages do not contain any perceived value, or they arrive too frequently, the recipient is very likely become annoyed with the company and choose to Opt Out of future messages.
2. Honor opt-outs quickly
When subscribers do Opt Out from an SMS marketing campaign, it is critical that marketers honor those requests. The rules governing SMS compliance and Email compliance have some similarities – such as the requirement that advertisers provide an easy method for recipients to Opt Out of receiving future messages. However, SMS Marketing has its own set of compliance standards. When it comes to Opt-Out requests, advertisers must quickly act on these requests, or face fines and other sanctions.
3. Include a call to action
SMS messages are inherently short – at least they should be! So, it is critical that all of the information included in a given message be relevant and on point. Most notably, there needs to be a clear call to action (and only one). This can be a sale opportunity, an event invitation, a link to a website or anything else that involves the recipient taking a specific action. Without an effective call to action, the message will likely have only a limited impact.