You are certainly familiar with other forms of marketing and would like to know how to get started with SMS marketing? You are in the right place, let’s see together how to get started. But, before we begin, we will see how it consists and how it can help. Finally, we will see some solutions that you can exploit.
What is SMS marketing and why is it important?
SMS marketing, also known as text message marketing , is a digital marketing strategy that involves sending promotional or transactional messages for direct marketing purposes. Here are some key points about SMS marketing:
Short and direct messages :
SMS messages are generally limited in length (e.g., 160 characters), requiring a concise and direct message. Indeed, to send SMS, you often have to compose a short and precise message.
High open rates
Text messages tend to have higher open rates than email because people are more likely to read text messages soon after receiving them. This is therefore an advantage for any company that wishes to venture into it.
Consent of the recipient
Before you get started with SMS marketing, you need to get consent from recipients before sending them marketing messages. This is an important measure to comply with privacy and communications legislation.
Personalization
With the ability to send SMS from an app or software, you can personalize the message based on customer information. This can help increase engagement rates.
Use for various purposes
Many savvy businesses use SMS marketing for a variety of reasons:
- promotions,
- alerts,
- appointment reminders, order confirmations, etc.
Integration with other marketing channels
You can integrate the SMS tool with other communication channels such as:
- Social media
- Email marketing
- Marketing on the web
Analysis and monitoring
SMS campaigns can be tracked in terms of delivery, open and response rates, which helps measure the effectiveness of the campaign and make improvements.
Regulations and Restrictions
It is important to consider local telecommunications regulations and follow best practices to avoid spam. In summary, SMS marketing is a powerful tool to directly reach customers in a personalized way. However, it requires responsible use and compliance with current regulations. 
How to Start SMS Marketing… Our strategy is very simple to implement.
If you want to integrate SMS marketing within your organization, here are the steps to follow:
Analysis of the need
1. Determine the Objective: Before launching an SMS marketing campaign, it is essential to clearly define your objectives. These goals may include increasing sales, improving customer loyalty, or informing customers about new products or services. 2. Understand your Target Audience: Analyze who your current and potential customers are. What are their needs, preferences and behaviors? This understanding will help create relevant and engaging messages.
Choice of Technology
1. Select an SMS Marketing Platform: Choose an SMS service provider that offers the necessary features, such as message personalization, campaign automation and analytics tools. 2. Integration with Existing Systems: Make sure the platform can easily integrate with your other marketing tools and customer databases.
Collection of Telephone Numbers
1. Create a Consent Mechanism: Set up a system to collect customer consent before texting them. This can be done via an online form, during purchases, or through other means of direct communication. 2. Respect Privacy: Make sure you comply with data protection and privacy laws in your area.
Choosing Topics for Campaigns
1. Plan Content: Determine the types of content that will be most relevant to your audience. This may include special offers, new product alerts, helpful tips, or important updates. 2. Mailing Schedule: Plan your campaigns at strategic times, taking into account the habits of your target audience.
Schedule Campaigns
1. Automation: Use your platform’s automation features to schedule campaigns in advance. 2. Testing and Optimization: Perform A/B testing to optimize messages and sending times.
Develop the Audience
1. Incentive Campaigns: Encourage customers to share their phone number by offering incentives, like discounts or exclusive content. 2. Cross-Promotion: Use your other marketing channels to promote your SMS campaign.
Offer the Opportunity to Unsubscribe
1. Respect Customer Choice: Always include a simple and clear option to unsubscribe in each SMS sent. 2. Maintain Trust: Respecting customer choice is essential to maintaining trust and integrity of your brand. By following these steps, you can launch an SMS marketing campaign that is as effective as it is respectful of your customers’ preferences. Remember that the key to success lies in the relevance and personalization of messages, as well as compliance with ethical and legal standards.
Some examples of technologies you can use
Here are some examples of popular technologies and platforms that can be used for SMS marketing:
Twilio
Highly known for its robust APIs, Twilio allows businesses to send bulk SMS messages and personalize their messages. Indeed, it also offers advanced features like audience segmentation and detailed reporting.
SendinBlue
Known for its email marketing service, SendinBlue also offers SMS capabilities. In addition, It allows easy integration with other marketing tools and offers customization and automation options.
ClickSend
This platform offers SMS marketing services, with the ability to send bulk text messages worldwide. At the same time, it also offers integration options with various applications and services.
EZ Texting
Specializing in SMS marketing, EZ Texting offers user-friendly tools for SMS campaigns, including segmentation features, SMS surveys and performance reporting.
SMSGlobal
This platform offers SMS marketing solutions with personalization options, automation features, and the ability to manage large-scale campaigns.
SimpleTexting
SimpleTexting provides tools for mass messaging, surveys, contests, and customer engagement campaigns. It is popular for its intuitive user interface.
SlickText
An SMS marketing solution with features like bulk texts, auto-replies, and integrations with e-commerce platforms.
TextMagic
An SMS service for businesses that offers the ability to send notifications, alerts, reminders and promotional messages. Each of these platforms has its own strengths and quirks, so it’s important to choose the one that best fits your specific business needs and SMS marketing strategy. It is advisable to compare their features, their prices, integrations with other tools, as well as their ease of use before making a decision.
Conclusion
Getting started with SMS marketing can be an interesting adventure. Indeed, you can exploit another form of marketing. On the other hand, taking into account the opening rate, you can increase your turnover. It’s also a very quick way to reach your audience. It is important to note, however, that you should use it with caution. Because the use of SMS must be done with respect for privacy and the legislation of the country in which you are. Do you have a project in mind? Contact us .
Gilblas Ngunte Possi
Founder and Full-Stack Developer at Prositeweb.
My proficiency with modern tools and a keen analytical sense regarding information technology enable me to provide superior guidance in the development and implementation of your web solutions.
