5 Tips for Improving Your SMS Marketing

SMS marketing can be a highly effective way to tap into your consumer base and generate sales. Unlike emails that can be easily ignored, text messages have a high open-rate and tend to get a message across quickly. It’s also a relatively inexpensive marketing stream to add to your overall plan. Given these benefits, it’s not surprising that many businesses are utilising this technology to increase sales and improve business performance. If you too are investing in SMS marketing, here are 5 tips for improving your campaigns.

1. Be clear

SMS marketing is all about being clear and direct. SMS does mean Short Messaging Service, after all. With an SMS, you have a total of 160 characters to get your message across. While this might seem restrictive, it actually forces you to get straight to the point and engage your audience straight away. Make sure your messages are clear and the value is evident immediately.

2. Have a call to action

You only have limited space to convey your message, so make it count. Always include a call-to-action to get the most out of your SMS marketing campaigns. You want it to be completely clear how consumers can take the next step to engage with your business, otherwise they will simply disregard the message and your marketing will be a waste of time and money.

3. Know your audience

With all marketing, knowing your audience is vital. Who are they? What do they like and dislike? Why are they interested in your business? Use this information to curate text that will specifically appeal to them and catch their attention, rather than being too broad or vague.

4. Consider timing

SMS marketing is most effective when you consider timing. Certain demographic groups have been found to use their phones at certain times of the day. Do some research on your target audience to get an idea of when they will be on their phones, then make sure your messages are sent during these time periods to maximise engagement.

5. Assess the effectiveness of your campaigns

Once you have conducted an SMS marketing campaign (or any marketing campaign), it is critical that you spend some time evaluating its effectiveness. You should evaluate what worked and what didn’t so that you can improve on your campaign next time. You also want to make sure that this type of marketing works with your audience.