Why SMS and Text Message Marketing is one of the best tools to grow your business!

The point of going into business is to pursue your passion while finding a way to support your and your family’s lifestyle. The challenge may be finding the best marketing method that makes the right people aware of your existence and what makes you stand out from the competition. It is not always easy, but the one thing that resonates as truth is that companies that take advantage of technological advancements will be the ones that thrive.

Only in the past decade have thoughts of big ads in phone books and on TV, the radio, and billboards gone by the wayside because of the penetration a business can have when investing in digital marketing. You can more easily target appropriate consumers with techniques that tap into locations and preferences.  

Over five billion unique people use mobile phones throughout the world, according to data collected in July 2021. This number grows at a rate of 2.3% annually, with smartphone users growing at 5.6%. That’s over one million new smartphones being activated every day!

What exactly is SMS?

You may realize how much the digital marketing world can help you expand your awareness, but reaching your target market through the ever-growing cellphone can be vital to seeing a dramatic increase in your ROI. People carry their phone with them everywhere they go and touch them on average 2,617 times every day. This makes targeting them on their phones one of the most effective ways of reaching them directly.

To explain how effective SMS is, we use open rates as a measurement. The open rate is the percentage of subscribers who opened the SMS or email that you sent. It is necessary to draw them in with a compelling subject line that draws them in, and it must also be relevant to the subject. Currently, email marketing claims an average of 8% open rate, while mobile SMS marketing averages 98%. You can see why it is so effective!

What are the benefits of using SMS?

Now you see the excellent results you can achieve by using SMS marketing. Next, let’s consider how it can connect you to new and existing clients.

1. SMS marketing is straightforward.
   1. There are few things easier than sending one text and even a group of them. The biggest challenge is sticking to a word limit, and that can be done with concise messages. You can invite people to join contests, redeem coupons, and partake in surveys and polls.
   1. Limiting the number of texts per month is also important. More than two to four texts each month can become annoying, causing recipients to opt out.
2. SMS reaches out to people on a personal level.
   1. Think about how many people you can reach by sending one simple text message. Also, think about how many people would rather text than ever talk on the phone … an astounding average of 84% across all age groups prefer texting over phone calls.
3. Tracking texts is easy.
   1. Text Marketing is permission-based, so you know exactly to whom you are sending messages. This makes it easier to collect highly specialized data.
4.  SMS helps boost other marketing methods.
   1. Including your SMS number or short code on emails, websites, direct mail, and social media pages helps to increase your brand awareness.
   1. For example, sending a text reminding someone that there is an email waiting for them increases the open rates of emails by 20% to 30%.
5. SMS is more effective than other digital channels but best used together.
   1. Recipients feel a greater immediacy to texting and are more likely to pay attention to them. It boasts a better open rate than emails, Facebook posts, and push notifications. It’s even better when used in conjunction with all methods of advertising.

How do you pick the best digital marketing company for your needs?

With advancements in technology and the growth of online and mobile marketing, it’s essential to know who can best fulfill your needs as a company. A few tips that will help you decide on a great fit include:

• Can they ensure rapid and smooth delivery of any number of texts at one time?
• Do they offer a wide variety of features, such as emojis, calendar invites, picture messages, and more?
• Time is money. Can they meet the immediate demands of your business?
• Can their solution be integrated into your existing software?

You want your business to thrive. You not only want to reach the maximum number of people that you believe will best benefit from your product or service, but advancements in technology allow you to reach everyone. No marketing strategy is a panacea; however, using SMS marketing has emerged as one of the most reliable methods of reaching potential customers.

Here at HourGlass Media, we have helped over 3,000 small to medium-sized businesses discover the benefits of multi-channel marketing. We are a digital marketing agency established 15 years ago to produce real results. We listen to every point of view and help create a comprehensive plan that ensures the future they envision becomes a reality. Each industry’s needs are unique, and every customer has its own demands. We can help you increase your conversion rates and improve your success rates through all channels.