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Don’t let the bombardment of political text messages around the 2024 election fool you. SMS marketing is a viable strategy. (When executed properly.)
What was once a high-value, less-leveraged marketing strategy has only recently become more saturated, or as some say, “gone off the rails.” And it’s not just political text messages either.
96% of people have felt annoyed at least occasionally by SMS marketing messages.
But here’s the thing: when done well, SMS marketing can lead to greater awareness, brand loyalty, and, yes, revenue. Believe it or not, more than three in five online adults say messaging is their preferred way of communicating with a business, according to Salesforce.
What You Gain From a Well-Executed SMS Marketing Strategy
Marketers who are strategic about their SMS strategy can see results like:
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Increased exposure: 90% of texts are read within three minutes.
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Purchase consideration: 52% of consumers have been influenced to purchase a product because of a brand’s text; 38% said the same for a service.
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Incremental revenue: 53% of marketers say SMS is a top three revenue-generating channel; 73% say it drives incremental revenue for their business.
Some consider SMS marketing pricey, with messages costing between $0.01 and $0.05. Yet plenty of brands use this channel strategically; some even enjoy returns of $34.99…per message.
What does it mean to be strategic in this channel? Follow these SMS marketing best practices so your messages don’t get left unread.
6 Best Practices for Effective SMS Marketing
1. Set Opt-in Expectations
Make sure to get consent from consumers, respect their privacy, and follow legal requirements. From there, tell consumers what you will send them, and be specific. (Surprises can be fun, but this strategy is better without mystery.)
Forty-one percent of consumers say brands often or constantly fail to set proper expectations for texts they will send upon sign-up.
Let’s take a look at some expectation-setting examples:
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Example 1. “Get on the VIP list! Text ‘VIPDEALS’ to 111222 to access exclusive discounts and offers.”
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Example 2. ”Be the first to know! Text ‘EVENTS’ to 111222 for updates on upcoming events and special guests.”
2. Optimize SMS Frequency
Messaging too frequently is one of the primary reasons consumers get annoyed with brands, so determining your cadence is key.
Data shows that the ideal frequency is split among customers:
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19% say weekly
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17% say only when there’s an important update
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16% say 2-3 times per week
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12% say 2-3 times per month
Our suggestion? Rather than guessing, ask for preferences during opt-in or give subscribers the ability to customize frequency. (Four in five consumers say this would make them more likely to purchase from a brand.)
3. Schedule Timely Texts
Be mindful of when SMS messages hit someone’s inbox (including time zone). One in four consumers say brands constantly or often text at inappropriate hours, like late at night. Based on data from Attentive, an AI-powered SMS and email marketing platform, the best times to send SMS campaigns are:
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To maximize revenue: at 12pm or 8pm
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To optimize engagement rates: between 5pm – 8pm
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To drive conversions: between 8am – 11am
Speaking of time, make your texts timely to inspire consumers to act. The example below features Snif, a fragrance company whose early-access campaign led to a 34% conversion rate.
Source: Postscript
4. Be Personal(ized)
SMS marketing is a more personal way to connect with your customers, and it’s most effective when it’s—you guessed it—personalized. If a consumer is already giving you their number, use it to learn more about them so you can optimize communications.
Information most customers are okay giving brands in exchange for rewards are birth dates, gender, location, and purchasing habits. Once you have this information, you can segment your audiences to tailor your messaging.
Source: Postscript
Personalization could include happy birthday and anniversary messages, location-based promotions, and reward loyal customers with personalized discounts, creating an upselling opportunity.
Source: Message Media
5. Make Your Characters Count
You have 160 characters to engage your customer, so skip to the chase—and don’t forget your CTA. Some common SMS marketing examples include promotions, special occasion acknowledgments, new product announcements, win-back campaigns, and exclusive content.
Source: Postscript
Source: Postscript
Source: Sprout Social
Fun fact: When asked the minimum discount for which consumers would sign up to receive SMS messages from a brand, 41% of consumers said a minimum of a 10% discount.
6. Make it Easy to Opt-out
Maintain trust and avoid frustration by ensuring customers can easily unsubscribe. A simple way to do this is by adding the option to reply with “STOP” or “Unsubscribe.” It doesn’t need to be in every text, but repetition helps so customers don’t feel stuck.
Source: Twilio
And when customers opt-out? Respect that boundary.
More than a quarter of consumers say brands constantly or often fail to respect opt-outs.
SMS For Thought
Sometimes, the best SMS strategy isn’t promotional; it’s practical.
Order tracking and customer service can be some of the most powerful ways to engage with customers. Over half of marketers leveraging SMS marketing consider it their most effective channel for customer service or technical support, and more than half of consumers consider shipping notifications their favorite SMS type from brands.
Whatever texts you send, consider the person receiving it on the other end. In contrast to mass election messages, a well-crafted SMS strategy offers a welcome touchpoint for customers. And once you create an SMS strategy, don’t be shy about it! Share your SMS program on social media, websites, receipts, and in emails.
