5 Tips Your SMS Marketing Needs Right Now
More often than not, SMS is used as a second-thought addition to complement other channels. Using our observations and data gathered through the years, we’ve come up with five essential SMS marketing tips that you absolutely need to apply right now!
Tip 1: Have a consistent cadence
Many marketing teams forget how powerful SMS is. Even if your customer or a lead has gone cold for a while, you can still reach them through text messaging. However, sending messages too often can backfire.
As a consumer yourself, you probably know how annoying it is to receive numerous marketing SMS throughout the day. On the flip side, spacing out your messaging too far apart might make your customers forget about you.
It’s recommended to start with one to two messages per week or a max of 10-12 messages per month.
Here are some best practices:
Let new subscribers know how often they will be hearing from you
Always give them the option to opt-out
Pick a cadence and be consistent unless you have special campaigns
Only send valuable messages
Take a look at this example by Forever 21. The first message encourages subscribers to keep their subscriptions by offering a discount. The brand also indicates how many messages they send in a month and allows subscribers to opt-out at any time.
Tip 2: Launch opt-in campaigns across all channels
If you want to grow your SMS subscriber list, you need to launch an opt-in campaign and make it visible at all points of contact, including:
Your website
Email
Social media
Customer surveys
For example, clicking on the “Text Us” CTA on the Textline website will automatically open your texting app with a pre-filled number. This example makes it easier for customers to opt in and interact with your business through SMS.
This newsletter by Everlywell invites email subscribers to opt-in for “exclusive access.” Since mobile numbers are a bit more personal than an email or social media account, you need to give your customers a solid reason to opt-in. Will they be the first to know about your sales? Do they get special deals? Let them know!
Tip 3: Create a robust suite of automations
Just like in e-mail marketing, setting up SMS automations can help you nurture leads and bring them deeper into your sales funnel. Setting up automations allows you to deliver relevant messages during key moments, such as:
Welcome messages
Delivery updates
Feedback requests
Abandoned cart reminders
Special greetings
For welcome messages, it’s a great idea to reward your subscribers with a discount for instant gratification and to encourage immediate conversion. According to finances online, click-through rates (CTR) are much higher on SMS, which has a 9.18% average compared to other marketing channels like Google or Facebook.
Image source: Mail Charts
Check out this Welcome SMS sequence by Bandier. After sending a welcome SMS with a limited-time discount code, the brand follows up with a reminder if the code hasn’t been redeemed.
After you've prepared your welcome series, next should be the abandoned cart SMS automation. According to data gathered by Klaviyo, abandoned cart flows generate the highest revenue (together with welcome messages)
Use this as a follow-up to your abandoned cart email.
Only send this text message to contacts who did not open your initial email.
Add a clear CTA with a link back to the product the customer left in their cart.
Send the message within 48 hours of the customer abandoning their cart
Image source: Mail Charts
Bellami Hair includes a discount code on its abandoned cart messages to drive customers to action
Tip 4: A/B test your offers
A/B testing or split testing is the most effective way to know what types of offers or messaging work best. The process involves creating two versions of the same message, splitting your audience into two equal segments, and seeing which one performs better.
For example, if you want to test time-sensitive offers, you can do something like this:
A: ABC Co: 15% off all sweaters until Sunday, Use code AVAIL15 at checkout.
B: ABC Co: 15% off all sweaters today only. Use code AVAIL15 at checkout.
Example A gives customers a longer redemption period, while example B is a “now or never” offer that MIGHT give you higher conversions. Results could go either way. The only way to find out is through A/B testing.
A great tool that you can use is Klaviyo. All you have to do is create your campaign name and choose your recipients, type your message, then click on “Create A/B Test.” Klayviyo allows you to A/B test your content or send times.
Tip 5: Personalise each message
Your audience is more likely to respond to messages that were made for them. In fact, 67% of customers expect businesses to personalise any communication according to their needs. Seventy-two percent will only engage with personalised messages.
The easiest way to personalise your SMS marketing would be to include your customers’ names in each message. You can also use other information such as their birthdays and location, to send relevant messaging.
Pro-tip: Use surveys or questionnaires to learn more about your customers such as their interests and preferences, to help you create audience segments. Having audience segments allow you to craft unique copy tailored to each customer
Get started
SMS is a powerful tool that can give you a direct line to your audience — don’t take it for granted! Use these highly effective tips to help you get started.