You invest your time and money in planning and launching an SMS campaign for your business.
You have high hopes, but you don’t see the expected results.
Where did you go wrong?
The answer lies in this blog.
This guide covers all the basics of how to create and run a successful SMS marketing campaign.
To help you understand better, we also have a real-life example of maximising your SMS marketing campaigns.
Let’s get started.
What is SMS marketing?
SMS marketing is promoting your business, products, or services through text messages.
SMS marketing (or text marketing) requires consent from your customers. Your customers can sign up, fill out a form, or send a code to receive promotional SMS from you.
These messages include valuable information about your latest offers, promotions, sales, and events.
What’s one thing most people can’t leave their homes without?
You guessed it. Their mobile phones.
This makes SMS marketing one of the most effective ways to reach your customers.
Here’s something else we can agree on.
Compared to other forms of advertising, creating SMS marketing campaigns cost less.
And the best part?
SMS marketing is not limited to a specific industry or market. Below are some industries that can enjoy SMS marketing:
- Developers and marketers can master using SMS marketing campaigns for their businesses.
- SMEs in healthcare, tech, e-comm, logistics, financial services, education, hospitality, and tourism.
- E-commerce companies can use SMS marketing campaigns to promote new products and offer discounts.
- Restaurants can send weekly specials and offer discounts through SMS marketing campaigns.
- Real estate agents can use SMS marketing to promote new listings and communicate with clients.
- Educational institutions can also use SMS marketing to advertise their programs and courses.
- Travel and hospitality businesses can use SMS marketing to send travel updates and promote special offers.
Now that you know how you can also enjoy SMS marketing, let’s show you the benefits of running a successful SMS marketing campaign.
How will a successful SMS marketing campaign benefit your business?
Below are some benefits of running a successful SMS marketing campaign:
● Increased sales: SMS campaigns have a high open rate. Your target audience is more likely to read your message than open an email. This translates to increased sales as customers are more likely to act on your offer.
● Better customer engagement: Your business can engage better with SMS campaigns. This will build stronger relationships with customers and increase loyalty.
● Cost-effective marketing: SMS campaigns are cheaper than other forms of marketing.
● Improved customer service: Use SMS campaigns to provide customers with essential updates. This can help reduce the number of customer support inquiries.
● Increased brand awareness: SMS campaigns can help you increase buzz around your products or services.
How to create an SMS marketing campaign: 7 simple steps
It all boils down to careful planning and execution to build a successful campaign.
Here are seven steps to teach you how to run a successful SMS marketing campaign.
1. Get explicit consent
Before you create your SMS marketing campaign, do this.
Build a targeted list of customers who have shown interest in your offers. You can get these customers through sign-up forms, in-store promos, or SMS opt-ins.
Remember, SMS regulations and laws prohibit you from sending SMS to your customers without their consent.
Fortunately, there’s a simple solution.
Make sure you have explicit consent before sending SMS marketing messages.
Don’t forget to include a way for them to opt out of receiving messages at any time.
SMSCountry provides all you need to delight your customers with fast and secure OTP and transactional SMS. At the best price
Here are some ways to get customers to opt-in to your SMS marketing campaign:
- Opt-in forms
- Sign-up sheets
- Keyword SMS
Create a successful and compliant SMS marketing campaign by respecting your customers’ preferences.
2. Set clear objectives
What do you hope to achieve from this SMS campaign?
Increased sales? Product awareness? A better customer-business relationship? Drive traffic to your website?
Setting clear objectives is vital to making your SMS marketing campaign a success.
Here’s why this is important.
Your objectives will guide you in creating and planning your marketing campaign. This includes the message you craft and the audience you target.
You’ll need to devise a plan to achieve your objectives.
This could involve sending targeted messages or offering promotions. You can also provide exclusive deals to your customers.
3. Create a compelling SMS campaign
To create a compelling SMS marketing campaign, you must consider your customers’ needs.
For this, you must consider these points:
- Who are your customers?
- What stage are they in their buying journey?
- What do they hope to gain from your business?
Your SMS message should be clear, concise, and attention-grabbing.
You must talk to your customers in the language that they understand.
Let them know what you’re offering and how it can benefit them.
Make your SMS relevant to your audience by using customer data to personalise your messages. This increases engagement and drives conversions.
4. Include a call-to-action (CTA)
Encourage your customers to take action with a clear and compelling CTA in your SMS.
Be sure to include a solid call to action that encourages subscribers to take action.
Your CTA could be:
● A website link
● Order now
● Try for free
● Call now
● Sign up for more
● Reply “yes” to opt-in.
Do you know why this is important?
A good CTA can prompt your customers to engage with your brand or take another desired action.
Make sure your CTA is easy to understand and easy to act on. Give your customers an apparent reason to take the next steps.
A CTA can also help you measure the effectiveness of your SMS marketing campaign. It can track how many customers click on your CTA or respond to your message.
5. Consider timing
You have created the perfect SMS marketing campaign and are excited to launch it.
But have you considered the right time to send your SMS?
Before launching your SMS campaign, research the best time to reach your customers.
When are your customers most likely to open and respond to SMS marketing?
Does your country have strict rules about sending SMS messages at specific times?
The answer?
With time-sensitive messages, give your customers time to take advantage of the offer.
Find the perfect balance between sending too many and too few messages.
Time your messages right for higher chances of customer interaction. Thus, increasing your SMS marketing success.
6. Choose a reliable SMS service provider
Your SMS service provider could make or break your SMS marketing plans.
Choosing the right SMS service provider doesn’t end with reading and following great marketing campaign examples.
You need a reliable provider to ensure your messages get delivered to your customers. If they don’t, your whole marketing campaign becomes ineffective.
You also need a provider with high deliverability rates and good support.
Also, you need an SMS provider with helpful features to maximise your SMS campaign.
Some providers have personalisation options so you can address your customers by name. Others offer analytics to track your campaign success and make changes if necessary.
Consider these before choosing an SMS provider:
● Key features
● Pricing
● Message delivery rates
● Scalability
● Customer support
Looking for a reliable bulk SMS platform that offers these and more?
SMSCountry is a simple, fast, and integrable bulk SMS platform.
It’s a trusted SMS provider with a scalable platform and high delivery rates.
SMSCountry ensures that your customers always receive fast, efficient, and reliable SMS from your business.
7. Track results
Track your SMS campaign’s success by monitoring engagement, conversion, and opt-out rates.
Your findings will teach you how to successfully run your next SMS marketing campaign.
Did you send special offers or coupon codes in your SMS? Track the usage to see how many customers redeemed the offer.
This gives you insight into the effectiveness of your offers. It also shows you how your customers respond.
It’s also essential to track how many customers opted-in and out from receiving your SMS. You can gauge the interest level of your customers in your messages.
And finally, analyse response rates to keep a close eye on which content your customers respond to.
All this allows you to fine-tune your approach and campaign. And you ensure that you’re getting the best possible results.
So don’t skip this step.
How do you track the success of your SMS marketing campaign?
SMS marketing is great for boosting your business. But how do you know if your campaign is working?
You need to measure its success using key metrics and analytics.
Key metrics to track your SMS marketing campaign
Here are some critical metrics for measuring your SMS marketing success:
● Click-through rate (CTR): Your CTR is the percentage of people who clicked on the link in your SMS. Measure the CTR by dividing total clicks by impressions and multiplying by 100.
● Conversion rate: This measures the number of recipients who completed a desired action. This could be making a purchase or following the link within the SMS.
● Opt-out rate: With SMS subscribers, you’ll always know when you’re doing something wrong. Track the percentage of people who have opted out of receiving your messages.
● Open rate: This measures the number of recipients that open your text messages.
● Delivery rates: These are SMS messages successfully delivered to your customers. Check with your SMS service provider if you record many undelivered messages.
A real-life example of a successful SMS marketing campaign
One SMS marketing campaign example is Domino’s Pizza campaign in 2020.
The pizza house launched a campaign called “contactless delivery”. This was, of course, during the peak COVID-19 season.
Customers were confined to their homes, but they still wanted pizza.
The idea was to tell customers they could enjoy their favourite pizza despite the pandemic.
So, Domino’s sent out SMSes to customers, highlighting their contactless delivery option.
And it worked.
They even gave their customers a promo code for using their contactless delivery service.
This marketing campaign reassured customers that it was safe to eat pizza anytime.
It helped Domino’s boost their sales too.
Here’s how to create a marketing campaign example like Domino’s.
Your ultimate SMS marketing campaign checklist
Looking to launch an SMS marketing campaign?
Read our ultimate checklist before hitting send.
● Set campaign goals.
● Understand your audience – their needs, wants, and interests.
● Select a good SMS platform that is fast, reliable, and secure.
● Create concise and compelling messages that resonate with your audience.
● Include a clear CTA to get your audience to perform an action.
● Personalise your messages to be engaging and appealing to your audience.
● Keep your messages short.
Unlock the power of SMS marketing today
SMS marketing helps you connect with your audience and boost your business.
To create a successful marketing campaign, follow the tips we’ve laid out in this guide.
SMSCountry takes the lead as a simple, secure, fast, and reliable messaging platform.
Send your customers lightning-fast promotional messages that help you achieve your goals.
Sign up on SMSCountry or schedule a demo to see how we can help you sell more with promotional SMS.
