It’s said that behind every cloud there is a silver lining, and that is certainly true with the advent of mobile or digital technology. Everywhere you look, people are deeply engrossed in their smartphones, sending and receiving messages, or interacting on social media. While some might see an obsession, marketers see an opportunity to capitalize on this communication channel — a SMS marketing campaign.
About SMS
SMS stands for “Short Message Service,” but, basically, it is a text messaging service component of mobile or other communication systems. Enjoying up to 90 percent open and read rates, SMS marketing messages are viewed within minutes, guaranteeing faster communication. They tap into the immediate attention generated by the receipt of a text message, and build on the desire to receive information in short, quick bursts. Best of all, SMS can be both inbound and outbound, making it a two-way communication tool.
Personalizing SMS Messages
Direct marketing campaigns today need to take advantage of every available personalization tool to generate a response. PURLs, or Personalized URLs, QR codes, personalized landing pages and inbound SMS codes can give target prospects all the incentive and opportunity they need to take the next step. Something as simple as adding, “Text SUBSCRIBE to 555-888” can boost response rates dramatically. This allows prospects to easily respond whenever they want and wherever they are, regardless of whether they have internet access.
Easypurl’s SMS Marketing allows you to engage with your leads on a personal level by adding SMS as a response option for your targets to respond to your direct mail. You can drastically enhance your campaign performance by giving your campaign targets a simple and concise way to respond. Here are six substantial benefits you will be able to enjoy by incorporating inbound and outbound SMS into your marketing campaigns:
Make connections through SMS:
Most customers are open to receiving text messages from businesses and are willing to opt in to hear about special offers. SMS then keeps the customer/prospect engaged by providing up-to-date information.
Stand out with SMS:
Using SMS can make your business stand out, since many businesses are still not using it today. Prospects may receive hundreds of emails per day that they rapidly delete, but they pay attention to the occasional SMS messages they receive from businesses.
Get a response from SMS:
Text messaging has one of the highest open rates compared to other channels. An outbound SMS message with just the right information can propel a recipient to visit a store, make a purchase or take the next step. It literally puts the buying decision at the customers’ fingertips.
Increase ROI with SMS:
Incorporating SMS into direct marketing campaigns as a response option enables marketers to improve response rates.
Gather contact information:
Once a prospect does text “subscribe” or whatever keyword is used, you have another crucial piece of contact information — a cellphone number that can now be added to your database and utilized in your outbound efforts.
Track results:
Custom keywords can be used for each campaign so you can track and analyze results. You can also provide your sales team with immediate access to any inquiries as part of your follow-up process.
Easypurl’s inbound SMS technology includes personalized keywords that are memorable and easy to type, auto-responders that can include PURLs that will direct users to personalized follow-up options, affordable prices, and detailed reporting on a single unified dashboard. SMS is the silver lining that really pays.
