Business owners need to be quick and proactive in today’s competitive world. They need to engage with customers continuously to ensure that they are able to get business revenue. A business owner can use different tools to engage with customers. Most of these tools require a lot of effort in terms of manpower and money. One of the most cost-effective tools for communication that business owners can use is SMS marketing.
SMS or Short Message Service is a facility available on mobile phones where messages can be sent to mobile phone users. These messages of 160 character length are just right for quick communication. An SMS can be sent not just through mobile phones but also by using texting software, using mass texting service. This allows a business to send messages to multiple customers at the same time. They can even customize the messages they send.
Despite the growth of the internet and the popularity of internet messaging tools, SMS is still popular for communication. Apart from the communication aspect, there are several benefits a business would get while using SMS. An online text message can be used to run a marketing campaign in an effective way. This allows businesses to get the maximum results by spending a fraction of the cost they spend on other marketing tools.
The following are some of the reasons why SMS marketing is a must for business owners who want to communicate effectively with their customers:
1) Simple yet effective
SMS reaches the mobile phone of the user irrespective of whether the phone has internet connectivity or not. It does not require a data plan for internet usage, making it the best mode of communication for any type of phone. Even those who do not have a smartphone can use SMS for communication. People living in remote locations or rural areas can also be reached easily using SMS. This increases the reach of text messaging making it a simple yet highly effective way of communication. SMS also various options like delayed sending of messaging, sending scheduled messages, and using emoji text messages.
2) It is preferred by customers
Studies have shown that 97% of all text messages received are read by the recipient. This makes it a highly effective form of communication. Most customers consider telephonic calls intrusive and hence prefer receiving marketing messages through SMS. A survey showed that more than 80% of respondents agreed that they would prefer to receive communication from businesses through customers. This makes it a preferred choice for businesses to engage with customers.3) It is very affordable
Traditional marketing tools like advertising, sales promotion, and direct selling involve a lot of expenses. Internet marketing is a good option in today’s digital age but the cost of online advertisements and SEO expenses are considerable. This is where SMS proves to be extremely cost-effective. Most mobile phone providers offer packages with free SMS that businesses can use. Even if they use texting software, the money they spend will be considerably lesser than other techniques.4) A marketing campaign can be run
A business can run a marketing campaign through text messages. They can send details of product launches, offers, discounts, special promotions, etc. through SMS. They can provide details of the product/service in brief and make use of keywords for customers to get more details. When a customer replies using a keyword, additional details can be sent. This ensures better engagement with customers during the marketing process.5) Personalized customer targeting can be done
There is a perception that text messaging is used to send bulk messages. This is not true! Text messaging can be used to send personalized messages and customize a marketing campaign. The company can have a database of customers with different databases for different segments. This can be used for customized targeting. The customer name and other personal details can be mentioned making it more effective.6) Tracking is possible
It is easily possible to track SMS sent to customers and find out whether it reaches or not. Another key benefit is using tracking in marketing campaigns, where a webpage link can be provided for customers. This page can be used to track data of those who respond to the SMS campaign.7) Easy for customers
SMS is easy for customers. They don’t need to install any software or sign up to receive communication. SMS can be sent in an instant and even a customer who is not very technology-savvy can open and read the messages. This makes it very effective.All the above reasons clearly explain the effectiveness of text messages for communication. Businesses can use text messaging to effectively engage with customers, promote their products, reach out to customers for feedback, and grievance management. All these make SMS marketing a great tool for business owners for customer communication.
