The COVID-19 pandemic has caused chaos across the world. Apart from the health risks, the economy has suffered tremendously. Lockdowns and restrictions have affected almost all businesses. With the arrival of the vaccines, businesses are slowly trying to recover and bring back normalcy. During these times, businesses need to put more effort to boost sales. With businesses having suffered losses, they cannot afford to spend too much on marketing strategies. This is where SMS marketing can be very helpful. It can help them to boost sales while being highly cost-effective.
What is SMS Marketing?
SMS marketing is the use of SMS or text messages for marketing. A text message is a message under 140 characters that is sent on a mobile phone. The message can be sent to any mobile phone, irrespective of the operating system or the type of phone. This makes SMS extremely popular as a communication method. An SMS reaches instantly and has a greater chance of producing results. Text messages are fairly inexpensive. Using them is easy and it can help marketers engage with customers, so they can boost sales. This is why SMS marketing is increasingly being used by all kinds of businesses.
7 Tips to Use SMS Marketing
SMS Marketing can be used by any kind of business. Whether it is a retail outlet, a restaurant, a spa, a clinic, a real estate firm, a hardware store, or even a non-profit organization SMS marketing can produce results. The following are seven effective tips to help you boost sales.
1) Inform customers on safety norms
Businesses need to follow safety norms prescribed by the government. These are essential for the health and safety of both employees and customers. The norms being followed by the business should be informed to everyone. This may include revised timings of operations, rules related to wearing of masks and social distancing. All this information can be conveyed easily by sending a text message. This can help customers feel reassured about the company. This can convince them to visit the store and make purchases.
2) Run campaigns through SMS
An SMS campaign involves the use of text messaging to promote a product. New product launches, re-launch of products, special offers can all be informed through SMS. These campaigns can be used to encourage customers to shop whether it is online or at a regular store. The campaigns can provide incentives to make the customer shop like offering loyalty points, gifts, etc. A well-designed campaign can help boost sales in a big way.
3) Discounts and offers to boost sales
One of the best ways to boost sales is by offering discounts and other promotional offers. This can be done through SMS. The message can contain a discount code or a voucher code to be used to get a discount on the retail price. Customers can be given a link to shop online and avail discounts or to visit the store and show the message to avail of the discount.
4) Send exclusive deals
Exclusive deals can be given to SMS customers. The message must clearly state that this is an exclusive deal for the customer. This ensures that the customer feels that something special is being offered. This can make the customer show interest in making a purchase. This deal can be given to loyal customers to boost sales.
5) Personalize messages for greater impact
A general message seems like mass texting. Many customers are not so interested in getting mass text messages and may ignore them. This problem can be solved by personalizing the message. This can be done by including the name of the customer or any other details in the message. Such a message is likely to be more effective and the customer will feel the message is specially meant for them.
6) Run sweepstakes
One of the best ways to promote sales is by running a sweepstake. You can ask customers to participate in the sweepstake in two ways. One can be a general offer to everyone who just sends a response. The other is to those who make a purchase. Offering special prizes makes the sweepstake more effective. A discount voucher can be given to all participants.
7) Send alerts and reminders
Businesses need to send reminders and alerts. For example, a reminder of an appointment reminder to pay the bill or reminder to renew the contract. Also, notifications of a product purchase, delivery status, etc. can be sent using messages.
All these seven tips are simple and practical. They can help you get the best results by engaging with customers and promoting your products. This will help you boost sales, which is especially needed during the COVID-19 pandemic times. You can try out these tips today by using an SMS marketing service to help you send messages to everyone on your database.
