SMS Marketing is a popular strategy among Marketers across the world. However, it is not as simple as it sounds. There are quite a few dos and don'ts to keep in mind while beginning SMS Marketing. Firstly you need to have your marketing strategy in place before you dive into SMS marketing. You must understand your marketing requirements and set a goal of what you expect your SMS marketing strategy to achieve. Here we would be discussing the top 10 mistakes of businesses when they begin SMS marketing.
1. Timing should not be too odd
Timing of the SMS is very crucial in making or breaking the deal for you. If you choose to send your business message late at night, early in the morning, or even on tight work days, it might not be of any use to you. The reason is that people would either be too busy to get their day in order or relax after a tough day at work. It is advisable to launch your SMS Marketing strategy mid-week, around midday to get the best impact on the target audience.
2. Avoid Abbreviations
Many businesses resort to short forms to stick to the character count of the SMS. A strategic plan needs to be incorporated by the creative and efficient marketing team to ensure that you get the best message within the character limit. Avoid any additional words, jargon. etc., to make space for more important information for the audience. Abbreviations are known to confuse customers, time and again, considering that sometimes there are multiple full forms to the same abbreviation.
3. Make your identity clear
In the SMS, ensure that you have your identity mentioned clearly. There should be no ambiguity concerning your identity. The customers tend to respond better if they know who is the sender of the message. Disclosing your identity also gives them a sense of assurance that makes them want to rely on you, your products, and your services.
4. Do not spam
Sending multiple messages, again and again, might seem like spamming for the target audience. You need to put your point across to the customers but not at the cost of their mental peace. Have your SMS created such that, they are informative enough, and you need not send multiple SMSs to get the target audience to respond to them.
5. Call-to-action is a must
Having a call to action is essential for you to see measurable activity from the target audience. If there is no call to action, what do you expect from the audience? They need to understand clearly the steps to follow after reading the SMS. It pushes the customers to the following steps of availing of your products or services.
6. Opt-Out, Opt-in options
There should be opt-out options for the customers from the SMSs. It will tell them that you are giving them the liberty to decide if they wish to be a part of the campaign or if at all they are interested in the products or services. It will ensure that you do not annoy them with your multiple SMS attempts to covert them and in turn, put them at ease to hear you out more readily.
7. Customization of SMS is important
Many businesses tend to send generic messages to their target audience. It might not be a great idea when it comes to converting the leads. If you have a customized message curated for cohorts of customers, it might be a great idea to draw the attention of more people.
8. Do not use un-authorized SMS partners
SMS partners who do not follow the basic protocols of mass text messaging should be avoided. They will only hinder the way of you converting the clients and making them use your services. If you cannot provide basic security to the customers in terms of their personal information, they might not want to take up what you have to offer.
9. Having long information
Considering that the attention span of a reader is low when it comes to SMSs, try to keep it short and simple. Too length SMSs with little value addition might not be attractive for the customers. Be to the point to stand a chance to convert them.10. Recheck messages before sending
Recheck the SMSs before you click the 'send' button. Ensure that all the information is accurate. Spellings, grammar, and punctuations should be taken into account. Any discrepancy might lead the customers to consider SMS spam. Double-check the SMS to ensure that all the information is accurate and readable.
These are some of the prominent mistakes done by businesses. when they begin SMS marketing. You need to avoid these to make your mark with your SMS marketing strategy and convert maximum leads.
