SMS marketing has been one of the earliest marketing explorations, shaping the business landscape by allowing businesses to connect with customers on a personal level. With the introduction of mobile phones, SMS marketing gradually emerged, mostly for localized deals or appointment reminders. However, with technological progression, this marketing realm expanded its boundaries with smartphones and shortcodes. Today, SMS marketing plays an instrumental role in accelerating business growth and generating and delivering value for its customers.
The CEO Views apprehends the importance of SMS Marketing and contributes to the understanding of this marketing approach in driving business growth through this article.
What is SMS Marketing? And How Does It Work?
Short Message Service (SMS) Marketing is a direct marketing strategy that involves communicating with customers through text messages over their phones. It uses SMS to promote brands, products, and services to mobile device users with their consent. In the era of instant communication, businesses are looking for new methods to connect with their audience. Hence, with an SMS marketing platform, they can now connect with customers in the most direct possible way.
It is one of the simplest and most affordable marketing strategies that does not require any attractive graphics or an elaborate design team. A well-crafted and concise message can drive effective customer engagement and sales altogether. With scalable SMS Marketing campaigns, marketers reach large audiences at a lower cost while tailoring messages and offers to individual requirements.
Text messages have a directness that demands immediate attention. Whether it is a promotion of a flash sale, introducing a new product, or executing customer service tasks, an SMS marketing platform can effectively help marketers achieve their marketing goals.
Unlike other marketing channels such as social media, emails, and push notifications, messages sent through SMS facilitate open communication and require a few minutes of attention, leading to high engagement rates.
Use of SMS as a Marketing Technique: A History of Telephone Technology Development
Technological developments that occurred in the 20th Century have revolutionized communication on a global scale. Over the years, present advancements in communication have led to a significant change in person-to-person and long-distance communication. A history deep-rooted in the introduction of mobile telephone technology has brought affordable and better communication modes, which kept the ball rolling for world communication.
With Short Messaging Services, interactive communication and its popularity reached a peak of success, witnessing demand in networks such as Vodacom, Mobile Telephone Network (MTN), and Cell C in South Africa. Large companies began to realize the potential of an SMS marketing platform as a form of customer communication within the integrated marketing communication context.
Key Impacts of SMS Marketing on Business Growth
A direct connection to customers through an SMS marketing platform allows businesses to personalize content, build loyalty, engage in real-time, and drive customer attention. This marketing approach ensures messages reach their intended audience, prompts actions, and increases sales, making them effective for businesses across industries. The key impacts of sms marketing on business growth are as follows-
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Direct Communication
Nowadays, almost every person has a mobile phone, and sending text messages is the best way for marketers to connect with their audience instantly. Through a mobile phone or a smartphone, as an SMS marketing platform, businesses can easily send their promotional or product-oriented messages to their intended recipients, regardless of their location.
As an instant form of communication, text messages deliver unmatched timeliness. The time-sensitive events, promotions, and sales can easily be communicated to customers, ensuring they receive the information on time that can influence their purchasing decisions.
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High Engagement Rates
Having phones in their hands all the time, audiences are likely to cast a glance at the pop-up notifications as soon as they receive them from you. This increases the likelihood of seeing marketers’ messages and reading them compared to other marketing platforms, leading to higher engagement rates and chances of sales conversions.
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Personalized Communications
An SMS marketing platform or tool helps businesses craft personalized messages that resonate with a particular audience segment. Whether it is a transactional message or a promotional text message, personalized SMS communication can drive business growth exponentially.
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Cost-Effective Marketing Approach
Using an effective SMS marketing platform, like a mobile phone or smartphone, businesses can reach their targeted audience segment at a minimal cost. SMS marketing does not require illustrations, eye-catching graphics, or other promotional creativity, making it a cost-effective marketing strategy that can contribute to business growth and value.
Marketers must manage their SMS subscriber lists to understand what they are signing up for. They must craft compelling text messages to strengthen their marketing approaches and determine what resonates best with their audience.
Businesses must choose an adaptable SMS marketing platform that aligns with their business goals and objectives to ensure they capture potential customers and retain the existing ones to enhance their sales, attaining sustainable business growth.
