Since 2009, SMS marketing has been on the rise. More and more businesses are using this direct marketing channel to communicate with their customers and prospects. From alerts and surveys to launching promotional offers—SMS marketing is a flexible and fast communication tool with multiple use cases. Messages can be either informative or promotional.
In 2021, 11.3 billion SMS messages were sent in France. Over the year, SMS marketing grew by 18.18% compared to 2020. Among the messages sent by brands, 60% were transactional (6.8 billion), and 40% were advertising messages (4.5 billion). In this article, we’ll look at the key benefits of SMS marketing for your brand.
What is SMS marketing?
SMS marketing involves sending messages directly to a customer's mobile phone in order to:
- inform them about a promotion
- invite them to an upcoming event, like the opening of a new store
- send a timely alert
- promote limited-time offers or current updates
These targeted messages are only sent to customers who have consented to receive SMS communications (opt-in).
What are the objectives of SMS marketing?
SMS marketing is designed both to attract new customers and retain existing ones. It offers strong targeting capabilities during the prospecting phase and can drive foot traffic to physical stores within a defined catchment area.
It can also incorporate more engaging mechanics, such as downloading a discount coupon to use on a website. This type of SMS campaign serves the dual purpose of lead generation and promoting commercial offers.
Best practices for launching an SMS marketing campaign
Here are four rules to follow for sending SMS marketing messages:
Obtain recipient consent
Make sure you're aware of current regulations before launching your SMS campaign. If you're renting prospecting data from a specialized company, consent is typically included.
Respect authorized sending times
It’s forbidden to send SMS marketing messages between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. on weekdays. You also can’t schedule campaigns on Sundays or public holidays.
Craft clear, concise, and engaging messages
SMS content should be brief and compelling. The maximum length is 160 characters. Every word counts. To boost conversion rates, personalize your messages—use first names, titles, birthdays, purchased products, etc.
Optimize sending times
According to marketing professionals, the best times to send messages are Tuesdays or Thursdays, between 10 a.m.–12 p.m. or 2 p.m.–4 p.m. The ideal time depends on your specific audience, their profession, age, and habits. Don’t hesitate to use A/B testing to find the optimal timing.
Additional recommendations
- Limit frequency of messages to the same audience
- Include “STOP SMS” at the end
- Always give recipients the option to unsubscribe from future promotional messages
Why start using SMS marketing now?
SMS marketing offers a wide range of benefits for brands—startups, SMBs, and large corporations alike. It’s a versatile strategy that fits any business sector and easily integrates with other marketing channels like email and push notifications.
SMS campaigns generate high engagement. 9 out of 10 marketing texts are read immediately upon receipt and boast exceptional deliverability rates.
According to mobile operators, 95% of SMS messages are received within 10 seconds. Nearly all (99%) are received within 10 minutes.
SMS campaigns are fast and simple to deploy. They don’t require extensive technical expertise, saving time for marketing teams. In just a few minutes, brands can establish immediate connections with prospects and customers.
SMS marketing campaigns focused on customer retention deliver strong results with minimal budget. Each message costs just a few cents to send.
The cost structure offers a high return on investment (ROI), with prices decreasing based on volume. If the goal is prospecting, data rental costs are added to the message delivery expenses.
Equipping your business with a bulk SMS sending solution simplifies campaign organization and management.
SMS marketing is a powerful tool for lead generation and customer acquisition. By sending messages to prospects or customers, you improve satisfaction, support their purchasing journey, encourage loyalty with exclusive offers, and keep them well-informed with timely alerts.
Ready to boost sales through SMS marketing?
Dataventure supports you in launching your SMS campaign in 3 key steps:
Define a custom audience segment
We identify socio-demographic, declarative, and behavioral criteria aligned with your core target. With a multichannel approach, your audience can also be reached through other touchpoints: email, social media, telemarketing, or direct mail.
Create your message, campaign scenario & mobile mini-site
A wide range of modules are available to maximize your SMS campaign’s performance: SMS OneClick, store locator, videos, animations, content, data collection forms.
Schedule your campaign and track key metrics
Track SMS volume sent, engagement rate, conversion rate, promo code usage in stores, unsubscribe rate, click-through rate… All performance data is analyzed in real time. This enables you to optimize future campaigns and easily calculate ROI.
Contact us to take advantage of our expertise in traffic generation and performance-based customer acquisition!
