Published on December 6th, 2016 | by Guest

How SMS Marketing Integrates Into Your Current Marketing Strategy

SMS marketing has the ability and reach to increase traffic to stores, restaurants, offices, or websites, which is why so many business are using it as a part of their marketing and advertising strategy. Some use stand-alone text marketing campaigns, while others use traditional advertising methods complemented with mobile marketing from a service like Apifonica. In doing, so, they create a more well-rounded advertising strategy, increase the response to their campaign and target an audience they otherwise might not reach.

Enhance Your Current Methods of Advertising

As industry case studies indicate, businesses can incorporate sms marketing techniques into their existing advertising and marketing initiatives in one of three ways:

1. Using a JOIN tagline: The tagline informs consumers of your mobile sms contact number as a means of keeping in touch with your company. A JOIN tagline is ideal for professionals and service-related businesses because it doesn’t change, so it can easily be added to all your advertising and marketing materials. Once your business has its keyword and short code established, develop an enticing tagline, such as: We’re at your fingertips – JOIN our mobile marketing club at whatever your keyword and short code may be.

2. Providing a Special Offer: Most businesses advertise seasonal sales, special promotions, or coupons using traditional forms of advertising. Add SMS marketing to the mix and these time-sensitive special offers also reach consumers directly and instantly. Automated text message campaigns have proven advantageous for retail businesses, restaurants, entertainment venues and other businesses that need a real-time reach.

With most sms marketing services, businesses can have more than one keyword or sub-keywords, making it possible for different keywords to be assigned to different promotions. Keyword sms can increase your response rate by giving mobile device users immediate access to your special deal. Besides adding your mobile tagline to your traditional methods of advertising, use it in other marketing avenues, such as your company’s social media sites, online blog or newsletter, or email marketing communications.

3. Holding a Contest: This type of marketing strategy is designed to engage consumers with a fun promotion while increasing your customer base at the same time.

SMS marketing is perhaps the best complement for this type of marketing initiative because businesses can plan a QR code campaign that runs in sync with traditional printed advertising methods, including billboards, signs, or bumper stickers. The QR code could either link consumers to your company’s website or require them to text your mobile keyword and short code for a contest clue.

Why Bulk Texting Is Effective

In the report, Understanding Mobile Marketing Technology & Reach, the Mobile Marketing Association identifies several key reasons why mobile marketing is so effective.

Among them is allowing businesses to reach a target demographic at any point during the day, not just when consumers are at their work or home computer, watching TV, going through their mail, or reading a newspaper or magazine. In addition, mobile marketing leverages other media by making it possible, for example, to include a short code on advertising panels so passers-by can get information on the spot.

SMS marketing, according to the same report, is the most widely used messaging vehicle for mobile marketing because of its versatility, low cost and ease of use through an automated messaging service. In addition, consumers are already familiar with text messaging. According to the Mobile Marketing Association, there are twice as many sms users than email users worldwide. As such, there’s no need to educate the public on texting.

SMS Marketing Business Strategies

For businesses looking for new strategies to reach new and existing customers, mass sms is providing diverse avenues and positive results. Here are some business strategies adopted by businesses using sms marketing:

Coupons: Businesses use electronic coupons to entice consumers to text a certain keyword to opt-in to their sms marketing campaign. A bulk sms text message is sent to announce the mobile coupons, which are automatically sent as an auto-reply to individuals who opt-in to the mobile marketing campaign. In addition, coupons are sent anytime as part of a mass sms text to spark sales or as a customer loyalty program.

Raise Funds. More and more charities and nonprofits are realizing the benefits of running a mass sms fundraising campaign. Most automated messaging services have the capability to handle bulk sms text message marketing for donation requests, offering nonprofits a low-cost outreach method.

Voting or Polling. A bulk sms text becomes interactive with an automated messaging service that offers two-way texting and a survey broadcast feature. Customer feedback is an important component to business strategies; and surveys are easily incorporated into a sms marketing campaign. Customers vote or provide their responses to a poll by using the keypads on their mobile phone, providing businesses with direct feedback from customers.

Reminders: Bulk sms text reminders offer companies two different strategies. Some businesses send a mass sms to remind customers of an upcoming appointment, while others send an automated text to generate sales by reminding customers of an upcoming holiday, birthday, anniversary, or other milestone.

Sweepstakes and Contests. With this promotional strategy, businesses are sending a bulk sms text to its contact list offering the chance to win a prize if a purchase or customer referral is made within a certain time period.

Depending on the type of business, some conduct a mass sms campaign encouraging customers to take a photo, make a video, or write an essay about a topic related to the business in order to win a prize. For example, an ecommerce site that specializes in digital cameras might hold a photo contest and award a camera or a camera accessory to the winner.

About the author:

Aly Chiman is a freelance blogger on AlyChi Designs. He enjoys golf and kayaking. He writes about marketing, investing, and entrepreneurship on his blog at alychidesigns

Tags: business, marketing, sales, SMS, strategy