5 Reasons SMS Marketing Could Be Right For You

March 16, 2021

There’s no denying that SMS is hot right now.

Take a look at yourself for example. There's a 90% chance you're reading this on your phone, and if you're not there's still a 90% chance you can see your phone from where you are. The fact is, 97% of American business professionals spend 24 hours a day within 3 feet of their mobile phone. That kind of direct and constant access is simply unmatched by other channels of communication, and eCommerce marketers are using it to their full advantage. We’re seeing SMS marketing increase conversion rates and help brands better connect with their customers.

So what’s stopping you from trying it for your business? Maybe it’s the time and money you would have to commit to setting it up, or perhaps you just aren’t sure where to start.Whatever your reasoning, if you’re on the fence about SMS, you’re in the right place. We’ve put together our top 5 reasons to consider adding text messaging to your eCommerce marketing strategy.

#1: SMS marketing is efficient and effective

What better place to begin than some impressive numbers? Text messages have:

  • A 95-99% open rate, with 90% opened within 3 minutes
  • A 19% clickthrough rate, compared to 4% for emails
  • A 90 second average response time, compared to 2 days for email

These stats alone are what make SMS such an appealing option to so many marketers. But, if some flashy numbers don’t have you convinced, we’re just getting started.

#2: You’ll end up with a killer list

If there’s one takeaway from point #1, it’s that people read their texts. Which is great. But it also means that people are going to decide if they don’t want to hear from you FAST.Now, I know the prospect of a high unsubscribe rate is daunting to any marketer, but hear me out. With all of your unengaged subscribers gone, you’ll be left with a small list of people who really want to hear from you. It means your SMS list will become a goldmine of engaged customers. This is the perfect example of quality over quantity. Knowing that it’s almost guaranteed that everyone on your list will read your SMS campaigns, the possibilities are endless.

#3: It’ll take your customer relationships to the next level

Your customers use their phones to communicate with their friends and family - the people closest to them. So, when they decide to opt in to your SMS list, it makes things personal. Your texts to them should reflect that.You can use SMS’s impressive deliverability to let your customer know you’re thinking about them and to make personalized offers. SMS conversations are also a great opportunity to collect valuable feedback from your customers that you might not otherwise receive.

Some service providers, like SMS Live, even let you have 2-way conversations with your customers. This means you can quickly and personally respond to their questions and concerns. What better way to get to know what your customers want than to ask them directly?

#4: SMS marketing can help improve your other marketing efforts

Sure SMS sounds impressive, but do you really need to add it? If you’ve already got a solid email marketing strategy and business is good, why add SMS? How about to boost your open rates by 20-30%? SMS can bolster your existing marketing efforts, including by encouraging your customers to check their email. A simple message reminding them to look at the campaign you sent them can work wonders.

You can also set up SMS automations the same way you can for your email lists. That means you can reap the rewards of a strong SMS strategy while still being able to focus your valuable time and effort elsewhere.It doesn’t end with email, though. Use SMS to direct customers to your social media channels, to send them your latest blog post, or even to ask them to leave you a review.

#5: You won’t know until you try!

If you take one conclusion away from this list, let it be this. SMS could be the key to taking your eCommerce brand to the next level, but you’ll never know if you don’t try.If dipping your toes into the world of SMS seems too high-risk to justify, don’t fret! Some email service providers, like Klaviyo, have SMS capabilities built right in so that you can easily manage all your messaging in one place. Other service providers, like SMS Live, have options to try out SMS with a free trial.Ready to take the plunge into SMS marketing? We can help with that! Book a call to see if we’re a good fit.

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