How to Run an Effective SMS Marketing Campaign That Drives 10X Sales

Not every business has enough experience with SMS marketing.

But without SMS marketing, your business is losing a lot of money.

SMS is the most preferred communication channel for billions of people. Almost 75% of consumers prefer receiving special offers over SMS.

Yes, 75%! 

So how do you create an excellent SMS marketing campaign? And drive your sales 10x?

We’ve put together six tips after consulting with SMS marketing experts. These tips will grow your business and boost your sales 10x.

But before we jump into it, you first need to understand a few simple concepts of SMS marketing.

What is an SMS marketing campaign?

SMS marketing means promoting your products and services to customers via text messages. Many businesses use this form of marketing to engage with customers too.

In simple words, SMS marketing is efficiently taking advantage of consumer behaviour.

Your customers check their phones at least 3-5 times an hour. This increases the chances of your SMS getting read by your customers. Thus, they are more likely to buy your products.

Benefits of SMS marketing

SMS marketing has several advantages. Compared to other digital marketing channels, SMS marketing is the clear winner.

Here are the main benefits of using SMS marketing for your business:

• Fast and quick: SMS marketing is fast, unlike other channels. Messages get delivered in an instant without delays.
• High open rate: Customers read a whopping 98% of the SMS. Need we say more?
• Highest response rate: With the high open rates that SMS enjoys, it also has the highest response rate. SMS marketing boasts a response rate that is on average 45%.
• Enhanced customer engagement: You can learn more about your customers via SMS. And engage more meaningfully with them.
• Monitor data to improve: Tracking meaningful ROI via SMS marketing is very easy. You can also monitor your delivery rates and ensure your campaign is performing to its potential.

Tips for running an effective SMS marketing campaign that drives 10x results

You now know what SMS marketing is and how it benefits your business. So let us dive into what the experts say about boosting your sales with SMS marketing campaigns.

Here are the top six tips that SMS marketing titans swear by:

1. Time it right

Will Laurenson, the CEO of Customers Who Click, says, “A successful SMS marketing campaign is all about the timing.”

Explaining this further, he says Don’t send SMSes whenever you want. “If you are into SMS marketing, it’s highly probable that you are using an automation tool. Set up optimal times (post customer research),” he suggests.

He also says not to send customers SMS on the weekends. “Many of us tend to forget that SMS is a channel. We send our messages at the end of the week. So, avoid weekends and Mondays. Mondays historically have the lowest response rates,” he points out.

Furthermore, he also suggests avoiding sending your SMSes during commute times for obvious reasons. So, nothing between 6:30 am to 9:00 am and 4 pm to 7 pm.

“The best time to send your promotional SMS is Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We have historical data to support this claim. Most of us follow a strict schedule. So stick to sending your SMSes between 10 am to 2 pm,” the expert says.

“Also, if you aim to send SMS to your customers during their free time, ensure that you send it after 7 pm and before 9 pm,” he suggests.  

“One of the most important things I have observed that SMS marketers forget is, localising send times. If you are running a global SMS campaign, ensure that you stick to your customers’ time zones. Simple yet one of the most forgotten things,” he says.

2. Track Your SMS Marketing Campaigns

“Tracking your SMS marketing campaigns is very crucial. This is one of the most important things you should do,” Will Laurenson says.

You should analyse how good or bad your campaign is performing.

He says that the metrics to measure this are:

1. Open rate
2. Clicks on the links
3. Response rate
4. Opt-out rate

“So, as a benchmark, consider the current trend in the SMS marketing industry. 70% of customers interact with their SMS within 60 minutes. 19% of them click on a link. If you have rates below these numbers, it is time to analyse your SMS marketing campaign,” he says.

“So here’s what you do to make it better. A/B testing of critical components of your campaign. This could be the content, audience, and timing. Analyse what’s working and then readjust accordingly,” he recommends.

3. Reliable service provider

“Using a reliable service provider is a no-brainer. If you don’t have the basics right, your SMS marketing campaign is bound to fail,” says Andrea Butters, the CEO of Andrea Butters Marketing Consultancy.

You must ensure that you choose the right and reliable service provider, such as SMSCountry. You can execute SMS marketing campaigns close to perfection with a reliable service provider.

With SMS analytics, you’ll also be able to track the delivery and open rates, which is very helpful in adjusting your campaign.

“Check customer support when choosing a service provider for your SMS marketing. It is crucial, although they may offer excellent services. If a problem arises, having good customer service is very important for you and your business,” says Andrea.

4. Sense of urgency

Andrea further says, “SMS can create a sense of urgency. Use that for your campaign.”

“Using SMS to notify people about your limited discounts and promotions. You can also create a sense of urgency by informing your customers of exclusive sales and contacts,” she adds.

Andrea says that this adds to the sense of urgency of your message. And it makes your customers take advantage of the offers before time runs out.

“If your business is a physical store, you can take this even further. You can use SMS targeting with location-based campaigns.”

“Send promotions to your customers that visit or pass your store. Just make sure your SMS contains action words,” she recommends. These include ‘valid until’, ‘expires soon, and so on.

She says that SMS is a great tool to show your customers what your business can offer and how they can profit from it.

5. Don’t forget the fun

“The easiest way to lose your customers is by being boring,” says Mat Moghaddam, founder, and CEO of IPPBX.

“Emails aren’t authentic. SMS is one of the channels that offer a personal experience to your customer. Do not bore them with stale content. Reward them for opening your SMS.”

“Why should you do this? Well, the average attention span of a customer now is 8.25 seconds. Just within 8 seconds, they decide whether they want to engage with your brand or not,” he points out.

So adding this element of fun is almost fundamental, Mat says.

So how do you add fun to SMS marketing?

Mat suggests the following few ways:

1. Use a conversational tone when crafting your SMS content.
2. Devise a brand voice that speaks to your customer on a personal level.
3. Add GIFS and memes.
4. Include games, polls, interactive content, and rich media in your SMS campaigns.

With this, you can quite simply connect with a much broader audience and ensure that your SMS interaction rate is higher, ” Mat says.

6. Be creative with your CTAs

“CTA [call to action] is very important. But CTAs such as ‘act now’ or ‘call now’ are generic and don’t work at all,” says Mat.

“If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. People have been reading these overused CTAs for too long,” Mat points out.

He adds that the customers are now evolving. They want to know why they should click. So offer them perks, offers and promotions.

“Ensure that your SMS clearly communicates that there is a special ongoing sale. And then put it in your CTA.”

“For example, a CTA says, ‘make sure you claim the 30% off sale before July 31st’. You can also include codes for an additional discount to draw them in,” he suggests.

Matt shared the following as bonus tips on creating a tempting CTA:

1. Insert the CTA or code before the unsubscribe option.
2. Include your business number or URL.
3. Ensure you use a URL shortener to keep your SMS short.

“Do these and try to engage with your customers in a meaningful and more creative manner. Sales will follow,” says Mat.

The experts have spoken

With these tips from experts and industry titans, you are highly likely to 10X your sales with SMS marketing.

Use this checklist based on these experts’ tips for your next SMS marketing campaign:

1. Time your SMSes right. Send them according to your customer and business.
2. Choose a reliable service provider with excellent customer support.
3. Use SMS intelligently to create a sense of urgency in your customers.
4. Don’t forget to add fun to your SMS marketing campaigns.
5. Remember to be creative with your CTAs. Boring can drive your customer away.

With these tips in your arsenal, you are ready to launch an effective SMS marketing campaign that catapults your business and sales 10x.

Author: Sohil Guntagani 

Sohil Guntagani is a doctor turned writer, with an affliction for literature and writing. He’s published on several websites in hopes of being famous and is easily irked by a blank page and the blinking cursor – his wife’s primary source of anxiety. He loves books, and movies, and can completely devour two pizzas by himself.