Text Marketing Trends to Watch for in 2023
Customers’ expectations constantly evolve, making it crucial for marketers to look for creative and innovative methods to inform them and satisfy their demands for customer experience to be able to retain them and reach new prospects. Whether you’re just getting your business off the ground, or already have some success and wish to grow, you may be thinking about trying out text marketing. It’s a great way to get in touch with prospective clients on a more personal level.
Businesses rely on powerful SMS marketing campaigns to build more meaningful connections with their target audience, staying present in their lives in a useful and non-intrusive way. But most importantly, they use it to increase website traffic and ultimately their sales. The efficiency of this type of marketing means that it will persist in 2023 and beyond, which is why you should educate yourself on this channel’s features, benefits, and potential integration with your project. To help you do that, we’ve prepared a list of things you should start doing to get the most out of text marketing.
Get the OK to Send SMS Messages
The first step in launching an SMS marketing campaign is to get the user’s consent to contact them, because people have different preferences, and receiving unsolicited messages could drive some of them to eventually block your number. Text messages have a high percentage of conversion and open rate. But you can’t make somebody read them and react to them if they don’t want to.
Asking for permission will help you steer clear of unfavorable outcomes. Showing concern for customers’ privacy will also be reflected in their positive response to your request for permission to send SMS. And it will ensure that you are only communicating with people who are interested in hearing from your company.
Allow Them to Unsubscribe
Don’t ignore the choice to unsubscribe. You should provide clear instructions to make it as simple as possible for people to opt out of receiving your messages. Keep in mind that there is a legal risk involved with not placing it. It also looks very unprofessional and may, again, drive people to block your number.
For instance, the recipient can simply reply with the word “STOP” to be removed from the mailing list. Or if you’d like, you can also use software that lets you add an “unsubscribe” link that automatically removes the user from the list.
Send Relevant Messages
If you’re going to use SMS marketing campaigns, you should distribute some useful information and not just send messages for the sake of sending them. By doing so, you can keep your subscribers from missing an important message and eventually unsubscribing.
Though it may seem like a little, remember that you only have 160 characters to get your point through. Beginning with your company’s name and a clear call to action is a good place to start. Don’t use jargon or symbols that could confuse the recipient of the text message. If you wish to emphasize a term, use all capitals.
Include Images and Links
With the development of SMS technology, it has become possible to include pictures in text messages. Since consumers respond best to visual content, an image of the product, for instance, can pique their interest and motivate them to make a purchase.
You can send images if you are promoting a product, or you want to promote an upcoming sale. This way you can expand your message without using extra characters. The ability to add links also provides great opportunities for sales. You can use it to direct the user to a landing page where they can learn about your brand, the products, services, or special discounts you offer.
Create Automatic Drip Campaigns
Use drip marketing to keep your clients engaged. This approach can be used to welcome and enroll consumers, which in turn increases customer retention rates through continued interaction. Drip campaigns can be used to motivate customers to stay subscribed.
For instance, you can greet them with a discount coupon upon initial contact, and then continue sending them promotions and special codes after some time, after a few weeks, and then again after a few months.
Conclusion
While different people have different preferences, many consumers like receiving SMS messages with promotions and discounts. It’s a quick and easy way to communicate with your customers and it can boost your sales.
Text marketing is great for segmentation based on users’ preferences, needs, and behavior. It allows you to address the recipient by name, but also to keep a two-way communication, making it a great way not only to easily provide customers with the information they need but also to get feedback and gather data to improve your marketing strategy in 2023.