What is SMS marketing?
SMS marketing, or text message marketing, is a marketing strategy that involves sending promotional campaigns or transactional messages to customers via SMS (Short Message Service) on their mobile phones.
Why should you use SMS marketing?
Higher engagement
Text messages have a significantly higher open rate compared to emails, making them a powerful tool for engaging with customers.
Trackability
With SMS marketing, you can easily track the delivery and open rates of your messages, allowing you to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Immediate delivery
Text messages are delivered instantly, making them an ideal channel for time-sensitive promotions or urgent notifications.
More personalized
Text messages allow for personalization, enabling you to tailor your messages to individual customers based on their preferences and behavior.
Ubiquitous
Almost everyone has a mobile phone, and text messaging is a universal communication method, ensuring that your messages reach a wide audience.
SMS marketing strategy
Sending coupons
Offering exclusive discounts or coupons via SMS can incentivize customers to make a purchase and drive sales.
Setting up cart abandonment flows
Remind customers about items left in their cart and encourage them to complete their purchase through automated SMS messages.
Sending shipping and delivery notifications
Keep customers informed about the status of their orders with SMS updates on shipping and delivery.
Running a giveaway
Engage customers and build excitement by running SMS-exclusive giveaways or contests.
Using photos and videos
Enhance the visual appeal of your SMS campaigns by including multimedia content such as photos and videos.
5 Examples of creative SMS campaigns
SMS teaser campaign by HBO
HBO used SMS to tease the release of a new show, generating buzz and anticipation among subscribers.
Reward campaign by Starbucks
Starbucks offered loyalty program members exclusive rewards and promotions through SMS, driving customer engagement and retention.
Loyalty campaign by Orange
Telecommunications company Orange used SMS to reward loyal customers with special offers and perks, fostering brand loyalty.
Freebies Campaign by Chipotle
Chipotle ran a SMS campaign offering free menu items to customers who showed the SMS at checkout, driving foot traffic to their stores.
Treasure Truck Campaign by Amazon
Amazon utilized SMS to notify customers about exclusive deals available for purchase at their mobile “treasure trucks,” creating a sense of urgency and excitement.
The best SMS marketing software to use
Klaviyo
Klaviyo offers robust SMS marketing capabilities, allowing you to create personalized campaigns and automate messaging based on customer behavior.
EZ texting
EZ texting provides an easy-to-use platform for sending mass text messages, managing contacts, and tracking campaign performance.
Omnisend
Omnisend offers omnichannel marketing automation, including SMS, to help you engage customers across multiple touchpoints.
Attentive
Attentive specializes in mobile messaging, providing tools for creating and sending targeted SMS campaigns to drive revenue and customer loyalty.
Sparkcentral by Hootsuite
Sparkcentral by Hootsuite offers a unified messaging platform that includes SMS, enabling seamless customer communication across channels.
Takeaways
SMS marketing can be a powerful tool for ecommerce businesses to engage with customers, drive sales, and build brand loyalty. By implementing a well-planned SMS marketing strategy and utilizing the right software, you can leverage the benefits of SMS to enhance your ecommerce marketing efforts.