According to The State of SMS: Executive Summary, 98 percent of mobile consumers read a branded or commercial text message, making SMS an efficient marketing tool.
The next issue is how to turn these readings into sales. When planning your next campaign, keep the following fundamental elements of good SMS text in mind to ensure your bulk SMS marketing hits the mark.
1. Use basic, straightforward language
This suggestion is ranked first in the great writing manuals. We all want to show off our abilities, but sometimes less is more. Consider the following:
What the second version lacks in grammatical flourishes, it more than makes up for in clarity and detalization. Because SMS is a space-limited sort of communication, conveying just the most critical information while using as little text as possible.
2. Do not go beyond the limit
Because there is a character restriction for one SMS, clear and well-structured text not only adds to campaign integrity but also saves your marketing expense. Most carriers have a maximum SMS character restriction of 70/160 (Latin/Cyrillic), so try not to exceed it.
Each template specifies the character limit.
3. Avoid employing ambiguous language
Because SMS content cannot include too much text, marketers often employ shortenings and acronyms to squeeze as much information as possible into a single message. And, in certain cases, this strategy makes the SMS difficult to read and digest.
4. Try to avoid uncertainty
When used incorrectly, ambiguous words and symbols, such as emojis, might do more damage than good. You won’t be able to clarify what you mean since SMS doesn’t have much room to provide the context.
5. Include contact information
People will not seek your phone number or email address if it is not included in the SMS. Include complete contact information in the SMS if further communication is anticipated.
6. Include a call to action
An SMS should pique the recipient’s interest while also prompting them to take action. Unlike emails, it is not a place for extensive text, so keep extraneous information to a minimum and get to the point quickly.
7. Use caps with caution
Because there are no distinct fonts or colours in the SMS text, capital letters are the only option to draw attention to a specific area of the message. Don’t misuse it by emphasising just the most crucial information, such as Sales, #& Off, Holiday hours, Monday only, and so on. Caps used to compose the whole message lose their main function of attracting attention.
8. Divide your contact list into halves
SMS success, like any other communication channel, is dependent on segmentation and personalisation. Instead of unpleasant messages with no relevant information, send SMS with offers that your users will like.
9. Make it unique
Personalize the copy of your mass SMS to make it more human-like. Aside from offering relevant offers, you may also leverage personal data such as name, linked purchase, geolocation, and so on to personalize your message.
10. Emphasize the reader’s advantages
It’s a well-known marketing tip: while advertising a product, highlight its advantages rather than its technical features.
11. Include a straightforward promotional code
Short promo codes such as GIFT, XMAS20, and 50FF are simpler to remember than TFGYURF3452. Because some individuals prefer to write rather than copy and paste, make the promo code wording as user-friendly as possible. This is an excellent SMS marketing example:
12. Check your spelling and punctuation
Many businesses compromise language and punctuation in order to increase text volume. However, we at eSputnik do not believe that is an effective marketing writing strategy. Email, SMS, online push, and mobile push communications all reflect your firm and should seem professional and high-quality.
13. Integrate SMS into a process
Automated processes enhance your marketing routine, save time, and enable you to engage clients across several channels. Furthermore, when each channel is supported, confidence in the brand grows as customers see messaging reinforced across channels.
14. Send an SMS in the recipient’s native language
If you have information about the customer’s preferred language, use it since 75% of online consumers indicate they would like to purchase things in their native language.
15. Improve the mailing timetable
Even if you don’t have enough client data to personalize scheduling to a specific consumer, keep in mind that no one likes to be disturbed late at night, early in the morning, or on weekends.
Also, keep in mind that SMS is seen as a more private medium than any other, and individuals are more inclined to give their email address than their phone number. When they do share it, thank them for their trust and avoid using SMS to deliver frequent promotions. Save the channel for more special events such as holiday greetings, personal reminders, critical service updates, shift changes, and so on.
SMS is an excellent medium for marketers to supplement existing initiatives and reach out to consumers in a pleasant manner. Its use is simple and does not need any effort on your side. To engage your audience and generate genuine conversion results, use the trusted format of a text message.
