Including SMS marketing as part of your marketing strategy opens you up to using promotional and transactional text messages. Your competitors are sending out more texts than before and are making sales conversions.

Texting is the most used feature on any cell phone, and the most used form of communication in the world. In short, people would rather text you than call, email, fill out a form, or go through one of your social media channels.

What Is SMS Marketing?

SMS marketing is the practice of sending marketing messages by text message. It is a kind of opt-in marketing where customers subscribe to get the information.

The abbreviation “SMS” is for “short message service. This communication might be a one-on-one conversation between a staff member and a customer. It could be an automated text triggered by a customer action, or it could even be part of a mass text sent to a group of customers who have opted in to receive texts from your business.

Related: Here Is Why You Need Email Marketing

5 Ways To Increase Sales Through SMS Marketing

1. Run Limited-Time Offers

One of the most efficient ways of engaging customers and getting crazy sales deals is making promotional offers. Making promotional offers helps you get connected to your customers. Also, running promotional offers through SMS Marketing motivates the customers to take the incentive provided.

For example:

• Use the code “INDEPENDENCE” at check out and get 20% off your purchase!

• Get a free item/gift when you show this text!

• Complete this survey via text and receive $10 off your next purchase!

Holidays are prime time for promotions. Running promotional campaigns helps you identify your target audience and excite them to prepare for the upcoming holiday special offers.

2. Collect Feedback

Getting customer feedback regarding your product and its performance is very vital. It helps you know whether you are doing the right thing, need to include anything in the product for better functioning, and other highlights you may need.

Clients care about the value the product adds to them. If your product helps customers achieve what they want, they will return. The reverse is also true.

As a company that wants to achieve a customer-centric system for all and the benefit of the entire company, you have to give attention to a client’s point of view and respond to their preferences to improve their experience via enhanced product development.

Therefore, this requires you to have a system that will help you get feedback from clients so that you gather their input and address or incorporate them at once. SMS Marketing is a perfect system for your clients to give you feedback about the products and services. This gives you an advantage of knowing what your customers want and building on the exciting customers’ ideas to build another product that customers might love.

3. Personalized Messaging

Your clients hate being spoken to in a mass. Being personal in your texts gives the message a tone of friendliness. To make your message appear unique, you have to consider using words like; you, us or me. That kind of tone makes the message appear like it's coming from an individual and targeting the receiver.

Text messages that appear personal seem to invite customers to take action. This makes them think you are interested in their likes and preferences, making them feel special. Don't make your messages look corporate, write your messages like you are talking to your customers in person. This will become easy for you to connect with them.

Tips to help you write and ensure personal text messages for your customers;

• Use plain language while talking to leads.

• Use words that make the text appear personal, like me, you or us

• Make an emotional connection with masses of text contacts.

This SMS Marketing practice is ideal for birthdays and holidays. Show your clients that you think about them and know what matters to them.

BIRTHDAY LOADING! We noticed your birthday is coming up next week. So treat yourself to a bottle of Champagne on us by purchasing a birthday cake. Choose from 6 brands. ORDER TODAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

4. Use Calls-To-Action

Compelling CTAs motivate recipients to convert. Research shows that clients respond more quickly when short and straightforward words seduce them to take action. Great examples of call-to-action phrases are:

• “Click here”

• “Show this text”

• “Buy now”

• “Use code at checkout”

• “Shop now”

• Text to win

These usually compel recipients to take action. CTAs that show consumer benefits also improve conversions. These words include; free, personalized and complementary. Call to Action words to add to your recipient's SMS message should;

• Boost and improve conversions with singular and prominent CTAs

• Use action words to motivate clicks

• Include a color contrast and an easy-to-click CTA button to click more customers.

5. Reminders

There are several ways to generate sales for your business. And imposing a sense of urgency in the lead-up to deadlines and holidays is one of them. Creating a sense of urgency involves reminding customers of the final delivery dates and putting offers.

Millennials prefer to receive texts from businesses for appointment reminders (62%), delivery notifications (59%), and payment reminders (48%).

Business owners use many other techniques to impose a sense of urgency. For example, you can use SMS marketing to circulate your sense of urgency to increase sales.

SMS Marketing Software

MonkeyPesa is an all-in-one messaging software that gathers all your customer service messaging—from SMS, social media, and WhatsApp into one inbox.

Accessible Communication is a giant step toward maintaining good relationships with clients. Strong relationships generate more sales and support, improve client satisfaction, and reduce business expenses.