SMS Marketing Launch Essentials
The trope of “digging out” of the dreaded inbox is pervasive in today’s culture. We now schedule specific email time to get back control in our day. Yet we’re glued to our phones, rapidly checking and responding to texts from family, friends and even colleagues in real-time. Marketers who haven’t adapted to this new reality are missing out. Done properly, SMS marketing has proven to have higher open and engagement rates than email, making it a valuable tool for e-commerce companies to increase sales, build customer loyalty, and strengthen their brand. Here’s a checklist to get started with SMS marketing.
1. Pick a Platform
If you’re an ecommerce company, it’s important to choose an SMS platform that integrates with your ecomm platform. And no matter what kind of company you are, if you’re already doing email marketing, choose one that is tied to your ESP. Klaviyo (or Braze) and Shopify are like peanut butter and jelly–they just go together. But there are plenty of other options. Larger brands might consider platforms like Attentive, more accustomed to huge sends and complicated segments. Omnichannel brands requiring scheduling, reservations and confirmations need to consider other options. Bottom line: choose a platform that gets you in the game quickly, but that integrates well with your other systems.
2. Permissions and Preferences
Besides the regulatory minefield of data privacy and opt-ins, getting user preferences right to avoid even the perception of spam is critical. Most platforms have automated tools allowing users to opt in and opt out. But you’ll still need to update your privacy policy and think through how and where users can update their preferences, to avoid unsubscribes/opt-outs completely.
3. Build Your List
To start collecting phone numbers for your SMS marketing list, start by offering your customers the option to sign up for SMS alerts when they make a purchase. You can also provide an incentive for customers to sign up, such as a discount or a free item with their first purchase. Test different collection points, messaging and imagery to best entice users to sign up: site pop-ups, social media posts, lead form ads and more.
4. Make It Personal, Make It Fun
Customers are more likely to engage with messages that feel personal and relevant to them. Use customer data, such as their purchase history, location, and preferences, to create segmented campaigns and send targeted messages. Address your customers by name and send messages that align with their interests and behaviors. Quizzes and surveys are an excellent tactic to make SMS more of a conversation with your customers. Play with imagery, GIFs and emojis that reflect your brand and keep users wanting to check messages you send to make them smile or inspire them.
5. Promote Time-Sensitive Offers
SMS marketing is the best way to promote time-sensitive offers such as flash sales, limited-time discounts, and seasonal promotions. Sending a text message with a discount code or a special offer that expires can create a sense of urgency and motivate customers to make a purchase. Make sure to highlight the limited time frame in your message to encourage immediate action. For the last several Black Friday/Cyber Monday seasons, SMS has outperformed email in both open and conversion rates. You might consider offering SMS-only promotions too: another incentive for users to subscribe so you can grow your list.
6. Provide Order Updates and Tracking Information
SMS marketing is not only useful for promoting products and offers but also for providing order updates and tracking information to customers. Sending text messages with order confirmations, shipping updates, and delivery notifications enhances the customer experience, builds trust, and reduces customer service inquiries related to order status.
7. Request Feedback and Reviews
SMS is a great way to request feedback and reviews from customers. After a purchase, send a message asking customers to rate their experience and leave a review. This can help identify areas for improvement and increase social proof. This also helps build trust with customers.
Getting started with SMS marketing takes some legwork, but is generally a lighter lift to execute than email. However, it is essential to ensure that messages are relevant, targeted, and compliant with regulations to avoid spamming. There are also tradeoffs: SMS performs better than email, but it’s harder to grow a list and you can’t send texts as frequently as email without annoying customers. A lot of brands also fall into the trap of only using SMS as a megaphone for promotions, while ignoring all of the other opportunities to build customer trust and retention. We’ve implemented SMS marketing strategies for several clients and would love to help you get the most out of this powerful tool.
