5 Reasons to Try Text Message Marketing for Your Small Business

In today's digital world, the mediums through which businesses are communicating with customers are constantly evolving. And if you want to compete in this new multi-channel marketing reality, you need to embrace the power of text message marketing. But what is text marketing and how does it work? What are the benefits? And what industries does this work for? Read on below for the answer to all these questions to see how texting can fit into your marketing plan:
 

While you know how ordinary texting works, texting for marketing purposes operates slightly differently. In essence, the primary differences are that you should keep all communications relevant to your business goals and you also need to first gain permission from your customers to send text messages to them. This covers your bases legally. Once you've done that, you can use texting in the following ways:
 

News/updates

You can relay important customer updates that are time sensitive via SMS. Whether it's product launches, updates, or events (texting can increase event attendance rate by 45%!), you can use a text as a sort of miniature newsletter.
 

Emergency notifications

You might need to notify your list in the event of emergencies. Get critical updates across during disaster scenarios or last-minute changes.
 

Promotions

From local service businesses to travel agents, you can highlight special offers that are crafted to your specific market. Consider unique discounts or time-limited promotions and track your conversions.
 

Customer Service

Happy customers tend to spread the word and send you referrals which are greatly profitable. Keep your customer happy with excellent customer service by offering the options to contact you via text for any issues, questions, or concerns. Even consider sending them automatic updates on shipments, refunds, and other info.
 
In truth, your imagination is the only limit on what kind of texts you can send. So don't just use the options above. Brainstorm ways you can use SMS in your business to aid your sales and marketing efforts and make a great impression on your prospects.
 

So now you understand how texting can be used to help your marketing. But why is it advantageous over other channels? What makes texting so special? Well, here is a list of five benefits you can expect:
 

1. It's a Direct Channel With Immediate Communication

SMS lets you contact your customer base instantly. This is crucial for time-sensitive information and offers. Try getting that kind of read rate on email, it won't happen.
 

2. Use Shortcodes to Simplify Responses

Let your customers add a shortcode or keyword to quickly print out ads or promotions. They will soon memorize your code and this makes them more likely to interact with your brand.
 

3. It Integrates with Other Channels

Multi-channel marketing makes it necessary that your channels work well together. SMS stands up to this requirement by easily enhancing and integrating with social, email, and other channels. Perhaps you can remind your customers of a recent email that was sent out or give them a last chance to take advantage of a social media coupon.
 

4. Learn About Your Customers

Get feedback from your customers. Ask them what they like, what they want to improve, and what is on their wishlist. This gives you valuable info to market to them in the future.
 

5. Boost Engagement

Every marketer wants more engagement from their customers. However, sometimes this is easier said than done. Get your customers more involved with your brand by tracking what kind of content they respond to, how long they spend on your site after clicking a link in the SMS, and what kind of call or text-back rate you get from different campaigns. It doesn't hurt that SMS can generate 209% more responses than calls, email, or Facebook.
 

When first learning about the power of text messaging with regards to marketing, a lot of entrepreneurs ask themselves if it will work for their specific niche. The great news is that you can use texting to market virtually any business. However, there are certain verticals where texts can be especially effective. This includes ecommerce, retail, restaurants, bars & clubs, and real estate (every realtor should already have their client's number). The fact that everyone has a phone today makes texting a great fit for almost every business out there.
 
When it comes to marketing in today's day and age, technology is king. And texting is one of the most powerful technologies to leverage. It gives you instant access to your target customers and allows you to engage with them free or affordably on a platform they're already comfortable using. So implement texting into your marketing arsenal today and avoid missing out on a major opportunity to grow your brand now and into the future.