Does your marketing campaign include SMS marketing? If no, then you really should consider adding it because you're missing out on a massive chunk of revenue. According to recent reports, more than 54% of online shopping will be mobile in 2021. Smartphones have become the window through which retailers can connect with their potential and existing customers. Thus, retailers must understand what SMS marketing is, how it can help them with customer service, and why using an SMS marketing app is beneficial. Continue reading to learn more about SMS marketing and why it should be an essential aspect of your marketing campaign in 2021.

What Is SMS Marketing?

SMS marketing is the name given to a combination of practices dealing with commercial text messaging. It is the practice of sending text messages to interested customers. It can be compared with email marketing, with the difference being that you will be sending text messages instead of emails to those who have opted in for your SMS marketing. It is projected that there will be 3.8 billion smartphone users in 2021 – this is a massive chunk that you can connect with directly using SMS marketing, in addition to the users who are using regular mobile phones.

Effectiveness Of SMS Marketing

So, how effective is SMS marketing? That's something that will determine whether you want to try it or not, right? Check out the following stats that offer a glimpse at what SMS marketing can help you achieve;

• Mobile users read 98% of the text messages that they receive. (Source: Dynmark Report)
• More than 48% of consumers have signed up to receive texts from a brand. (Source: Simmons National Consumer Study, NCS)
• The SMS response rate is eight times higher than the email response rate. (Source: Marketingcharts.com)
• The text message has a conversion rate of 45%. (Source: SearchEngineLand) 
• 32% of consumers say that they respond to retailers' promotional text messages. (Source: Business.com)

Can A Text Message Really Help Your Retail Business? 

Various studies show that 91% of the US citizens have a mobile device within arm's reach 24/7, 90% of text messages are read within the first three minutes, and the brand's SMS messages end up reaching 95% of their target audience.

But does it really imply that a text message can help your retail business in engaging customers, generating sales, and enhancing revenues? Coca Cola seems to think that it does because it is spending 70% of its mobile marketing budget on SMS marketing. This is a high percentage considering that direct marketing alternatives are available and proves that SMS marketing does work wonders!

SMS Marketing Strategies That You Can Use

So, you've decided to use SMS marketing for your retail business; what next? Of course, you're going to use an SMS marketing app (more on that in the next section), but which strategies will you use for your SMS marketing? It is important to remember that there's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to SMS marketing. You should tailor the strategies according to your brand. Some of the strategies that you can use are listed below.

5. Doing A Follow-Up After Purchase

Post-purchase follow up texts are an excellent way of collecting feedback and finding out more about your customers. The knowledge gained can be used for personalized and improved communication in the future. You can also give out information about assembly or different ideas on how to use the product that the particular customer purchased.

4. Improving Your Customer Service

Customer service is much more than just customer support, and SMS marketing can help you significantly improve it. You can use SMS marketing for sending shipping and other notifications. Not only is it non-intrusive, but it also enables you to reduce the load on your customer support. You can also use it to have the user assess your different services. By improving your customer service, you can bring in a lot of revenue and develop long-lasting relationships with your customers.

3. Get Ready To Upsell

SMS marketing is among the list of best ways to upsell to your customers. You can always follow up with a text message to ask the customer how satisfied they are with a product and then direct them to a special offer or any related items that might prove beneficial to them.

2. Loyalty Programs

You can start a loyalty program for SMS subscribers only. By doing this, you will be increasing your customers who subscribe to your loyalty program, and you will be able to pitch them various deals, discounts, and upsell to them as well. This strategy helps you to acquire new subscribers while keeping the existing ones engaged as well.

1. Promotions Via Text Message

SMS promotions have proven to be highly effective in terms of conversion rate. With promotions via text message, your customers are one tap away from the purchase window. This can help you bump up your revenue!

What Is An SMS Marketing App & Why You Should Use One In 2021?

An SMS marketing app can help you carry out SMS marketing without breaking a sweat. Whether you're sending text messages to specific lists or sending them out in bulk, the SMS marketing app helps you to customize them and keep track of conversions and how your customers interact with those text messages. This information is incredibly beneficial in terms of customer support and customer service, as well. As a retail business, you must rely on an SMS marketing app so that you can run your SMS marketing campaign effectively. What follows are some of the benefits using an SMS marketing app offers.

You Can Craft & Send Messages Quickly

As opposed to other campaigns, you can craft a text message much quicker on the SMS marketing app and then send it to your customers. Thanks to the fact that more than 90% of text messages are read in the first minutes, you can assess your text message's results right away.

Personalizing Messages As Simple As 1,2,3!

You can only send text messages to the people who have opted in to receive them. This gives you the competitive edge to create highly customized text messages. An SMS marketing app can help you carry out this personalization with ease.

It's Simple To Use

SMS marketing apps are incredibly easy to use. There's hardly any learning curve to it, and it allows you to conduct your campaigns seamlessly. You can do it from your computer or even use your smartphone for creating and running campaigns.

Analytics Can Be Easily Obtained

When you're using an SMS marketing app, you'll be able to get a variety of analytical data, including read-receipts, the number of conversions, the time when the links were opened, and who opened them. This can help you create even more tailored campaigns targeting different segments of your customers. Furthermore, it allows you to evaluate your campaign much more objectively.

Create A Truly Unique & Positive Customer Experience

The SMS marketing app can help you elevate the customer experience that you're offering. You'll have access to a ton of data thanks to the SMS marketing app, which can be used to adjust the frequency of messages, to adjust the timing of your messaging, to inform them of an upcoming event or sale, or to let them know if something particular has been restocked.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, SMS marketing is here to stay. The year 2020 has taught us all that unless we can adapt, we won't survive. The same holds true for retail businesses – those who went digital have survived, whereas the others are struggling. You can read more about what the retail industry went through in 2020 here. However, things are looking up, and it is time for the retail industry to gear up for 2021 as we go through the last month of 2020. Rest assured, if you want your retail business to succeed in 2021, you must invest in an SMS marketing app to run SMS marketing campaigns effectively and seamlessly.