SMS marketing is perfect for small businesses. Affordable and simple to implement, it’s also incredibly effective - if you use it right...
According to Deloitte’s 2016 Global Mobile Consumer, more than 40% of us check our phones within five minutes of waking up. Overall, Americans check their smartphones an average of 47 times per day - or 82 times a day in 18-to-24 age bracket. Whatever the true figures, nobody's in any doubt: we officially love our smartphones. That's why your business needs to get used to doing things the mobile way. If you want to make sure your message is out there being seen - and by the right audience - your content needs to be mobile-friendly.
So, where to start? Here are 5 easy ways to get started with mobile marketing, compiled by CallFire:
1. Try SMS marketing
People now use instant messaging and text messaging more often on their smartphones, and most of us check our text messages before we do anything else. We’re far more likely to read a short SMS than an email that’s easily sent to the trash. SMS’ simplicity makes it a great option for businesses and organizations of all sizes.
- Build your SMS marketing list in the same way you do your email list. Promote it everywhere you can, from your website and emails to your signage and word of mouth.
- Offer a simple discount code or free gift to people who opt in.
- Make the most of the immediacy of SMS. People tend to check a text as soon as they receive it, so it’s a great way to communicate last minute offers and events, last minute availability of appointments, and as a way to drum up business when it’s a particularly slow day.
2. Mobilize your website
Your website needs to look great and function flawlessly on mobiles. There’s nothing worse than trying to make a purchase or navigate a site on your phone that just isn’t up to the job - and Google agrees. Its latest algorithm makes sure that mobile-friendly websites rank higher in results when searches are carried out on mobile devices. So if you haven’t mobilized your site, mobile customers will find it harder to find you online.
3. Email via mobile
Most of us check our email at least once a day, regardless of our age group, but the way we check our email is changing. Emails are still a really useful marketing tool for businesses of all sizes, you just have to make sure that the messages you’re sending look just as great on a smartphone screen as they do on laptop or monitor. Simplify your content and design so your emails are clear even on a small screen.
4. Check out location-based marketing
Using location info from customers’ smartphones we can now reach out to customers via mobile when they’re physically nearby. Two popular location-based tactics you can use are geo-fencing and geo-conquesting.
- Geo-fencing - sends an SMS to customers within a specific radius of your location, so you can automatically offer a tempting free appetizer or discount to anyone who’s in the area.
- Geo-conquesting - sends an SMS to customers within a certain radius of your competitor’s location. You can use discount offers sent via mobile to let them know they’ll get a better price if they shop with you instead.
5. Customer service via mobile
It may not strictly be marketing, but providing great customer service via SMS can have a powerfully positive effect on customer loyalty. Use it to help your customers and build trust in and enthusiasm for your brand. The service can come in the form of:
- Updates - on delivery or order status
- Appointment reminders - which can help to reduce no-shows
- Surveys - to gather customer feedback
- Personalised service - customers can get in touch via text with their queries