Mass text messaging makes it incredibly easy to reach your customers where they’re most engaged. Consumers spend more than five hours a day on their smartphones.
When used correctly, SMS is an invaluable tool for increasing sales and nurturing customer relationships. But there are some important rules you need to follow.
Why Use SMS for Sales?
Your customers receive dozens or hundreds of emails daily. Instead of fighting crowded inboxes, why not send your message through a channel that it’s guaranteed to get opened and read?Consider these SMS marketing statistics:
- People read 90 percent of text messages within three seconds
- SMS boasts a 45 percent response rate, compared to email’s 6 percent response rate
- The average click-through rate for SMS is 19 percent, compared to email’s 2.43 percent
People interact differently with SMS than social media, emails and other types of marketing.
Consumers rely on texting for quick and easy conversations, and SMS marketing makes your business more accessible and approachable.
Tips to Elevate Your SMS Sales
1. Promote SMS Opt-In Across All Marketing Channels
First thing’s first: You need to build a subscriber list. You won’t generate SMS sales if customers aren’t opted in to receive texts from you.
Promote your SMS program (short code and Keyword) in the following places:
- Social media
- Website
- Landing pages
- Email newsletter
- Point-of-sale
- Print materials
Want more tips for setting up your SMS campaign and growing your list? Read our top SMS marketing best practices.
2. Send Irresistible Offers
Your customers can opt out of your SMS list at any time – so how do you keep them interested in what you have to say?
If you want customers to purchase, you have to be willing to incentivize them. Seventy-five percent of people would like to receive offers via SMS, and mobile coupons are redeemed 10 times more than email or print offers.
Exclusive incentives make subscribers feel special and drive more SMS sales. Use these strategies for inspiration:
- Offer a reward or discount
- Ask users to fill out a brief survey
- Announce upcoming sales
- Send end-of-sale reminders with exclusive discounts for subscribers
- Make a targeted marketing offer based on a customer’s recent purchase history
The possibilities are endless. Try different types of incentives with your customers and see which ones prompt the most sales.
3. Keep Customers Informed
Your line of communication shouldn’t stop once a customer purchases.
Use SMS to keep users informed about shipping status, delivery details and updates. If they place an order for in-store pickup, you can text them when their order is ready.
Customers are more likely to turn into repeat buyers if their order and delivery processes are smooth and enjoyable.
4. Build Customer Loyalty
Delivering exclusive content via SMS will keep your brand top of mind and give your audience more opportunities to engage.
Consider sending targeted incentives, exciting company or industry updates or personalized content.
Sending timely information your audience cares about will help build loyalty while subtly reminding them to visit your site and purchase.
5. Use a Strong Call to Action
Your audience needs instructions for redeeming your offer, and a clear call to action vastly increases the likelihood they will click through and convert.
In fact, promotional SMS campaigns with strong calls to action and specific timeframes yield an average 23.3 percent conversion rate.
What action do you want customers to take after reading your text? Consider whether you want them to make an online purchase, visit your store or RSVP to an event.
Use clear, direct language to guide customers toward the next step. If you want people to click through to your website or landing page, include a link, but don’t overdo it.
After surveying successful SMS campaigns, the CallFire team found that including more than one link in a message weakens response rates. Give your audience one action to take to avoid confusion and drop-offs.
6. Create a Sense of Urgency
Consumer responses to sales, promos and events are most positive when they’re acting on a last-minute impulse or limited-time offer. Putting an expiration date or limited quantity on your offer encourages consumers to buy on the spot.
Let’s say you’re promoting a half-off appetizer special at your restaurant on Tuesday night from 6-8 p.m. Wait until late afternoon on Tuesday to text your list about the deal. You’ll get a better response if you force customers to make a spontaneous decision.
7. Keep Your Message Simple
Nobody wants to open a text message and read a long wall of text.
Avoid stuffing your SMS messages with long sentences and unnecessary words. Keep your message short and sweet, abbreviate words whenever possible and get to the point.
8. Try New Strategies
SMS is one of the most versatile marketing channels available to your business. There are many different types of SMS sales campaigns you can launch, including:
- Flash sales
- Inventory alerts
- Event notifications
- Coupon codes
- Surveys
- Product information
But don’t just limit yourself to these strategies. Try different tactics and see what drives the most SMS sales for your company.
SMS is a powerful tool to enhance marketing and sales activities. But many businesses still aren’t taking advantage of the perks.
CallFire’s versatile and scalable SMS text messaging platform is designed to help businesses across every industry increase SMS sales and customer engagement.
Take advantage of flexible pricing options and endless customization to send thousands of impactful text messages per day. Plus, you can pair SMS with voice broadcast or an interactive phone experience to engage with mobile customers on a deeper level.
Ready to get started? Sign up for a free CallFire account today.