6 Research-backed Benefits of SMS Marketing in a Crowded Digital Environment
Checking our phone for notifications and texts has become an unconscious act. Research shows that people check their phones 85 times each day. That’s why SMS marketing is more popular than ever. As people pay more and more attention to their phones, they can see your offers, updates, and other marketing messages in their text messages inbox.
SMS marketing is a vital component of the entire digital marketing strategy that your business can leverage to reach more customers, increase conversions, and boost ROI. Among the things that have led to the growth of this channel is the general acceptance by consumers. Consumers are increasingly accepting text messages as a form of business communication and willing to receive brand messaging on the channel. Here are some statistics to prove this.
- 80% of consumers use SMS for business communication.
- 50% of consumers prefer text messaging as opposed to phone calls for customer support.
- 75% are okay with special offers being sent via text messages.
- By 2020, 48.7 million consumers will opt-in to get business messaging via SMS.
Research-backed Benefits of SMS Marketing
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It is a Direct, Immediate Channel
SMS is among the most immediate channels available with a 98% open rate. One research reports that 90% of messages are read within three minutes. This makes text messages ideal for sending time-critical messages such as limited offers, new arrivals, and urgent alerts. A key advantage of text messages is that the recipient does not require a smartphone or internet connectivity to receive the message.
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Get Customer Feedback
When used for data collection and brand awareness, SMS results in 6-8 times more engagement than email marketing. You can use text messages to gain feedback from customers about different aspects of your marketing efforts. On average, 31% of consumers respond to a survey sent via SMS within five minutes.
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It can Integrate with other Channels
While SMS is an excellent standalone channel, it can enhance other marketing channels, including email and social media. For instance, you can use a text message to remind customers to read your email or check out your latest social media posts. A simple message such as ‘have you read our email?’ can boost email open rates by 20-30%.
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It has a high ROI
With a 98% open rate, 19% click-through rate, and a 45% response rate, it is undisputed that text messages have a high ROI. Silverstone, a British motor racing circuit, gained an ROI of680% after sending text messages to 45,000 people in their database asking them to buy tickets for an upcoming event.
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It is Measurable
Contrary to the popular belief that SMS marketing is immeasurable, you can track performance using metrics such as customer engagement, delivery rates, and ROI. Using these analytics, you can create targeted campaigns and increase marketing effectiveness.
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It Performs Better than Counterparts
When compared to digital marketing channels like email marketing, SMS marketing performs better. SMS beats email in open rate, response time, engagement, spam rate, and conversion. For instance, text messages are opened three times more than emails. Also, only1% of text messages are labeled as spam compared to almost 50% of emails.
Bottom Line
While SMS marketing is a relatively new entrant in the world of digital marketing, statistics show that it is widely used and effective. Incorporating this channel into your marketing strategy can bring many benefits. While most people have access to email, they rarely read their emails as promptly as they do text messages.
As such, your business has every reason to invest in SMS marketing to increase sales and improve the bottom line. mMessenger leverages instant messaging to help your business grow by sending updates, alerts, notifications, and other marketing messages to customers’ mobile devices. Sign up for a free trial today.