Does SMS Marketing Work? Unveiling the Effectiveness and Potential

SMS marketing is all about reaching out to the market via the built-in messaging system in people’s phones provided by networks. It is a bit older than email marketing and is far more ancient than push notifications.

If it is an old way of marketing, will it still work? Apparently, yes. To learn why it still is a legit way to engage consumers, we must look into what it is and how it has been used.

What is SMS?

SMS or Short Message Service that allows you to communicate from one mobile device to another in 160 characters. Similarly, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) allows you to send multimedia content such as images and videos. Both SMS and MMS in marketing offer unique ways to engage with customers.

If you have a SIM or subscriber identity moduled provided by any major telecommunications network and a cellular phone or smartphone, you will be able to send and receive SMS.

SMS is the basic form of “written” communication that comes with mobile devices. It is different from what you use for online dm’s, like with Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp in that SMS doesn’t require the internet but an in-service credit.

SMS Before

In the late 90s and 2000s, the system of communication was the primary way of communication for people with cellphones aside from calls. Emails were still inaccessible to most people, and SMS became the most used form of remote contact in society.

There were no WhatsApp, Discord, or emails on your mobile device back in the day. If you were to read a message before, you would have done it from an SMS.

So, the system has become a staple for governments, companies, and services as a way for them to send citizens and consumers vital information. Because of this, SMS has become an institution, and it is still widely used in essential things today.

Who Uses SMS Today?

Governments place contingencies for emergencies. When all hell breaks loose, and the internet shuts down, the government is expected to still be able to organize communities via any mode of communication available.

Examples of backup communication systems are radio, air television, and telecommunications, including SMS.

The use of SMS for vital information from the government is apparent in many communications today. If you ever had earthquake information texted to you, that’s one perfect example.

Institutions use SMS to send you things like public service announcements, reminders for requirements, bills, and other things that you wouldn’t disregard.

You Still Use SMS Today

Yes, you use SMS to confirm your email add, social media account, and more. Companies and institutions consider your having SMS as security – that you are a real entity subscribing to a service or trying to sign in.

SMS is an insurance that you are someone – it is like an ID.

You will always have to give your mobile number when filling out forms for something of importance. And to confirm your mobile number, whoever you are transacting with will send you a code via SMS that you will enter on the form to complete the process.

Essentially, SMS messaging has become synonymous with things that are important. People would usually turn off notifications for apps but keep the message alert tone on.

Even your parents would most probably SMS you for something pressing rather than use email or DM apps.

This is why when you get your audience’s mobile numbers and have the capability to get in touch with them via SMS, you have marketing power that surpasses DMs and, in some way, email.

SMS Marketing for eCommerce

If you are an owner of an eCommerce business, you can use SMS in many ways. But, of course, you will have to choose messaging that fits into 160 characters only.

This means that you must only use SMS for things that really matter – those that give your recipient value. People will think that your message is irrelevant if you don’t give them anything worth their time.

You can use SMS to entice people to come to your website by offering a promo code or announcing a sale. Also, you can give them freebies and other announcements that will matter to them.

When done right, SMS can effectively bring people to your website to shop and bring you conversions. You can even use SMS to get people who abandoned their carts to return.

What is a good SMS marketing message?

A good marketing message is valuable. Think like a consumer and ask yourself what’s in the message that is useful to you?

It should make you feel an urgency to take action. For example, you can say something like “limited offer” or “within 24 hours only.”

Excellent SMS marketing should follow proper timing. With today’s tracking technologies, you can time your SMS marketing messages so that they are read by consumers at a time when they are most likely to take action.

For example, there is a Shopify abandoned cart app called WinBack that helps you automatically send SMS messages that effectively bring lost customers back to their carts. It works by offering prospects discounts that cart abandoners cannot say no to.

It bases its messages on data from user behavior, allowing you to hit their inboxes with the right words at the right time.

Tirtharaj Raman

A Backpacker with keen interest in Digital marketing. Responsible and passionate for building a digital culture at SoftwareSuggest. Grabber to implement new competitive ideas to analyze and boost online presence. Could be found in mountains and solo traveler by birth.