SMS Marketing Campaigns – Know the Rules First

SMS Marketing Campaign Rules

Most new businesses avoid SMS marketing in the first few months of operation. They believe that SMS marketing can irritate customers as they do not wish to violate the rules that cover SMS marketing in the USA.

However, what these new businesses fail to realize is they are missing out on a great opportunity as SMS texts have an open rate of 99%. Given below is a guide that will help you understand the importance of SMS marketing and the way it can help your business both new and established.

Now, the question is, are you aware of the rules of SMS marketing?

The prime reason why new companies often do not pay attention to SMS marketing is that they are scared of the rules. Experts in the field of SMS marketing say if you are aware of these rules and abide by them, the fear of breaking them does not arise. It is true that these rules are quite strict; however, if you abide by these TCPA regulations, problems should not arise.

So, what are these rules?

Rule number one- only send SMS messages to those people who permit you to do so. In short, avoid cold calling. It is an unfortunate fact, but some really good brands in the USA have been affected severely because of cold calling.

The sad truth is most business owners could not even survive their first year as a new business because of cold calling. Moreover, note that if someone has given you their number, this does not mean that you have permission to send them regular text messages.

Never go above 160 characters.

The 160-character rule is an integral part of SMS marketing, and it helps you to redefine the SMS language drastically. When you are sending an SMS, the mobile networks will break it into multiple pieces of 160 characters. So, never exceed 160 characters when text messages or advertisements can be sliced in the middle.

On the other hand, some mobile networks simply refuse to carry long messages, and so here, the slicing they do is inconsistent. So, to stay safe, remember not to go over 160 characters to start with.

The success of your SMS marketing campaign depends upon the timing

Timing is an important fact of SMS marketing, and if you go wrong there, you might need to pay a very heavy price. Note that every message you send will be opened. Most of them are open in just 3 minutes.

So, make sure you send your messages out at the right time so that your customers do not miss an offer. Make sure you send messages to customers at a time when they are not busy – the best time to send messages to your customers is at lunch.

Most businesses are able to reach out and connect with their customers when they are making a buying choice. This is why you often find restaurants giving out messages for offers at least two to three times a day.

They are generally sent out just before mealtimes. From the above, it is evident that you should be aware of the right time to message your customer so that he/she will react in the desired manner when it comes to making a buying choice.

Make a web address or a mobile number for your call-to-action

Remember that a good call-to-action should be a part of your mobile marketing campaign. The same rule holds true for SMS marketing as well. However, note that here you have lesser options available to you. There are no buttons or anchor links that you as a business can take care of.

Everything actually depends upon the text or message you choose. Remember, when you are sending out text messages to a customer, you are selling a product. You want your customer to be aware of the product to make a buying choice. This can be done by including a URL link to your product.

In this manner, your customer will get an idea of the product you are selling and whether they wish to buy it or not. Experts say that you can also include a URL link to a YouTube video to help customers be aware of the product in detail.

Promote your shortcode

Remember that SMS marketing should be incorporated into everything that you do. Note that SMS marketing is a number game, and the more customers you reach out to, the more successful you are as a business.

At the same time, note that the shortcodes you use for SMS should be promoted across all other social marketing channels you use for your business. Remember that your shortcode is the prime gateway to the SMS marketing campaign of a business.

SMS is here to rule

Note that with the increase of online web-based messengers, people believe that SMS will soon die out. However, this is not the case. People are resorting to online messaging systems a lot as they love sending and receiving SMS texts.

When it comes to SMS marketing for your business, this is the best time for you to bank on it for obvious reasons. People use mobiles, and to receive messages, you do not even have to use a smartphone. Businesses should take advantage of the above and use SMS marketing to reach out to the targeted audience with success.

Therefore, if you are a business and are not using SMS marketing today, you are losing out on a wide range of opportunities. Take advantage of SMS marketing today and see a marked improvement in sales conversion rates. This form of marketing is ideal for both small and large business owners.

One should note that the words of the text message should be short and direct. Make sure there are no grammatical errors when you are sending the message. A good SMS marketing campaign will always boost the growth and development of your business with success.

Image source: Freepik Premium

Scroll to Top