SMS marketing is still a growing trend among businesses, despite how popular texting already is. Research shows that the average person spends as few as 40 and as many as 109 text messages per day, depending on their age range. 

Although those statistics are promising for brands looking to harness SMS marketing, it also means finding a way to stand out from the noise. Here's how to get started creating engaging, text-worthy campaigns that your customers actually want to open.  

Keep It Interactive

Texting polls, surveys, and requests for customer feedback are a few ways to keep your marketing strategy interactive. However, there are subtle ways to spark engagement and expand your reach without much extra effort. 

Start by leveraging your confirmation text message. When someone opts into your list, send an automated thank you to them for joining your list that includes a link to your social media channels. Now your customers have a way to stay in touch and engaged even when you're not sending SMS marketing messages. 

Integrate MMS

MMS, or multimedia messaging service, works just like texting. The difference is MMS includes multimedia content sent to mobile devices, such as photos, GIFs, memes, and videos. 

Images are also a compelling, eye-catching way to announce sales or promo codes. GIFs are ideal for tapping into current events or sending announcements about upcoming holidays. While your audience is receiving a barrage of text messages all day, you can stand out by adding something unexpected. 

Consider Your Timing

There are differing opinions on the best practices for when to send SMS marketing messages. Noon is the most common time to deploy texts, and Sunday is the least popular day to send marketing messages. But before you decide to jump on the trends, take a moment to think about your audience, who they are, and what their lives are like. 

If your list is full of young professionals or millennials, they're likely on their phones throughout the workday but less available in the evening. Yet parents are more likely to be around at night and at odd hours of the morning. 

Take a moment to look through your text message analytics to see when customers engaged the most often, the day, time, and general demographics of your customer base. Launching an A/B test to experiment with different times and audiences offers invaluable insight and takes the guesswork out of your future campaigns.

Pack in the Personality

It's not always easy for brands to engage and entertain their audience with succinct text messages. But you can still make a statement in just a few words and stay on the top of your customers' minds. Step up to the challenge with clever memes, GIFs, and snappy copy that entices your audience to take action. 

Part of packing in the personality also ties into your branding efforts. Keep your messaging, style, and tone as consistent as possible across all channels. The goal is to help your audience identify a specific personality or voice with your brand and make a stronger connection with your business.  

Ask a Question

If you're a small business owner with a growing marketing list, you have an advantage over larger brands. You have the ability to ask a question to your audience and personally answer them to foster a greater sense of familiarity and trust.

Try adding a question like, "What's your dream [Product/Service/Sale]?" at the end of your SMS marketing message. As customers respond, you immediately gain valuable feedback to help shape your business. 

Although big brands can (and do) use this technique, they're unlikely to offer a personalized response. Meanwhile, you or your team can engage in a conversation with each customer that is interested in engaging.

Do Something Unexpected

Scores of businesses are planning Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and winter holiday sales and promos. Instead of waiting to join the wave of SMS campaigns, harness the power of text message marketing with something unexpected to delight your customers. 

Here are a few ideas to get started on an SMS marketing campaign with a twist:

• Belated Mother's Day promotion for everyone who forgot 
• A promo for anyone single or who despises Valentine's Day
• A "gift yourself" sale during the winter holidays when everyone on your gift list is driving you crazy

The more you give your text messages a twist, the more likely your audience will notice and take action.

Segment Your Audience

Instead of sending mass marketing messages to everyone on your list, leverage list segmentation. Taking the time to segment and narrow your audience produces better results from an eager audience.

The longer you use our SMS marketing software, the more comprehensive your customer data becomes. The more data and insights you have, the more you can narrow your audience by age, interest, location, buying behaviors, and past engagement history. For example, you can segment your list to everyone who responded or clicked on a specific promo you launched months ago. 

Slip In an Upsell

Bundling products and services in your sales are still worth the effort, but research shows that upselling is 20x more effective than cross-selling. There are several ways you can sell more, move more inventory, and increase revenue with the power of SMS marketing. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Send a text message with a purchase confirmation and prompt to upgrade to their purchase. Offer a premium version or add-on bonus for a limited time discount. 
• Introduce a BOGO promotion when a customer purchases the premium version of a product.
• Prompt customers to spend $100 or more to trigger free shipping  on your latest promo.

Upsells also work well with list segmentation. Identify which demographics are most likely to buy your offers to maximize your marketing spend and resources. 

Focus on Consistency

Have you ever received a text message from a business and couldn’t remember opting into their marketing list? Spamming customers with too many text messages is a big problem, but so is not sending enough. Research shows that 16% of customers would like to receive promotional text messages once a day, and 62% said they would like to get notifications at least once a week.

Your customers don't need a flow of constant communication from you, but they do need regular touchpoints to keep your brand in focus and consider it for their next purchase. Remain consistent with a regular texting schedule that blends information, value, promos, and request for customer feedback. 

Spark a Sense of Urgency

One of the most effective ways to stand-out and prompt immediate action is to create a sense of urgency with your customers. Give them a reason to click now, buy your product, book a service, or respond to your poll. Without a reason to jump on your text before it's too late, they may never take action at all. 

Make it Customer-Focused

No matter what bells and whistles you pull out for your SMS marketing campaigns, they need to be customer-focused. But that doesn't mean you can't take the idea of customer-first somewhere unexpected. 

Some brands use auto-responders for all of their campaigns, which isn't always a deal-breaker. Yet the research shows that 74% of consumers prefer texting with a business if a real person is texting them back. Send a personalized follow-up after the delivery of an item or service to ask how things went. Welcome their feedback, ask for photos, and inquire how you can make the experience even better.

Final Thoughts

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SMS and text message marketing is an effective way to reach customers, increase your revenue, and enhance brand awareness. But it also requires a strategy to stand out from the competition and grab your customers' attention. 

Are you ready to get started with SMS and text message marketing for your business? Contact us today to get started.