Should You Start Text Message Marketing?

What do your dentist, mom, and politicians have in common?

They are probably all texting you.

Hopefully, your mom does not fall into the category of marketing texts, but there is no doubt that text message marketing is here to stay.

Beyond appointment confirmation, businesses are finding new ways to engage with customers and future customers through text messaging.

While text messaging used to mostly refer to SMS (Short Message Service) messaging, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) messages are increasing in popularity. For example, that political text you received with an image or video was an MMS message. It is important to know there is a difference, but we will just refer to text messages generally. You decide what is best for your business.

3 Things to Consider Before Launching

1. Gather Numbers Ethically and Legally

We are not going to get into the nitty-gritty of text message compliance law here, but unsurprisingly, there are very specific laws and regulations regarding texting for business. Many platforms that offer texting services will help you navigate the basics. Depending on your volume, it is worth talking to your attorney or hiring a digital marketing agency to take care of the details for you.

Similar to gathering email addresses, make sure you are gathering phone numbers for text messaging ethically and legally. In other words, gather the numbers through an opt-in. You don’t want to end up losing your profits in a lawsuit.

Don’t be scared away by legalese though. As much as 75% of customers these days are comfortable giving their phone number to a trusted brand. 9 out of 10 people want to communicate with businesses via text. In today’s world of short attention spans and lots of noise, having a direct link with your customer is valuable.

2. Your Audience

If your target audience is under 35, text messaging marketing is a no-brainer. A simple Google search confirms what you already know– young people today prefer text messaging. Love it or hate it, text messaging works.
According to Pew Research, 97% of people younger than 49 own a cell phone or smartphone today. So while Millennials and Gen Z may prefer text to talk, the numbers of people of any age who own a cell phone are well over 90%.

Looking at the demographics of cell phone use makes it easy to understand why text message marketing has a 45% response rate.

3. Personalization

How does a 98% open rate sound to you? Yeah, we thought you would like it. That is the open rate for SMS messages. There is no question that text messaging offers a more personal touch. In fact, 90% of SMS messages are read within 3 minutes.

Imagine all the ways you can creatively and personally target your messages to customers. Texting is not just for sending out a latest coupon code or announcing a sale. Text messaging is useful for service-based businesses. Perhaps sending out a text reminder that your webinar is starting will lead to higher participation. Text messaging will help bring your message to the top without getting lost in an inbox.

The personalization capabilities for text message marketing is powerful. Done well, your customers will look forward to receiving a text from you, rather than responding with “STOP.”

Numbers Don’t Lie

Undoubtedly, the use of text messaging for business is rising. Not only is it a preferred communication tool, but it can also be very affordable. As a quick test, answer this question: “Has the number of text messages I received from businesses increased this past year?”

Yes? That is what we thought. If you know you need to start text message marketing, but do not want to navigate through the compliance or logistics yourself, give us a call or shoot us a message. Our team of experts will help create and launch a texting campaign that will help you connect with customers in a customized way.