Carla Bourque is the CEO of Rebrandly, a leading provider of link management solutions, and an expert in branding and growth strategies.
Buzz (or ding)! A new text (SMS) message lights up your phone, and you see it’s from a brand you recognize. In most cases, whether you click the link or type “stop” depends largely on how that message—and the brand behind it—appeared to you. Did the text reach you at a convenient time, with an intention that’s credible and clear? Does it help you in some way? These questions and more are key for marketers to consider before hitting send.
Increasingly, brands are seeking to prove their SMS chops because that’s where the volume and the money are. A recent survey shows that more than seven in 10 consumers (71%) say they’ve signed up to receive texts from businesses within the last year, and 86% of businesses have used SMS marketing to reach customers.
With consumers admittedly addicted to their phones—Americans check them over 140 times per day—it’s no wonder that SMS has become a critical part of the marketing mix in the last few years. With SMS open rates reaching 98%, compared to typical email open rates of 20%, marketing text messages are much more likely to be seen.
SMS marketing has other advantages: instant delivery (and near-instant viewing), cost-effectiveness, high conversions and clickthrough rates, quick and easy implementation and more. Many industries—particularly e-commerce, travel and logistics, financial services, fashion and healthcare—use SMS marketing in innovative ways to ensure the delivery of time-sensitive information, while other sectors look to SMS to solve for efficient, effective marketing ROI and scale.
The Rules Of SMS
For brands, tapping into SMS marketing—so consumers can, literally, tap into their campaigns—requires strategic planning and a unique approach. I advise against assuming that the standard rules of social, influencer, brand or email marketing apply. It’s important that you know your audience well and design the content, call to action (CTA) and customer experience (CX) carefully, then test and refine your campaigns based on performance data and insights as you go.
Frequent or egregious missteps can be costly. When brands get it wrong, they risk consequences beyond just “stop” or “unsubscribe”: eroding brand trust, negatively impacting customer loyalty and retention, and undermining overall CX. Plus, although brands today communicate across multiple channels and touchpoints, consumers tend to (and should) see the company as a single entity. This means that a poor experience on a single channel can have a ripple effect that impacts brand perception as a whole.
Communicating strategically and avoiding consumer “pet peeves” are table stakes to winning in this channel. When it comes to SMS marketing, data shows that the biggest turn-offs include a constant barrage of messages; long, generic and “spammy” links that can’t be recognized or trusted; texts that encroach on weekend hours; annoying tone/language; and content that’s not relevant to the recipient. More than 60% of consumers will immediately unsubscribe from SMS marketing that doesn’t have a clear message or purpose.
The Right ‘Type’ Of Behavior
While a sloppy or poorly executed approach can be damaging, a thoughtful SMS strategy can yield big rewards, such as higher deliverability, greater engagement, improved retention and exponential revenue.
Keep in mind that consumers want brands to text them; they opt in. That means it’s incumbent on companies to make it worth consumers’ while and not take advantage of the privileged access they’ve been granted. Based on my experiences in marketing and growth strategy, here are five tips you can use to elevate your marketing SMS game.
1. Deliver value.
Consumers typically prefer to receive SMS marketing messages that will save them time (“check in now,” “skip the line”) or money and that provide helpful information (appointment reminders, shipping updates). Too-frequent, ill-timed and irrelevant attempts to engage—such as multiple survey invitations and promotions on items that aren’t of interest—typically don’t perform as well and can cause brand burnout.
2. Timing is (almost) everything, but time-to-value (TTV) tops the charts.
Want customers to click a message? They need to be able to grasp what’s in it for them. Ultimately, you’re reaching out hoping they’ll act in a particular way—whether that’s buying or doing something else of mutual benefit. Making it clear what those benefits are for the consumer and providing a clear, fast line to receiving those benefits can decrease the amount of time it takes for customers to act in a way that also helps your business.
3. Keep it real—really personal and relevant.
Trust is important in all relationships, from personal ones to ones that consumers forge with brands. Marketers need to honor the “trust circle” they’ve established with customers: leveraging data responsibly and effectively across all touchpoints to show customers they know them and care about their preferences and intent.
For example, what has the customer previously purchased, demonstrated interest in, left in their cart, etc.? Are they a member of your brand’s loyalty club? Are they often enticed by special discounts and sales? Your brand can use this information to deliver personalized messages that will resonate.
4. Cut to the chase.
Keep consumers’ interest by keeping text message copy simple and effective. Use language that creates connection, engagement and value and that reflects the brand’s voice across other channels.
5. Consider your links.
Behind every click, tap or swipe, there’s a link: a digital asset brands need to own and optimize for their customers. For SMS marketing, you need to understand not only the content, information and experiences your customers want on that channel, but also what types of links will perform best. In my experience, generic, spammy links—where customers can’t tell if the call-to-action link is actually associated with the brand or where it directs to—don’t tend to get delivered or perform as well. In contrast, short links with a custom, branded domain demonstrate relevance and brand affiliation and foster trust, prompting consumers to click.
Better Results: Just A Tap Away
By following these tips, your brand can improve its SMS game in a way that’s a win-win. And as consumers unlock their phones and come to trust the brand that sends them messages, both your company and consumers can tap into a more valuable relationship.
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