Marketing is always changing and the changes in 2020 have been profound, mostly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve all had to adjust our work and home lives as a result.
With more consumers working from home and budgetary concerns at the forefront for most people, you might be thinking that mobile marketing isn’t as important as it used to be. After all, people aren’t spending as much time out and a lot of the advantages of mobile marketing don’t apply in the same way.
But guess what? I’m here to tell you that mobile marketing is more important than it ever has been – and you need to make room for SMS marketing in your budget right now. Here’s why.
SMS Marketing Statistics You might not be convinced that SMS marketing is worthwhile, so let’s look at some statistics to give you an idea of just how popular, effective, and expected it is for companies to reach out to their customers via text.
75% of all consumers say they are comfortable receiving SMS messages from companies (with permission, of course).
75% of consumers also say that they like to receive special offers via text.
67% of consumers would rather text to schedule or confirm appointments than do it via the telephone.
Text messages have a 98% open rate (compared to about 20% for emails.)
83% of millennials open SMS messages within 90 seconds of getting them.
SMS messages have an average click-through rate of 36% compared to only 2% for emails.
50% of consumers make a purchase after receiving a text message with a coupon or discount code.
These numbers speak for themselves. Text messages are popular and effective. They also happen to be an affordable way to connect directly with your customers wherever they are.
How to Get Customers to Opt in for SMS Marketing
While SMS messages are popular, you still need to get your customers’ permission to send promotional information via text message. There are two easy ways to do that.
1. Send a text to the people whose mobile numbers you have and ask them to opt in. You can easily set up a text with a Y for Yes, N for No response. People who respond with a Yes can be added to a regular SMS marketing list.
2. If you haven’t already done so, start requesting mobile numbers from new leads and customers. You can then set up an automated SMS asking them to opt in for promotional offers.
Once customers have opted in, you can connect with them wherever they are.