Can Businesses Really Use SMS Texting?

Wondering which kind of communication offers the best ROI? How about the most widely used service in the world–short message service (SMS). More and more companies are turning to SMS, which businesses use daily to engage with audiences and bolster business. With over 5 billion people linked to a mobile connection worldwide and 96% of American adults owning mobile phones, businesses can easily use this powerful tool to connect, engage, and grow with their customers and employees (https://www.pewinternet.org). 

SMS texting is a great tool for your business

The SMS format is a cultural linchpin that can bring unrivaled value to your business. Researchers find that users value the efficiency of a text and that messages received have a staggering 99% open rate. This greatly contrasts a 15-20% industry-wide open rate with e-mail communication. Thirty-five percent of mobile phone users check their phones more than 50 times per day (Adweek, 2015). A well-planned SMS marketing strategy helps businesses communicate with customers via mobile devices, reaching audiences with impressive results. 

SMS can be custom tailored for every business need. Giant corporations and small businesses both use SMS to engage with their customers. 

However, customer engagement isn’t the only benefit of SMS technology. Are you a business looking to communicate easily and quickly with your employees? Do you want to run efficiently and build cohesiveness? Here are some of the benefits of SMS:

• Don’t miss any office appointments
• Alert your staff of critical information
• Find creative ways to stay connected. Perhaps a birthday wish to your employee?

SMS texting reaches large audiences

Businesses have learned that SMS texting reaches large audiences. It isn’t limited to certain locations or demographics. Research has found that text communication is just as meaningful as a phone call.

• 81% of American adults SMS text daily
• Adults under age 45 likely send and receive more than 85 texts each day
• Almost 78% of users willingly participate in business conversations through SMS
• In the fast-paced world of communication, it takes on average 3 seconds to read a text 
• SMS text response rates are 295% greater than phone calls

This video explains SMS’s popularity and growth

An affordable SMS campaign can produce great results

SMS customer interaction can begin without exorbitant costs or months of training. On average, SMS texts can be sent for pennies per message. SMS texting is limited to 160 characters, and a well-planned message can get information to customers in seconds. How a business uses SMS and how often is critical to a campaign. After all, more than 95% of text messages received will be opened within five minutes. To make sure that happens for your business, here are the six goals of SMS engagement:

1. Alerts and notifications. Know when and why you send messages. Messages may be critical, reminding customers of appointments, events, or bill payments. For example, a dental office might remind a customer of an appointment, or an insurance company might remind a customer of an upcoming payment.
2. Customer engagement. Encourage customer-to-business communication. One example is offering a service that answers customers’ FAQs.
3. Business growth. Visual information. A simple visual message is an easy way to get information to customers and can result in organic forwarding and advertising.
4. Promotions. Advertise a new product or a seasonal discount to increase customer traffic.
5. Save time. Send an easy-to-understand, visually powerful piece to guarantee maximum open rates. 
6. Boost sales. Increase sales by driving customers toward other products with a well-strategized promotion.

SMS texting features that can help your business

One size fits all is not the case with SMS texting. Businesses have these popular SMS texting features from which to choose:

1. Bulk SMS Texting
2. Mobile Promotions and Coupons  
3. Surveys and Feedback
4. PDF, Docs, and Image Attachments
5. Two-Way Messaging
6. Appointment Reminders

A few of these features are mentioned above, but here are some examples of how more of these features can help your business: Let’s say a retail clothing company is about to introduce a new Fall line. Before receiving their stock, they send an SMS bulk text to create excitement and engagement, letting customers know the date that new items will arrive at the store. (Most SMS texts allow a user to set a future date of delivery.) You may also take advantage of the promotion and coupon feature. For instance, you can reward customer loyalty by including a QR link that connects to a discount code or coupon. Just like that, you can begin a text campaign. Now, let’s help find the right strategy for your business!

Watch: Texting is changing business communication

Watch: Mobile statistics 2017: why your business needs to pay attention to mobile

Be a marketing Titan: 

✓ Decide if SMS texting is right for your business

✓ Determine the costs of including SMS texting in your business plan

✓ Choose which SMS texting features work best for your business

✓ Call Titan Publishing with any questions or to discuss how our services can help grow your business