Hey, my fellow marketers! Are you sick and tired of sending out countless SMS campaigns and not getting the desired results? Even the most experienced marketers may have trouble navigating the world of SMS marketing due to its complexity.
Worry not, however, as we'll walk you through the most typical SMS marketing mistakes to avoid in this blog. To assist you in creating SMS marketing campaigns that engage your audience and increase your ROI, we'll share some cautionary tips, best strategies, and tactics.
So, let's get set to plunge into the world of SMS marketing and uncover how to prevent those costly mistakes!
What is SMS marketing?
SMS marketing is a type of digital marketing that uses text messages to promote products or services directly to customers. With a 98% open rate, it's an effective way to reach customers who have opted in to receive messages.
SMS messages are concise and straightforward, making them ideal for catching a customer's attention. SMS marketing campaigns can be automated and scheduled in advance, saving time and effort. Falkon SMS is a platform that offers these features.
Why SMS marketing is so effective?
High open rates: With an average open rate of 98%, SMS messages are a very successful way to connect with customers.
Cost-effectiveness: SMS marketing is frequently less expensive than other types of promotion, making it a preferred option for startups and small enterprises with tight budgets.
Instant delivery: SMS messages arrive rapidly, and clients are more likely to reply to texts fast than emails or other forms of correspondence.
Personalized messages: SMS marketing can be tailored to target client groups, making the message more relevant and raising the prospect of a response.
Customers must opt-in to receive SMS communications, which indicates that they are already engaged in your brand and are therefore more likely to interact with your messages which is one of the reasons why only 3% of SMS marketing is considered as SPAM.
Importance of avoiding mistakes in SMS marketing
Mistakes in SMS marketing, such as sending too many or irrelevant messages, can irritate your customers and harm your reputation. Customers may no longer choose to receive your messages because of this, which could give your company a bad reputation.
Because SMS messages are character-limited, it's critical to make every message matter. By avoiding errors like typos and imprecise communication, you may improve message engagement and boost click-through and conversion rates.
SMS marketing is governed by several texting laws, including those pertaining to advertising and privacy. Legal repercussions and financial penalties may occur from failure to comply with these requirements.
SMS marketing mistakes
SMS marketing has become a common way for businesses to reach out to their customers. As with any marketing campaign, it's crucial to employ an SMS marketing strategy and avoid mistakes that could harm your business. This section will go through some typical SMS marketing errors, how they can harm your company, and the recommended practices to adhere to.
01. Not optimizing text messages
The 160-character limit is one of SMS marketing's biggest obstacles. It's critical to tailor communications to meet the character limit while maintaining their clarity and focus.
Long messages run the risk of being cut off and losing important information. A message that is adequately optimized will also be succinct and clear, and it will appeal to the target audience.
02. Not testing messages before sending
Not testing your messages can lead to errors and subpar outcomes. Prior to sending your communications to your audience, make sure to test them before sending them to make sure they display properly on various networks and devices.
Also, testing aids in finding any faults, such as broken links, formatting problems, and typos. Failure to test messages can result in poor user experiences, negatively impacting the effectiveness of the campaign.
03. Using slang or unsuitable languages
Using slang or unsuitable language in your emails can come across as unprofessional and harm your brand's reputation.
You run the risk of confusing your audience or, worse yet, insulting them. It's crucial to choose a language that reflects the brand's image and values and is courteous, professional, and simple to grasp.
04. Overly sales-oriented
Overly sales-oriented messages can come across as pushy and, therefore, lower engagement rates.
Customers should receive value from SMS texts, not only advertisements for products. Constantly sending messages with sales-related content might be unpleasant and lead to customers choosing not to receive future communications. It's crucial to strike a balance between commercial messages and customer-friendly instructive and informational content.
05. Using unclear Call-to-action
If your messages do not have a clear call-to-action, customers may not take the intended action, which will decrease the efficacy of your campaign.
For the customer to engage and act, the call to action must be clear and concise. The customer should be encouraged to do the desired action with a clear and simple call to action. Confusion and inferior results can occur from a call-to-action that is unclear or confusing.
06. Not providing value
Failing to add value to your messages can make customers feel uninterested in them and cause them to unsubscribe.
Customers are more willing to interact with text messages that offer value, such as exclusive offers or educational material. Low engagement and high opt-out rates can be brought on by messages that don't add value. It's critical to comprehend what the client values and to deliver pertinent and helpful content.
07. Not tracking the results
Missing out on chances to improve your campaign's performance and results might be caused by not tracking your outcomes.
It's difficult to identify what's working and what isn't without tracking. Tracking SMS marketing KPIs such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates is crucial for campaign optimization.
08. No proper segmentation
Not segmenting the proper target audience and sending irrelevant communications to your audience can lead to poor engagement rates.
To send personalized communications that resonate with the receiver, it is crucial to segment the audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Generic messages might result in high opt-out rates and low engagement rates when distributed to a large audience. The right segmentation makes sure that messages are important and relevant to the receiver.
09. Send messages at the wrong times
An inappropriate time of day for message delivery can irritate customers and make them ignore your messages. For optimum impact, the messages must be delivered at the right time. Customers may choose to ignore notifications sent too soon or too late.
There are some factors to consider when deciding the timing for SMS marketing. Explore our blog to find out more: Ideal timing for effective SMS campaigns
10. Sending the same message repeatedly
Sending too many messages to clients and sending the same message, again and again, is one of the top mistakes businesses make when using SMS marketing. Customers may find this to be quite off-putting because they may feel as though they are receiving an unending stream of unwanted messages.
Also, sending too many messages may increase the opt-out rate, which would cause clients to stop receiving messages from your company. Potential revenue loss and reputational harm to your brand could result from this.
11. Lack of Personalization
Failure to personalize messages is a typical SMS marketing error. Customers desire messages that are relevant to their requirements and interests. Your clients are less likely to respond to your messages or take the appropriate action if they are impersonal and generic.
Personalizing text campaigns can improve consumer engagement and conversion rates.
Conclusion
SMS marketing is a very powerful tool for companies wishing to connect with clients in a rapid and direct way. SMS marketing has a greater open rate of 98% and degree of engagement compared to email marketing which has an open rate of 15%.
However, it's essential to avoid typical errors that might harm the brand identity of a business, such as sending too many communications or failing to personalize content. Businesses can successfully use SMS marketing by following recommended SMS practices, such as giving obvious CTA and keeping messages short and relevant.
Businesses may interact with clients and accomplish their marketing objectives by creating efficient SMS marketing strategies. Targeted advertising campaigns, appointment reminders, and requests for client feedback are all examples of effective SMS marketing.