How to take advantage of SMS and WhatsApp marketing

Your customers are more accessible than ever, but trying to engage with them has become even more difficult. So, how can you reach your audience? Adam Stewart explains why SMS and WhatsApp marketing should be part of your mix.

So you’ve tried to talk to them on Insta and it didn’t work? 

I get it, so you move on to different platforms. If you’ve been doing this and find that using the right solution is still a challenge, even more so finding the right one, then this article might just be exactly what you need.

One powerful tool that often goes underutilised is SMS marketing.

Proven to have amazing open rates, SMS allows brands, companies and businesses to connect with audiences in real-time.

Announcing a new product? 

Sharing special offers? 

Or providing customer support? SMS is helpful in more ways than one. So, are you truly taking advantage of SMS to maximise your business’s potential?

Ways to take advantage of SMS marketing

Promotional campaigns

SMS marketing is an excellent medium for running promotional campaigns particularly for sales and discounts campaigns. For instance messages such as: “Get 20% off on your next purchase!, Use code SAVE20 at checkout, Offer will end on ___ !” establish urgency and can increase sales and checkouts.

Appointment reminders

Appointment reminders via SMS reduces no-show rates. Businesses whose transactions are reliant on appointments can use SMS to remind their clients of the scheduled appointment/s. Your message can be as simple as: “Reminder: Your dental appointment with Dr. Smith is scheduled for Monday, 10th March at 3 PM. Please reply YES to confirm or NO to reschedule.”

Order notifications

Keep customers informed about their order status using SMS. Simple, but effective, you can send a quick message that has the confirmation info when an order is placed, then send another message as an update when it’s being processed, and a final message to let them know when the order is out for delivery/has been delivered.

Customer feedback

Consider sending a quick follow up message to better understand what your customers think about your products/services. A message such as, “Thank you for visiting _____ ! We value your feedback. Please take a moment to rate your experience: https://feedbacklink.com.” helps establish trust and a stronger connection to your business.

Event invitations and updates

Having a product launch soon? Or stressing out about guest attendance for a webinar? Simply shoot a text that’s engaging/informative and short to add that extra assurance that your invitees attend.

Loyalty programs

Informing members of their current points balance, can make them anticipate upcoming rewards, and even look forward to exclusive loyalty member deals in the future which can strengthen your relationships with them. A typical message might be: “Congratulations ____ ! You’ve earned 100 points. Redeem your reward/s on your next visit at _____. Check out our latest member-only offers here: https://memberofferslink.com.”

Customer service

Resolve issues quickly and conveniently with a text! A message like this, for instance, “Hi Mark, our support team has received your query about your recent purchase. We’ll resolve your issue within the next 24 hours. For immediate assistance, call us at 123456789.” is helpful enough and ensures that you did receive the issue.

Billing reminders

And of course, if it’s possible to use SMS for event reminders, it’s also useful to remind customers about upcoming bill payments. Just make sure to add in a friendly tone to humanise your message which can prompt them to pay earlier than the due date.

Truly if you ask me SMS marketing helps businesses and brands maintain direct communication with customers, unlike other platforms where access could be sporadic. This direct exchange of messages makes the relationship between business and customer stronger.

Adding SMS into your existing marketing plans offers a ton of pros that can drive lots of growth for your business. It’s direct and immediate so it ensures that your messages are seen and acted upon swiftly.

Whether your business uses it via promotional campaigns, reminders, notifications for orders, or customer feedback, SMS is versatile enough to be a powerful channel. By putting personalisation and timeliness at the forefront, you can increase customer satisfaction rate/s and loyalty, and improve business performance.

Don’t overlook the potential of SMS marketing—start leveraging it today to maximise your business’s potential.

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