SMS Marketing Blunders that You Must Not Overlook If You Want Your Business to Gain a Competitive Edge

You simply cannot deny the effectiveness and popularity of SMS marketing campaigns for businesses and brands today in 2019. We understand that texting boasts of having the maximum engagement rate as compared to any other marketing medium at 82 percent open rates. Moreover, the best thing about text messages is that 90 percent of these messages are read almost immediately within just three minutes after it has been received. Hence, SMS marketing is quite popular and frequently leveraged communication channels worldwide.

It is effective in sending more personal and direct messages as compared to email. Stats reveal that nine out of every ten consumers would like to text with organizations and brands but just 48 percent of these organizations are adequately equipped for doing so. SMS marketing could be quite challenging and tricky. It is best to tread lightly if you wish to gain success.

As per https://www.forbes.com, even after 25 years, SMS marketing has staying power. All the more reason to include it in your mobile communications plans.

Even though the advantages of SMS marketing are endless, you need to avoid undesirable blunders and follow the best practices in SMS marketing. Here are 10 SMS marketing blunders and some effective tips for avoiding them. If you steer clear of these blunders, your SMS campaign could be a robust tool for engaging your target audience and building a solid relationship with all your clients or customers.

Blunder#1: Sending Unwanted Text Messages

Nobody welcomes the idea of getting promotional text messages now and then even when they did not sign up for those texts. Do not send mass messages spontaneously. You need to make sure that you have the authority or the necessary permission to send text messages. It is of pivotal importance to abide by the local, as well as, the state regulations and messaging policies of wireless carriers for making sure that your promotional messages are delivered to subscribers or customers who do not mind receiving them.

You must get the necessary permission by utilizing an opt-in form. You could request your customers to sign up or subscribe for your text messages that contain exclusive product releases, promotions or some other crucial information through an online form or by simply text messaging a keyword to a cell phone.

There have been several high-profile cases where businesses have been penalized and fined heavily for utilizing user data over which they did not have any right whatsoever, it’s truly incredible to see that there are numerous organizations that are continuing to text customers without obtaining the necessary opt-in form. When organizations are caught text spamming, the consequences are going to be pretty serious.

Blunder #2: Not Remembering to Scrutinize the Text

As per experts, you need to keep checking or examining. You may double-check if necessary. It could be immensely astonishing to know that numerous organizations make that basic blunder of not consistently scrutinizing their text messages for grammatical or spelling errors and accordingly rectify the mistakes so that the information is flawless when the text message is sent. It would be taking just a couple of minutes for fine combing the SMS so that your professional reputation is not tarnished.

Blunder #3: Messaging To Invalid Numbers

Sending text messages to certain invalid numbers could be a major pitfall of the SMS marketing strategy. If you are having fake or changed telephone numbers on your messaging list, it would certainly not reach the proposed destination that may adversely impact your overall message deliverability score. The most effective solution to this issue would be to consider organically growing your subscribers’ list.

You may be pretty much tempted to purchase or borrow client contact lists. However, these contact lists may contain invalid or fake numbers. The most effective way of reaching your dedicated customers is by boosting your SMS subscription list organically. You could consider using your precise email customer base for growing your SMS list. You could motivate others to subscribe to your SMS contact list by offering exclusive discounts or promo codes to all your subscribers, running a contest, and promoting your SMS list across diverse media channels. Consider using a trustworthy SMS API to deliver your text messages effectively and quickly.

Blunder#4: Using the Same Message Content for Both Email & SMS

A pretty common blunder made by some SMS marketers is trying to save some money, effort and time by making use of the same message content for both your SMS, as well as, your email. The major issue here is that all messages must be custom-tailored to cater to the unique requirements of the different platforms. An email marketing platform is better suited for supporting certain specific kinds of messages while text messaging could be using a different type of message altogether for reaching its precise target audience.

Blunder#5: Sending Spammy & Lengthy Messages

SMS must be restricted within the prescribed 160-character limit. SMS must be short and precise. Businesses often make the mistake of composing lengthy and spammy messages that could be broken up while delivering and the underlying message could get distorted. The entire meaning of your text message could get twisted if you are sending unnecessarily lengthy and spammy messages. SMS messages must necessarily be informal without any need for intros, subject lines, or signatures.

You must compose personable and concise or compact text messages. You must deliver clear information and you may even consider infusing an element of humor into your text messages for building a unique and memorable brand personality.

Conclusion

SMS marketing is supposed to be a powerful platform with immense potential for driving short-term action; hence, you must take the maximum advantage of it. You must always incorporate a clear and precise CTA or call-to-action into your message content which could be completed by your target audience on their smartphones or other mobile devices while on the go. You could help your CTA become easily recognized and accomplished by using strategic keywords.  Motivate your clients to respond positively to all your texts with strategic keywords for taking part in exclusive offers. Use keywords effectively in your texts for making your SMS messages clear and straightforward to the maximum extent possible.