Guest post by Danish Wadhwa:

As more purchases are being driven by trusted rankings, reviews and recommendations, businesses have identified engaging with customers as key to achieving organizational goals.

At present, there are various mediums that can drive customer engagement and loyalty, such as email marketing and social media.

However, the one communication channel which has been growing immensely in popularity is SMS marketing, even among the more conservative b2b marketers, who usually lag some way behind innovation-focused b2c marketers. Thanks to the mobile phone revolution around the world, everyone can now read marketing messages, do research and make purchasing decisions on-the-go.

There are six main reasons why people feel more engaged via SMS Marketing compared to email and other means, and here we will discuss some interesting and lesser known facts and figures.

1. SMS Marketing Enjoys Greater Open and Read Percentages

This is undoubtedly the first and foremost reason why marketers are giving preference to SMS marketing over other marketing platforms. 97% of people open and read an SMS within 5 minutes of their delivery. This is an astonishing figure and also far better than email marketing (38%) and social media marketing (25%).

This clearly shows that SMS is the quickest and most immediate marketing platform available for marketers. This direct communication with the recipient will increase the chances of a purchase taking place as a result of the SMS.

2. Instant Feedback from Customers

Research has already shown that more than 50% customers provide valuable feedback to SMS they receive. It has also been found that marketers are getting an instant response to messages within around 4 minutes of the delivery.

We are all aware that customer feedback is paramount for successful companies. It makes it possible for them to learn more about the likes and preferences of consumers and adjust plans and strategies accordingly.

3. High Call to Action Rates

SMS has a higher conversion rate than any other medium of marketing. People are also finding it easier to respond to text messages. 75% customers make up their mind to make a purchasing decision after reading SMS related to the product or services. Today almost everyone owns a mobile phone, which means SMS has mass reach, even in emerging markets where fewer people have broadband access and bank accounts. Globally, around 3 trillion messages are sent every year.

4. SMS Marketing is Useful for All Brands

SMS marketing is the perfect approach to connecting with customers – regardless of the extent of the business and the nature of the products, as long as the message can be conveyed in ma short format.

While sales offers and discounts are the most common marketing messages, other notices, such as event invitations, customer onboarding, client after care, product notifications, renewal notices and upgrade reminders can all profit from an SMS marketing campaign.

With regard to SMS, a little imagination can go a long way in developing new degrees of customer engagement and eventually client loyalty, retention as well as new sales.

5. No Worries About the Spam Folder

With email marketing, marketing messages getting caught in spam folders are a definite worry, but this is not something you need to think much about in SMS marketing.

Marketers do not have to remind customers to check their spam lest email messages get lost. Even those who do not own smartphones can receive text messages via their landlines.

This makes SMS marketing the most reliable and efficient tool for customer marketing and the sending of targeted promotional ad product-related messages.

6. Polls and Surveys

Messages related to surveys and studies always attract responses. Marketers usually apply this method because people become more curious about this kind of interesting text messages and instantly respond to them.

For example, if you are an event manager, you can send a message to ask event registrants ‘Which dish do you want see on the banquet menu’? Please reply this with the given options a, b or c.

Recipients will promptly respond with their favorite choice, and chances are higher that they will actually attend your event in order to taste their chosen dish. This act of engaging them and giving event registrants a choice will bring them closer to you and your product.

Conclusion

These are some of the primary reasons why people are engaging more with this quite new form of marketing. If you are still wondering how to incorporate SMS marketing into your marketing plan and are using other marketing tactics but not getting the desired results, then start using SMS Marketing as soon as possible for better returns.

About the Author: 

Danish Wadhwa is Digital Marketing & Branding Pro, who is helping startup and business for sales conversion optimization. His drive, passion, and analytical mind enabled his successful foray into the arena of Marketing & Sales Automation.