Internet marketing has evolved since the days of AOL. They used to send free CDs to their email customers. While things have changed significantly since then, the Internet remains one of the most valuable mediums to reach and convert customers.
Internet marketers must constantly find new ways to make their sales funnel more engaging. Many marketers have started using SMS messaging to better convert their customers.
Why does SMS complement Internet marketing so well?
SMS Is Highly Effective
Many people believe SMS marketing is notoriously ineffective. This is largely because it has a reputation for being spammy, due to a number of unscrupulous marketers. However, SMS Marketing can actually be far more effective than most other marketing mediums – if you use a good approach.
Here are a few statistics on sms marketing benefits.
SMS Has a High Open Rate
According to research from constant contact, the average email open rate is between 15 to 20% in most industries. The open rate for SMS messages is about 90%.
Great Click-Through and Conversion Rates
SMS CTRs and conversion rates are also very high. Data shows that about 14% of recipients click through to the link in the message and nearly 9% fulfill the conversion goal.
Internet Marketing Warms Up SMS Leads
SMS is a form of permission-based marketing. People are highly skeptical of suspicious links, because there are so many scams these days. They are also annoyed with the vast number of relentless marketers that are constantly flooding their inbox.
They’re also reluctant to click links from senders they’ve never interacted with. They’re even less likely to buy from them. As difficult as it is with email, it’s even harder with SMS marketing.
Don’t get discouraged by this reality. SMS Marketing is highly effective if used in conjunction with email marketing. You just have to get the recipient to opt in and nurture a relationship first.
Building a Relationship With Internet Marketing and SMS
Generating trust and warming up your leads takes time. However, it’s a critical step for successful marketers. Here are some guidelines you’ll need to follow.
Get Users to Opt-in
Never send unsolicited messages to potential customers. This is a serious violation of the CAN-SPAM Act,, which means you can face fines and at least four years in prison.
There is another reason to get permission before sending Marketing emails and texts. Customers are very unlikely to respond to unsolicited messages. You’ll have much better luck marketing to people that opted into your list.
Build a Relationship With Email First
SMS marketing is a good way to close leads. However, it’s a poor way to build the relationship needed to make a pitch.
Unless you have a very simplistic conversion goal, you should build a relationship over email or social media first. You have much more space to communicate the benefits of your brand. You can also use a much more personal tone without worrying about character limitations.
Segment Users by Engagement
It’s important to keep track of users that are engaged with your email marketing campaigns. Aweber, Constant Contact and other major email providers allow you to create separate lists for user is based on previous actions they’ve taken. You can create a list of people that have opened many of your emails or click through to many of your links.
This is a list of people that may be more receptive to SMS messages. Keep these records carefully.
Make Your SMS Messages Brief
SMS messages need to be very brief and to the point. Use them for a clear call-to-action with users that have already shown a clear interest.
