Mobile marketing 6 minutes to read

Types of SMS Marketing: Do you Use All The Possibilities of Text Messaging?

Apr 21 2021

Smartphones are at hand during 14 hours a day, and 95% of text messages are read within three minutes. Today it is important for all spheres to utilize this channel. SMS is a path to direct conversation with customers. It remains open as long as the content is valuable for the user. As a matter of course (and compliance), people should be able to opt-out from our campaign. Delivering important messages to the key targets boosts the response rates along with other marketing KPIs.

Relevant wording and structure are prerequisite for a savvy campaign. Concise 160 characters have a capability to incorporate a short link leading users wherever we expect them: to a landing page, a blog, an e-store, an application form and more. By logging all message chains, we receive visibility of different types of text messages as the dialogues with different contacts. And being accessed from our CRM platform, those interactions become even more insightful. Digital service providers offer various types of SMS-marketing, in accordance to the business model, domain and the goals pursued. Let’s take a closer look at the major ones.

Broadcast

Broadcast messaging combines immediacy with effectiveness of a one-to-one targeted dialogue. This channel belongs to quantifiable types of SMS services allowing to reach large groups in order to communicate an important message. Here are some ways to utilize broadcast SMS to accelerate the interaction flow in different fields.

Healthcare professionals are facing new communication needs caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Working around the clock, they still suffer logistic delays or inclement weather changing their schedules. Manual calling holds them back. Instead, they can take an advantage of the types of SMS which are extremely time- and response-sensitive: appointment confirmations and cancellations, reminders, patient referrals, follow-ups, last-minute openings. Bulk-SMS service can contact thousands of patients in a matter of seconds, segmented by provider, schedule, time range or appointment type.
In the recruitment, fast and direct broadcast messaging increases response rate, benefits search for the proper candidates and getting them onboard. Keeping message interactions visual within CRM results in a more personalized experience for an applicant. Later on, we save the candidate information in our database to maintain their engagement. Similarly, learning institutions can send important information to their students and staff via this channel.
Broadcast messaging is not about commerce, but about bringing the relevant content. Announce something new coming down the pipeline giving the reader insight in the heads-up text. The two-way nature of SMS can bring useful tips, advice and feedback from readers. We can invite supporters to an event. Broadcast messaging has the power to drive action. Inducing prospects to attend an activity, go out to vote, donate to a cause, get on a call requires an individual touch. It’s good to send a client a birthday or special date congratulation.

Giveaways

To send offers to qualified people, likely to opt-in, we have to give away something attractive enough to draw them to our text and keep allegiant. What certain items you offer depends on your business. Here are how giveaways can contribute to the amount of SMS subscribers.

A real-time discount in exchange for joining the messaging list.
Exclusive club membership for regular customers with bonuses for future purchases, early access to the new products, divulging secrets.
Borrowing a momentum from common excitement — binding to an event on the agenda: sports competition, national holiday etc. Birthday congratulation with a personal giveaway.
Contests are very effective for gathering subscribers. People can enter them by texting a short code. In the sweepstake, each subscriber gets a virtual ticket in a drawing. This can also be a prize-drawing for people spreading good words about your company.
Invitation to participate in quizzes and surveys, especially if you mention those people gratefully afterwards in the social media.

One-Time Password

A One Time Password (OTP) is a unique code generated by the SMS software. It remains valid for a fixed period and becomes invalid once the recipient logs in, which is particularly useful against spyware. The OTP is delivered independently of an internet connection or a third-party app. For such secure authentication, testing is crucial. To test the steady messages sending, BSG applies existing dynamic devices. Delivery time, destination accuracy, delays are clearly visible in the SMS test report, as well as the sender’s name correctness.

Coupons

Customers, especially in non-luxury segments, like to receive and redeem mobile coupons. Promoting coupons via SMS is an easy, affordable, and environmentally friendly approach to offer sales and deals. Send a coupon with BSG SMS texting platform, tailored for your business, simultaneously to a mass of participants. Paperless coupons save on time, printing and advertising costs. A simple, memorable incentive keyword included will upsize customer base. A redeem code may be placed in a multimedia coupon as a plain text, or as a shortened URL.

Targeted Texting

Creating non-segmented lists is improvident today. Firstly, advertisements may be delivered only to people who have explicitly consented for this. For all types of mobile SMS, speaking to the right audience is crucial. Next, the dispatch should be consistent, but not so frequent to annoy. We can determine the best daypart and days of week for messaging. Targeting is as accurate as the collected data. Segment contacts according to the criteria, like:

sex and age;
socio-economic status;
geography;
interests and values (cars, movies, music, sports, health and beauty, saving animals etc.);
user scenarios (internet, roaming use, who took action on a link etc.);
smartphone model and OS;
geo-targeted messages based on the customer’s real-time location.

Composing a message, step into your audience’s perspective. What are they expecting? What unique value can you offer to them? Humanize an appeal and adapt it to their context.

Basically, you should distinguish between the transactional and promotional SMS, before you start thinking about SMS marketing implementation, because their purposes differ. Promotional texts are mass distributions of a single message to many recipients at once, while transactional texts are customized and commonly sent one at a time.

Transactional SMS

Transactional SMS are used to convey information critical for customers’ use of product or service. A pre-determined message is triggered by a user’s specific action. To send transactional SMS, companies have to use a site for bulk SMS, or integrate SMS functionality into their existing tools using an API key. Such messages fall under lenient regulations, since they are solely informational and necessary, from the sign-up to delivery. We relay the important details unrelated to promotion, like:

welcomes;
order confirmations;
shipment updates;
two-factor authentications;
appointment reminders and confirmations;
payment reminders and confirmations;
booking reminders.

Promotional SMS

As the name implies, promotional SMS is a unique text sent by business to their consumers and prospects to promote their product, to generate interest and direct engagement. They cannot be sent without user’s permission. Their text must be enticing, professional, targeted, and carry a call-to-action. Some common examples are: