The email has long been a tried-and-true way for businesses to communicate with customers and send out mass emails. However, SMS messaging is quickly emerging as a fantastic new way to connect with customers as the use of mobile phones rises.
Short Message Service, or SMS for short, is another name for text messages. To reach customers directly on their mobile devices with new offers, special discounts, upcoming appointment reminders, and time-sensitive updates, businesses use SMS today.
Statistics show that 90% of messages are opened after just three minutes of receipt, giving brands a great chance to get people’s attention.
While SMS and email are both useful channels for reaching out to your customers, some messages are more appropriate for each than others. Email is a great way to send richer, longer messages that can be saved for later and include images and attachments.
SMS, on the other hand, is the perfect medium for disseminating quick, important information or discounts. When used properly, email and SMS are complementary channels that can be used to provide seamless customer communications.
Email Marketing: What is it?
You must be acquainted with email marketing. It can still be a very successful online marketing strategy even though there are more effective ways of communicating with customers.
You’ve probably received a tonne of emails promoting a company’s most recent product or service if you’ve ever signed up for a mailing list or company updates. In conclusion, a strong email marketing strategy can aid in converting prospects into clients.
Text Marketing: What is it?
Text marketing, also referred to as bulk SMS marketing, is a fairly recent tool for businesses. Although text messaging is a common form of communication for individuals, businesses are only now beginning to use it as a tool to interact with their clients.
Since anybody who has a mobile can communicate via text to anyone else using their mobile phone number, text messaging is the most popular mobile device feature. It should come as no surprise that the commercial world has begun to recognise SMS marketing’s enormous potential for sales and marketing initiatives.
Businesses send SMS marketing messages for a variety of reasons other than just acquiring customers in the marketing world.
SMS Marketing: The Advantages
- Cell phones are typically readily available to their users and are used by the majority of people. And because of that, readers will see the message almost immediately after it is sent. Minutes after sending, the information you want to convey to a current or prospective client will be read.
- To read a text message, your customers don’t require an internet connection.
- Since customers are more likely to see an SMS message right away, it is appropriate for time-sensitive deals.
- Text messages are perfect for sending reminders for meetings or requesting immediate action because they are delivered and read instantly.
- Texting has a high open rate of 98 percent and a response rate of 45 per cent.
The Drawbacks
- Only 160 characters are allowed in a message, which is frequently insufficient to fully describe the marketing offer. The price of SMS increases if the character limit is exceeded.
- Rarely do mobile users get the chance to remove their names from the SMS mailing list. The customers may find this to be very annoying.
- Nothing fancy; just text.
- The wrong message delivered at the wrong time will feel intrusive to customers because SMS is a more personal channel. This might make customers unsubscribe and damage your brand’s reputation.
When to Use SMS Marketing?
Given that texts have an open rate of about 98 per cent, text message marketing campaigns are the most effective if you want to increase the likelihood that your marketing messages will be seen. One of the most effective and entertaining ways to communicate urgent information to your audience is through SMS marketing.
While there are some difficulties, such as obtaining customers’ phone numbers and remaining TCPA compliant, SMS marketing is typically the most effective way to grab your audience’s attention right away.
In general, SMS is an effective channel for sending these kinds of messages:
- Helpful information regarding their order.
- Time-sensitive announcements and high-value sales or events.
- Personal notes from the brand’s founder.
- Incredibly entertaining short notes.
For succinct marketing messages with clear calls to action, texting works best. For instance, SMS messages can be used to send surveys, confirm appointments, advertise flash sales, and more. You will profit from trying to keep your messages straightforward and concise with an average 160-character limit.
E-Mail Marketing: The Advantages
- Cold outreach is better done via email. While sending mass emails requires opt-in consent, sending one-to-one cold emails as part of a sales or marketing strategy is permitted.
- Email is a versatile medium that gives designers access to a wide range of styles, including HTML and plain text.
- Emails are simple and affordable (to a certain point).
- Over the years, email marketing has demonstrated a sizable ROI.
- Because 49 per cent of emails are viewed on mobile devices, emails can help you reach a mobile audience.
- The biggest benefit of email marketing is the enormous amount of room for creativity in terms of the content, timing, segmentation, and type of emails you send.
The Drawbacks
- Because email marketing has lower click-through and open rates, it can be frustrating. It becomes increasingly challenging for your emails to stand out in a crowded inbox.
- Customers detest getting impersonal emails from massive lists. To prevent customers from viewing emails as spam, marketers must pay close attention to personalising them.
- Even legitimate campaigns may set off unpredictable spam filters.
When to Use Email Marketing?
Email is, in general, a fantastic channel for lifecycle marketing. Emails should be utilised when necessary.
- Cultivate potential email subscribers
- Inform consumers about your products or brand.
- Send timely newsletters and campaigns (such as Black Friday emails).
The main call-to-action can be supported by a few supplemental messages in emails. You could, for instance, draw attention to your social media accounts, share customer reviews, remind consumers about free delivery, and more.
Keep your upcoming email campaigns personalised with customer preferences and history because the majority of people consider promotional emails spam — personalization ends up going beyond just using a customer’s name! You want your audience to understand what you’re saying.
Striking The Perfect Balance Between Email and SMS Marketing
You can reach customers on their preferred channels at every stage of their engagement throughout the entire life cycle with your brand by incorporating SMS into your current marketing strategy. You show your commitment to offering first-rate service and uplifting your customers by tailoring your marketing initiatives to their preferences.
Only with a carefully considered strategy can you use SMS and email marketing to advance your company. Given that both communication channels demand time and money investments and shouldn’t be carried out carelessly, it would be best to weigh their advantages and disadvantages.
Final Words
A fantastic way to increase brand awareness and reward customer loyalty is by combining SMS and email. What are you still holding out for? Sending can begin with Guni. Additionally, Guni’s service gives you access to strong features that will enable you to maximise your use of SMS and email marketing. You will gain from the high return on investment of SMS and the personalization of email in this way.