Text messaging is a powerful marketing strategy that businesses can use to reach out to customers. Any business can implement text messaging; all they need is a messaging software and a list of customers with telephone numbers. Companies can send updates to customers, send them details of offers, and even run an entire marketing campaign over the mobile phone. Mobile sales can be increased by using text messaging in an effective way.
Mobile sales refer to sales initiated over the mobile phone. It can refer to marketing campaigns that businesses run over the mobile phone to increase sales. Let us take a look at how text messaging can play a role in increasing mobile sales.
- Text messaging is more effective than emails in impacting sales
Emails were the standard marketing communication strategy many years back. The use of spam filters has ensured that most marketing mails get blocked. Email as a strategy is not all that effective. In such a scenario, text messaging is highly effective. When you send a marketing message through SMS, it will reach the recipient for sure. While emails need internet to work, text messages will reach the recipient without fail. Text messages are read by 97% of all mobile users. This makes it a powerful means of communication.
Customers also prefer receiving text messages as they do not consider it as an intrusive form of communication. When telemarketers call, most people get irritated and may disconnect the call or even block the number. Text messages are accepted as the recipient can read the message whenever he/she is free and it is possible to read the message while at work or in a meeting. Studies have shown that 57% mobile users are happy to receive text messages. Its response rate is 45%, which is higher than emails, making it an ideal strategy to use.
- Running campaigns is easy
It is very easy to run campaigns through text messaging. Messages can be sent informing customers of a new promotional campaign. They can be informed about new product launches, offers on products, discount coupons, special offers, and other such promotions. This would help to grab the attention of the customer who would show interest when such an offer is received. This can motivate the customer to make a purchase and it enhances mobile sales.
Customers can be encouraged to reply to text messages by sending a keyword. When they use the keyword and send a message, the text messaging software would automatically send them more information. The company also gets an alert that the customer is interested in the product and they can contact him for more details. Since text messages allow only 140 characters, additional information can be sent through messages as a response to keywords.
- Tracking campaigns is easy and effective through text messaging.
When a company spends money on running a campaign, they would like to know if it is effective. They would need to be able to know data on how many messages were sent and how many of them actually made the purchase. This would be possible while mobile e-commerce is enabled. This is how it would work:
- With the campaign message, there would be a link to the company website or e-commerce store from where the customer can activate the offer and make a purchase. The link would be sent as a shortened link and would have a code that identifies the customer.
- When the customer uses this link to visit the website, then this data will be stored. This will help companies to know how many customers clicked on the link they send and visited the website. These statistics will help companies make changes to campaigns in case they don’t work.
- When the customer actually makes a purchase the data would be saved. All this data can be analyzed to understand how much of mobile sales has taken place through a particular marketing campaign. Companies who run this would be able to understand the effectiveness of mobile marketing campaigns using text messaging.
- It is easy to implement
Having understood how impactful text messaging can be on mobile sales, you may want to implement the same in your organization. It is very easy to do so. You need a database of mobile numbers of leads and customers. You need to have taken their permission at the time of collecting their numbers to send them messages. When you send a message you need to give them the option of unsubscribing. Use text messaging software, compose your message and select the customers and that’s it! You can start sending text messages to improve mobile sales.
As can be seen, text messaging impacts mobile sales and it is an effective tool to improve mobile sales. This makes it a must use strategy for companies.
