How to Build an SMS Campaign
SMS campaigns are just like email campaigns but with a few differences. So, if you’ve run an email campaign before, you don’t have to worry too much about how to build an SMS campaign. Most of the steps will be similar. But instead of an email marketing services marketing company, you’ll need an SMS service provider.
The data you use for your SMS campaigns will also be different from that you use for your emails. You’ll obviously need your contact’s phone number.
In addition, email campaigns can have really long messages. But SMS has the word short in it. So, your SMS campaigns will need to be short. This can be frustrating especially when you consider additional content restrictions regarding multimedia. However, your business can decide to lean into it, which can come with awesome results.
There are two main steps when it comes to building an email campaign.
Building an SMS List
Think of this like building an email list. To start with, consent is crucial. The members on your list have to sign up willingly. They have to give express permission to be included in your list and to be receiving SMSs from you. Otherwise, you’ll just be spamming them, which has a horde of negative consequences.
For starters, your recipients will be annoyed and will automatically approach your SMS content with a negative view. In addition, they are likely to report your message as spam. The more the people who do that, the worse it will be for your business.
There are multiple methods you can use to build a legit SMS list.
You can use your existing email list to ask people to sign up to your SMS alerts. You should accompany this with a clear list of the benefits your customers can expect to gain from joining your SMS list. This requires that you differentiate your SMS content marketing efforts and ensure that your SMS program has clear value.
The perceived value of your SMS content will have a significant impact on the number of people who decide to opt in.
Other techniques you can use include gifts. You can encourage customers to join your SMS list to stand a chance to win a variety of gifts.
You can also leverage conferences and brick-and-mortar assets to encourage members to register for your SMS content. Advertising the list on your website and asking existing members to refer additional people can also help a great deal.
Choosing an SMS Services Provider
You can’t start sending out retail SMS without an SMS service provider. Aside from offering you a wide range of services, they’ll assist you with iOS message API integration in case you need it. This way, you can better engage with your customers who use Apple devices. In addition, your iOS message API data can be readily integrated into your CRM for added convenience and increased functionality.
When choosing a provider, there are multiple factors to consider.
Cost is one of them. You’ll likely go for the provider that best fits your budget.
Functionality is another important factor when choosing a provider. The best providers will have advanced functionality as part of their SMS service package. Such functionality includes smart messaging and number lookup.
Advanced functionality can come in really handy. For example, with number lookup, you can periodically check to ensure that the numbers you have in your list are valid. This helps reduce wasted effort and cost.
Smart messaging comes with a whole range of benefits. It enables you to contextualize your messages based on existing customer data and on past interaction with that customer.
Other features that come with smart messaging include anti-fraud filters, chatbots, customized URLs, application to person messaging, and SMS analytics.