How to run a successful SMS campaign

The SMS channel typically has higher click-through rates than the email channel. What are the advantages and limitations of SMS marketing? How can you use this channel to achieve the right results? Błażej Pawlar, Partnership & Marketing Manager at SerwerSMS (serwersms.pl), will tell us more about this.

Błażej, how can SMS marketing help businesses run effective marketing campaigns?

There are a few points worth mentioning. Compared to other tools, text messaging is a fairly simple and flexible tool. Marketers, or business owners (in the case of smaller organisations), do not need to know how to programme, understand HTML or create graphics using any graphics software. This means that text messages are used in marketing by small, medium and large companies alike. The reach of this communication channel is also important. We can reach both younger and older people via SMS – and that’s what matters most to us as marketers!

What are the main benefits of using SMS marketing compared to other forms of marketing?

First and foremost, the vast majority of us always have our mobile phones with us, or at least within easy reach. We are able to receive a message and respond to it in some way practically at any time. Text messages have a very high open rate, which in some cases reaches as high as 98 per cent. This is highly significant when it comes to conversion. Our regular surveys show that over 90 per cent of the companies surveyed consider the sales conversion rate via this communication channel to be very high, high or satisfactory. These figures speak for themselves.

What are the most common uses of SMS marketing campaigns, and which sectors most frequently use SerwerSMS’s services?

Text messages are used in virtually all sectors, particularly where there is a need to send important information quickly. However, the majority of promotional campaigns take place in the run-up to public holidays and major events – good examples include Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Halloween and Mother’s Day. We are also increasingly seeing a sharp rise in text message campaigns ahead of shopping Sundays. In this case, it is usually large retail outlets and shopping centres that make use of this form of promotion – effectively reminding customers of their opening hours and the discounts on offer.

Do SMS messages allow for the personalisation of messages and the segmentation of recipients?

Personalisation and segmentation of contacts is, of course, possible, and anyone who creates an account on the SerwerSMS platform can make use of these features. Conversion rates for personalised messages are significantly higher than for non-personalised ones. Looking back, SMS campaigns used to look rather different from how they do today. Companies tended to send the exact same text to all numbers. These were known as ‘bulk’ campaigns. Today, the trend is exactly the opposite. Most SMS messages are personalised, and the messages have become more personal. From the point of view of effectiveness and increased sales, this is certainly the right direction to take, as it fits in with a cross-channel marketing strategy – that is, targeted campaigns and the integration of various tools.

Can SMS marketing tools be integrated with other marketing tools, such as CRM systems, analytics and email marketing?

Yes, and that is one of the biggest advantages of short text messages. Today, over 80 per cent of messages are sent using some form of integration, for example following an event in a CRM or marketing automation platform.

Classic examples of an SMS sent following a particular event might include:
– an abandoned shopping basket in an online shop,
– booking a doctor’s appointment,
– ordering a taxi,
– purchasing goods,
– taking out a loan,
– ending a conversation with a customer service representative,
– logging into a website,
– confirming registration on a platform.

The analytics themselves are also very important. When it comes to text messages, we operate on two levels – general and detailed. The general level involves measuring clicks on links within the message – in short, once we’ve logged into the service, we can check who clicked on the link ‘embedded’ in the text of the message.

For in-depth analysis, it is essential to use UTM tags (codes/tags used to analyse website traffic); this allows us to measure which campaign is more effective and how much sales revenue it has generated (obviously, this requires Google Analytics to be set up correctly).

Is building a database of SMS recipients any different from building an email mailing list?

We are, of course, talking about two different tools here, but the process of adding contacts to a database is very similar. In the case of text messages, we are also dealing with so-called dedicated numbers used by companies and organisations. Anyone who sends a message to such a number can be automatically added to the contact database. In the case of emails, the entry is made, for example, when an address is provided via the ‘subscribe to newsletter’ tab.

How can you ensure compliance with legal regulations and the protection of personal data when providing SMS marketing services?

The matter is quite simple and straightforward. The user must give their explicit consent for the company or organisation to send marketing messages. They may also opt out of receiving such notifications at any time.

This is very good news for organisations using business SMS communications, and those users who opt out should be removed from the database promptly. It is better to have a smaller database and a higher conversion rate than the other way round.

What does the future hold for mobile communications? Can you tell us a bit more about RCS Chat?

In a nutshell, it’s a new communication channel that combines the functions of text messaging, instant messaging apps with chat features, and a simple mobile app. SMS 2.0 (as this tool is often called) will be enhanced with the ability to add videos and photo carousels, familiar to us from social media, for example. Such conversations will also feature interactive buttons to help users navigate through the planned stages of a campaign. In summary, this will be a tool for the most ambitious clients who prioritise multi-dimensional communication and standing out in the market. A brand that opts for RCS chat will be able not only to send and receive messages, but also to engage in conversations. We are convinced that this will be a minor revolution in mobile marketing.

Summary

SMS is the leading tool for running marketing campaigns. Thanks to its simplicity and flexibility, SMS marketing is widely used by businesses of all sizes, and its high open rate contributes to successful sales conversions. Short text messages are used across many sectors, particularly in the run-up to major events and public holidays. Personalisation and audience segmentation enhance the effectiveness of communication, whilst integration with other marketing tools allows for the effective use of SMS within a cross-channel marketing strategy. It is also important to ensure compliance with legal regulations and the protection of personal data. Furthermore, the future of mobile communication looks promising with tools such as RCS chat, which will enable even more advanced and interactive communication with customers.

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Błażej Pawlar [Vercom SA; project: SerwerSMS]

He has several years’ experience in sales, customer service and marketing within SaaS applications and CPaaS platforms. He is responsible for activities related to developing the marketing strategy for the SerwerSMS project. In addition, he manages social media, creates landing pages and is responsible for acquiring business partners and maintaining relationships with them. As he puts it, “marketing activities should be as sales-focused as possible; you don’t do marketing just for the sake of it”. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to podcasts whilst going for long walks.