How Do SMS Marketing Services Work?
Over 4 billion people worldwide use SMS (Short Message Service) every day. Accordingly, it remains one of the best channels for advertising products/services or announcing updates to consumers.
In the past, companies could only use traditional phones to send marketing texts manually, which was time-consuming and ineffective. However, thanks to the rise of software and digital tools, there is now an abundance of SMS marketing services. As the name suggests, SMS marketing services make it easy to use SMS for business purposes—and such tools follow these steps to work:
1. Add contacts or import subscriber lists
An SMS marketing service is a clean slate, so a user will have to populate it with data, including contacts. Typically, a text marketing tool offers two ways to add subscribers: manual input or list import. Manual enrollment captures a person’s details (Name, Phone, City, Business, etc.) in a form like filling out a survey. On the other hand, importing a list is uploading a “.CSV” file that contains contact entries from a spreadsheet or another SMS marketing tool. Either way, it’s important to remember that only those who have agreed will be part of the list—sending texts to those who have no idea or opted out is considered spam by carriers.
2. Compose and schedule texts
After adding contacts to the database, it’s now time to craft a message and set the time/date to send. However, it’s still possible to send right away if behind schedule or when transmitting the first text of a campaign.
In most SMS marketing services, the process starts by selecting the contacts or group of contacts (sorted by keywords or custom groups) that will receive the text(s). After that, a user will type the message (up to 160 characters) and select the desired sending schedule. Also, with a tool like Texting Base, it’s possible to preview messages (how SMS appears on the phone) and automatically use the contacts’ first names.
3. Create keywords
Keywords (letters, numbers, or a combination of both) are essential for SMS marketing. In a text marketing tool, a user will have to create typically three types of keywords—for availing of offers and opting-in/out of text lists. In detail, businesses offer discounts or free products which can be redeemed using specific keywords. On the other hand, opt-in/out terms will let the company know if a person wants to be included or removed from a text list. Keywords are also used to automatically group contacts in an SMS marketing service.
4. Set auto-replies
As the name suggests, auto-replies are automated answers to people’s new texts or responses to marketing SMS. Such messages are usually to confirm and later announce the successful subscription or exclusion to a text list. However, auto-replies can also instruct people on the next steps to complete an action (e.g., get help, talk to a human, buy a product, register for an event).
5. Manage messages
Although SMS marketing services can handle messages automatically, it’s still possible to manually check texts and conversation histories. Besides verification purposes, it can also come in handy if a marketer needs to reply to someone personally, especially if the sender asks for an actual human (not a bot). However, it can be challenging to check messages individually if there are thousands of contacts and texts in the database.
Give SMS Marketing Services A Try Today
SMS marketing’s popularity and effectiveness have never diminished. Today, advertising products/services and sending company updates through SMS are still effective marketing strategies. Accordingly, it’s wise to get an excellent SMS marketing service like Texting Base. Using Texting Base, you can easily add as many contacts as necessary, compose and automate texts, assign keywords, and do more things. Visit its website to learn more or try it for free now!…