According to a study published by Finance Online in 2020, 45% of consumers prefer SMS as a communication channel. 80% of them believe that it is less intrusive, and 75% find that a promotion sent by SMS is easier to use. This is why SMS marketing is a formidable lever for companies, and in particular for e-merchants.
Whether it’s a customer follow-up, the promotion of a private sale or a reduction, this method of communication offers various possibilities for the e-commerce sector. Setting up SMS marketing campaigns is also quick and easy with solutions like Octopush. For these reasons, it is essential to use this technique in 2022.
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SMS marketing: what are its advantages in e-commerce?
SMS marketing has several advantages for companies operating in e-commerce. The first is undoubtedly its adaptation to any type of society. Indeed, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as large groups can use this strategy to reach a large number of customers, at a national and local level. Likewise, it can be used in different fields of activity: beauty, technology, sporting goods, etc.
This method is also acclaimed by e-merchants for the interactivity it offers. According to a report carried out in 2021 by the company App Annie, mobile users spend an average of five hours a day on their smartphone. Due to this high usage, SMS marketing campaigns have a fairly high open rate.
They can be developed in different contexts: notification of a contest, promotion of a new product, basket relaunch, etc. In all cases, the e-merchant ensures that the communication will reach their prospect or customer. Even if his phone is off, the message will reach him once he turns it back on, and quickly. There is therefore no bounce rate, unlike email marketing.
The advantage is that it can be easily combined with other communication channels such as push notifications or emailing. Using different strategic levers is an effective way to achieve your business goal faster, such as increasing traffic to your e-commerce.
How to succeed in your SMS marketing campaign in e-commerce?
To boost your e-commerce sales, you need to put in place a well-crafted strategy. During the development of it, it is important to consider certain elements, such as the protection of the personal data of its customers, or the drafting of a creative and efficient communication message.
Respect user privacy
Before embarking on the creation of your SMS marketing campaign, it is essential to find out about the regulations in force. Indeed, although prospecting by SMS and MMS is authorized, the people contacted must be clearly informed. It is also necessary that they clearly express their consent before sending them communications through this channel.
This is generally done using a checkbox with the following statement: “I accept that my information will be used for commercial prospecting”. The Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) also recommends using a cache that is unchecked by default in order to allow consumers to oppose it. Each message sent must also highlight the identity of the advertiser, and must offer a simple way to dispute the receipt of new SMS.
Write a concise and attractive message
Then comes the time to write the message that will be sent to his contact database. Although it necessarily reaches the target, it is not guaranteed to be opened and read. The drafting of the SMS is therefore not to be taken lightly. Moreover, an additional difficulty is added: it must not exceed 160 characters (not counting the mandatory information, including the possibility of unsubscribing). The message must therefore be clear and concise. The words need to be chosen strategically and must carry a relevant offer, such as the sale of an exclusive product. There needs to be a sense of urgency.
To do this, it is essential to segment your contacts. In this way, it is easier to send them an adapted and personalized communication (including the first name of the recipient), in order to convert a maximum of prospects into customers. The Call-To-Action (CTA) should not be forgotten.
Send marketing SMS at the right time
The regulations governing mobile marketing and the sending of advertising campaigns prohibit the sending of promotional messages between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. It is also forbidden to send them on Sundays and public holidays.
In addition to the legal obligations, it is the knowledge of its customers which determines the ideal niche to send communications by SMS. It depends on several factors: profession, age, habits… After a few tries, e-merchants can estimate at what times their target is most available. In general, marketers recommend sending SMS campaigns in the late afternoon, which is when the peak of message usage begins. Before that time, consumers are usually in class or at work.
However, keep in mind that it depends on the business sector of the company as well as what it wishes to promote. During events such as flash sales or Black Friday, a campaign will have more impact if it is launched shortly before.
Track the performance of your SMS marketing campaign
As with any other communication or commercial campaign, it is important to analyze the impact of its actions. Certain key performance indicators (KPIs) are to be preferred, such as the engagement rate and the click rate. The results will make it possible to adapt and improve future campaigns, for which it is possible to do A/B testing.
For e-merchants, SMS marketing is therefore an effective means of achieving various commercial objectives: customer loyalty, increase in incoming traffic, increase in sales volume, etc. Once a meticulous implementation has been carried out, this method can be used to boost the turnover of an e-commerce store over the long term. For these reasons, it must be an essential component of e-merchant strategies in 2022.
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