Pause for a second and think of this question. How many unopened emails do you have right now in your inbox versus unread text messages on your phone? This is why so many brands are using Bulk Text and mobile marketing to connect with consumers instead.
If you are like me, there are literally hundreds of emails landing in your inbox each day with little relevance to you, and they’re all just going to get mass-deleted by the end of the day.
But by the same token, there are zero unopened messages on my phone. Every text, WhatsApp and Facebook messenger ping gets my full attention. Are you the same?
Our email boxes are getting jammed with everything from work messages, communications from the local schools, doctor’s appointments and lots of spam. It is easy to see how branded marketing messages get lost and mass deleted at the end of every day. This is another reason why consumers are increasingly asking the brands they follow and love to just text them everything from sale notifications to exclusive opening hours to networking events with other customers.
Here’s why Bulk Text and mobile messaging might soon become your most important revenue channel:
Customer would rather text
In fact, 98% of adults ages 30-49 text on a regular basis, according to a 2014 study by Pew Research. This number jumps all the way to 100% for consumers ages 18-29. And many of those text-savvy consumers would much rather text than communicate in more traditional ways.
Furthermore, a recent survey by MarketingStrategies.com found that 68% of millennials would rather text than email.
As customers grow increasingly more comfortable with using text messaging the same way they use email, brands who take the opportunity to communicate with audiences via text could unlock a powerful new revenue stream.
Not all brands have realized the power of Text yet
“SMS remains an effective, yet underutilized, mobile tactic among marketing leaders and is particularly valuable when used in conjunction with mobile techniques such as wallet, web and native applications to orchestrate a deepening level of customer engagement” said Charles Golvin, research director, Gartner for Marketers.
According to the Gartner 2016 Digital Channel Survey, SMS is currently one of the top four most-adopted mobile marketing tactics. Yet 61% of mobile marketers surveyed don’t use it, and one-third of these companies have no plans to invest in it in the coming 12 months.
This means that only 39% of companies have tapped into the power of SMS Marketing. There is a massive opportunity for your business to do so and get ahead of your competition. We wrote about this is a blog on how to tap into the power of SMS Marketing. Click here if you would like to read it.
Personalized messages drive engagement
Think about the last text message you sent: it was probably to a friend or family member, right? Now think about the last email you sent. That was mostly likely for work.
Sending a Text messaging is inherently more personal than email, so personalized messaging matters. Our phones are so personal to us that we don’t give out our mobile number unless we really want to. So to receive a text message will be from a person, or a brand that you WANT to receive one from
And unlike an email, where overflowing inboxes make messages easy to ignore, when was the last time you ignored a text?
According to MailChimp, only around 19% of emails are getting opened, but the open rate for text messages is around 98%. 90% of text messages are opened within 3 minutes of consumers receiving them.
But while texts should feel personal, they should also serve a purpose.
Of the 62.7% of consumers who are already receiving text messages from brands, most signed up for text messages to make their shopping experience easier.
According to research from Attentive, 96.6% of customers who have opted in to branded text messaging are interested in receiving shipping information, while 95.5% want to know when a product they’ve been eyeing goes on sale.
Text message marketing that focuses on finding just the right balance of personalization and purpose is much more likely to be a hit with time-strapped customers than a wayward email to a crowded inbox.
Getting started is simpler than you think
As consumers embrace the idea of getting texts from their favorite brands, adopting Bulk Text Marketing today as part of your marketing will be key to getting ahead, and staying ahead of the competition. As I mentioned earlier, only 39% of companies have realized the power of SMS Marketing.
You wouldn’t believe some of the responses we have had from customers who use SMS to send out offers, renew gym subscriptions and send birthday best wishes. They cannot believe the response rates they get from their customers.
About Sendmode
Sendmode has been in the Bulk Text Marketing industry for 10 years and serves over 35,000 customers worldwide. If you would like to try our SMS platform please click the link below, check out our extremely low prices and then sign up for a free, no obligation trial.
If you like the platform (and we hope you will 🙂 ) and decide to purchase an SMS Bundle, we will double your first purchase for FREE as a thank you for choosing Sendmode.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and we hope you found it helpful.
John