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SMS is an incredible marketing tool for any eCommerce brand. With U.S. mobile commerce expected to reach $1 trillion by 2027, and 80% of consumers reporting a sub-optimal experience shopping on their mobile devices, it's more critical than ever to start using SMS.
SMS is any eCommerce marketer's dream tool. We are talking a 98% open rate, brands achieving 30%+ click-through rates, and 30 times average return on ad spend. SMS can achieve these results because it is a more intimate channel. Your messages are alongside text from loved ones and friends, which ensures your brand’s message will cut through a crowded landscape and get into the literal hands of your customers.
SMS stands for “short message service”, which is more commonly known as texting. SMS marketing involves a brand sending text messages to its consumers, often in the form of sales, promotions, and product offerings.
Unlike other channels like paid social media marketing, SMS marketing requires all subscribers to opt-in to SMS messages before they will receive texts. Nothing is unsolicited, meaning the SMS channel is delivering content to consumers that explicitly asked for it. That’s a big reason why SMS is so valuable, especially for consumer brands.
SMS allows brands to build long-term, valuable customer relationships that increase loyalty and customer lifetime value.
A great place to start when building up your SMS marketing program is understanding the roles and responsibilities of your SMS marketing team.
SMS marketing requires a bit of everything: creative design, copywriting, AB testing, reporting, analysis, and more.
While you may be ready to leap into SMS marketing, it’s essential to set up the right processes to make sure your time and effort are effectively spent. By defining the goals and intent of your SMS program, you’ll be able to easily make changes for the best ROI and maintain sustainable growth.
You can start by asking some simple questions, such as:
Keep in mind that you don’t need to circumnavigate the globe on your first SMS voyage. It’s best to start with realistic goals for opt-ins and campaigns and build your SMS program strategically.
Conversions: The number of people who completed an action on your SMS campaign, like making a purchase or booking a reservation.
Conversion Rate: The number of conversions divided by how many people received the SMS campaign. SMS has an open rate of 98% and a conversion rate of 45%.
Customer Lifetime Value: Metric to track your customer experience and how your customers contribute to your company as a whole. This is the total amount spent by customers throughout their relationship with your brand. For example, Starbucks’ Customer Lifetime Value has been calculated at $14,099.
List Growth Rate: Measure of how fast your subscriber list is growing. This takes data, so typically look at it in increments of weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually.
Opt-Out Rate: The percentage of subscribers who opt-out of receiving text messages or emails from your business. Your opt-out percentage is a direct measure of the value subscribers are receiving. Good opt-out rates remain below 5%.
The average opt-out rate for retail SMS marketing is 3.7%. The average opt-out rate for retailers is even lower, at only 1.8%.
Response Rate: Measures the number of people that take action after getting your SMS campaign.
Compliance goes beyond “following the rules.” We know it’s not the sexiest topic, but at Voyage, we view compliance as an opportunity to build quality, long-term customer relationships through trust.
SMS marketing is an intimate channel. Rules and regulations help SMS marketers navigate this channel with delicacy and effectiveness.
SMS marketers must keep abreast with rules from trade organizations like the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), federal legislation such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and government entities like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
We’ve got you covered with a robust compliance check-up, but remember these four major buoys that will help you keep course:
The right SMS platform can make starting an SMS program simple and painless. Utilizing features like custom Modals, list segmentation, and automated messages will make setting up successful SMS campaigns easy.
Overall, the top ten must-have SMS platform capabilities include:
💡 You can take a look at the full in-depth list here.
At Voyage, we offer a full suite of services alongside a powerful SMS platform to ensure maximized channel optimization. With our consulting services from our DTC eCommerce experts, your marketing team can drive revenue and cultivate customer delight for your brand through smarter, optimized SMS.
SMS is an incredible marketing tool for any eCommerce brand. With U.S. mobile commerce expected to reach $1 trillion by 2027, and 80% of consumers reporting a sub-optimal experience shopping on their mobile devices, it's more critical than ever to start using SMS.
If you are just starting up your SMS program, we have the perfect resource for you–The Definitive SMS Marketing Guide. In this guide, we cover everything about SMS, from the optimal candidate for managing your program, to setting up a successful acquisition channel, all the way through benchmarks, best practices, and stellar campaign examples.
To learn more about SMS best practices and more, download the Definitive SMS Marketing Guide today!
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