With the advance of technology, it can sometimes seem too old-fashioned to use text messaging as a marketing tool. However, the humble SMS can prove a very effective communications vehicle. One of the main reasons for that is the delivery mechanism – most people use smartphones and receive, see (and hear) notifications for text messages very prominently on their devices. This makes an SMS one of the most direct, cheapest, and attention-grabbing ways to deliver your marketing message.

Texting is an activity that all your customers engage in so why shouldn’t you do it as well as a way to communicate with them. As long as you ask for permission, SMS marketing will provide you with a very personal way to talk to your audience. It’s a very simple, easy to implement and track, highly targeted tool. It consistently performs better than other channels as customers seem to be highly receptive to engaging with text messages.

The law allows businesses to use text message marketing however it regulates it heavily in different countries so consumers who do not wish to receive any text messages are protected. Businesses can face fines if the regulator finds them in breach of the regulations. In addition to the governing bodies (e.g. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US), there are mobile carrier conglomerates that have their own codes of conduct to monitor business behavior and impose restrictions if needed.

Marketing via SMS is a simple two-step process. Before you start texting, you need to give your potential customers a way to opt-in to receiving communication from you via SMS or MMS. This can be done via keywords, web, or paper forms. Once they’ve signed up, you can send them messages using a shortcode or a toll-free phone number and/or enable a digital customer services feature. Growing your list of subscribers will make your text message marketing more effective.

SMS marketing is effective due to a few key facts. Firstly, almost all of your potential audience owns a telephone and will receive a text which they’re not likely to ignore. Secondly, people are used to texting with their closest contacts which makes it a more intimate and (according to research) most preferred medium. Finally, people read their texts almost immediately so you can have a high response rate to the right message.

In order to abide by industry etiquette and follow a code of conduct, businesses should adhere to some rules when sending text messages. It’s recommended that marketers only send SMS during business hours (Monday-Friday from 8 am to 6 pm) according to the different time zones of the customers unless the message is for a time-sensitive offer or in response to an order/customer service inquiry. It’s also good practice to avoid sending too many messages at once.

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