Author: Admin

emailvssocialmedia

Social Media Marketing VS SMS Marketing – The Why and How

Admin

Social media is the ultimate form of sending and receiving targeted information. The complexity of back-end algorithms is making the world a tiny place with the fantastic connectivity platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many more offer. These days we can see that nearly every business seeks to establish a social media presence, in keeping with the times and to target a large group of people in desired locations and under the desired demographics.

How the Social Media Myth is Working:

We have found that new SME business owners are assuming that they can achieve their marketing goals by maintaining a consistent social media feed. While it’s of great importance to maintain your brand image and reach out to new potential customers, it cannot actually deliver your message in the right time to get you the desired outcome.

Why Compare Social Media with SMS Marketing:

  • Liberty
    SMS marketing gives businesses greater liberty to deal with the people on their “list”. These are people who have shown the certain interest in your products and services and are okay to receive updates from you. This is not the case on Facebook. Furthermore, you are bound to save a lot more funds with this concept of owned media rather than paid media, which is Facebook. SMS marketing depends on the package you have chosen and offers great numbers to work with.
  • Pay to Boost
    It was pretty clear that we would start off this article by discussing the price aspect. To a business, every move is accounted for financially. And no business should invest in any activity without having some experience of success from it or by the sheer logic of the activity.
    Facebook requires you to pay to boost your post. For instance, you could spend $20 and reach out to 1000 users. Without which, the organic reach of your posts would be less than 6%.
  • 97% Open Rate
    This point hardly needs much explaining. As we know that SMS marketing takes our message directly to recipients immediately. And it is a well-known fact that 97% of the messages are opened immediately when they are received.
  • No Smartphone, No Problem
    SMS marketing can help you to reach out to even those customers who have not yet found the idea of using a smartphone appealing. However, you cannot download the Facebook app unless you have a smartphone.

It is always great to get a second and a third opinion on any marketing techniques you plan to adopt. For more information, you can always contact us.

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SMS Marketing

Why Go for SMS Marketing?

Admin

SMS marketing is a technology that might not seem very cutting edge from a distance. However, when you start to realise the advantage it has to offer, that is when you start paying attention. Being one of the most cost-effective and successful forms of direct marketing, SMS marketing is a method that is helping nearly every industry and profession out there. From restaurant managers trying to manage internal staff to retail managers trying to draw in repeat purchases, SMS marketing is the go-to tool!
Here are some of the advantages that SMS marketing can offer:

  • Keeping up with the cool ones
    Email marketing is being looked upon with suspicious eyes and weary gazes. It is past its prime now and most young people relate email marketing to spams. However, text messaging is still strong due to its more personal approach to message delivery.
  • Environmentally forward
    While this point also applies for email marketing, we would like to mention this as it is the need of the hour!
  • Reliability
    As we mentioned earlier about spam emails, text messages don’t have to deal with such filters. They are often trusted by the customer and create a better impression than that of a message lying somewhere in the junk folder of your email inbox.
  • Opt-out- just say the word!
    It is extremely easy to opt-out of SMS marketing campaigns. Simply communicate to your customer the one or two word cue to allow them to opt-out of receiving any further messages. It’s that simple!
  • Open rate frenzy
    This goes without saying, you are very unlikely to go back to your email inbox and open that mysterious promotional email that might or might not be spam. However, over 90% of the text messages are opened. This assures delivery of the message.
  • Obligation to keep it short
    Marketers are obligated to keep text messages short. Therefore, you can concentrate on getting the most important pieces of information to the customer. This is far more efficient when you want to encourage customers to act in respect to the text message. For instance, they can be prompted to make a booking at a restaurant or participate in a quick survey or competition.

SMS Marketing has always shown signs of being the ultimate form of direct marketing out there, and now we are even certain about the coming future of it. Join the revolution with us!

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Email Marketing to SMS Marketing

Moving from Email Marketing to SMS Marketing

Admin

Email marketing has been in boom ever since the PC and Macintosh devices have flourished in nearly all homes across the worlds. It has provided marketers with a personal approach to marketing directly to their existing and potential customers.

However, with highly controversial open rates, being in the range of 25%-35%, marketers have started to consider other forms of direct marketing. Email marketing was pretty much a step-up for marketing through letters. It could be seen as a more environmentally friendly way of being dismissed by most receivers. Email marketing has never been able to fully realise its potential.

Here is a list of differences between Email marketing and SMS marketing:

Email- Open rates of 25%-35% are said to increase slightly with increase in the number of campaigns sent out each month. This can be viewed as spamming in some cases.

SMS- Open rates soar at about 99%. This is quite magnificent in terms of getting your message out there effectively. Furthermore, 97% of these messages are opened in the first 15 minutes.

Email- As mentioned above, the open rates can increase only with excessive campaigns being sent out every month. This reduces the availability of original content, can increase cost and is still not guaranteed to be opened by the readers.

SMS- Due to the high exclusivity of this method, it is expected that customers can respond to the offers in less than 4-6 text messages.

Email- Email marketing can only serve as promotional tools for marketing products and services.

SMS- Owing to the high open rates, SMS marketing opens up possibilities of being used as an reminder service for time-sensitive offers, appointments and staff communications.

We do not encourage our clients to stick to just one form of marketing and ignore the others. We simply urge them to try everything and see what works. We hope our information about the differences can help you to plan your next marketing campaign.

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Email To Sms

Best and Easy-To-Use Email to SMS Messaging Service Australia

Admin

Need to send an email to someone’s phone as a short SMS? Try the Email to SMS service from SMS Solutions Australia.

What is Email to SMS Messaging Service?

Email to SMS is a form of technology that converts standard emails into SMS messages. This service works on a list of customised clients, enabling business owners, brand executives, marketing teams, campaign supporters to send messages directly to the intended recipients. All this happens with a simple click of a button!

How does it work? Choose a email client of your choice, compose and email using your smartphone, laptop or tablet. Instead of entering the email address in the recipient box, enter the phone number. Enter the appropriate corresponding gateway address as per the service provider. Voila! Your Email to SMS is sent with ease.

Despite the fact that everyone can read emails on their smartphones, there are always a range of situations when sending a short email as a SMS can be advantageous and more practical. The benefits of email to SMS service are extensive!

  • Seamless software integration between the existing systems and SMS platform
  • Accessibility by multiple users from different accounts
  • No development skills needed to integrate
  • A detailed report along with responses from recipients
  • Simple to use software
  • Centralised management of all the communications with the selected email client
  • Simplified and cost-effective SMS communication
  • 24/7 customer care services

Improve your business processes with Email to SMS service, in Australia and abroad. SMS Solutions Australia can make it easier to send SMS reminders, confirmations, alerts, hardware monitoring alerts, staff & team alerts, marketing & promotional offers directly from one application. We simply convert your email into a SMS and deliver it, with the whole communications then arriving as detailed emails. Call us to avail our easy Email to SMS platform at 1800 823 859.

Sending a SMS has never been so simple!

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Crafting the Ideal SMS Marketing Message in 2017

Admin

SMS marketing is changing how businesses are communicating with their customers. Not only does it provide a means of instant communication, it also offers 98% open rate shortly after they are received by their recipients. If you’re looking for a way to quickly communicate with your customers about any special deals or events, SMS marketing is the most ideal and affordable tool out there.

In this article we will take a look at some key points that marketers and business owners should keep in mind while formulating SMS marketing messages:

  • Short and Snappy

We have stressed on this point in an earlier article as well. This should always be a primary consideration because your customers don’t always have time to read through yet another promotional message. So make sure that it is short and snappy- all the required information in the least amount of words as possible.

  • Targeting your Customers

Would you try to sell a home to a 20 year old? The chances of a 20 year old considering property rates is quite thin. What we are getting is at, when we target our campaign to the right audience; you are likely to have a successful campaign. Allow your customers to opt in and opt out of promotional messages. This will save you from looking like a pushy salesman and help you to focus on those customers who are really interested.

  • Introduce Yourself

Mention the name of the business right away (in the start of the message), this gives customer an option if they want to read on further or not.

  • Saying the Right Things

We urge our clients to use professional language and avoid using any popular abbreviations or slang words. While your company might endeavour to seem cool, the use of such language only damages the credibility of the business in the eyes of the reader.

  • Actionable Messages

Make sure to include a call to action in your message so that the customer knows how to interact with the message in question. It can either be requesting them to call on a certain number, or reply with a few letters.

These tips are just a high level analysis of the text that we have come across in the recent times. For more information about SMS Marketing, don’t hesitate to drop us an email with your questions.

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SMS marketing

Targeting the Millennial Population?

Admin

Here’s what not to do…

The millennial population in Australia is characterised by two major appeals. They are capable of high-paying jobs, and they love to spend what they make. This makes them quite a sought after group of consumers for most businesses. And their heavy use of smartphones creates a solid opportunity for marketers to utilise this channel of direct communication, which has a 96% open rate.

The high open rates and the proximity of communication makes this a platform that should be used with utmost care and responsibility. What this means is, pushy sales offers and annoying frequency of messages can cause catastrophic failure of such campaigns.

Here is a list of ethics marketers can follow to ensure that SMS marketing campaigns run for long durations with success:

  • Reduce the frequency:
    According to a recent study, it was found that 82% of smartphone users would like to receive messages no more than twice a month from a particular brand. If you are anywhere close to this limit with a chance of exceeding it, take a reality check now!
  • Always Give A Way Out:
    Before we get into the other aspects of the SMS marketing ethos, the most important one is to give them an opportunity to “unsubscribe” or “OPT OUT”. This makes users feel less harassed and gives them control over the incoming messages.
  • No time for long dramas:
    A short and sweet message always captures people’s attention. Whatever offers you need to communicate can be done through your website and in store. But a simple “we miss you since your last purchase” can create a friendly relationship and urge the customer to come back one more time.

There are many more points that you need to consider to avoid a disastrous campaign. Maybe that’s why it pays off to have professionals handle it.

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The Power of Key Words

The Power of Key Words

Admin

Keywords are not only an online or TV phenomena. It is a widely used concept throughout various SMS campaigns. However, the way keywords are applied into SMS marketing can vary from how they are used on the internet. Online platforms are supported by keywords when a user is searching for a particular topic (enters the keyword), this can lead them to multiple webpages with the relevant information and provide them a clearer idea about more relevant keywords.

In the case of SMS marketing, a keyword enables the company to receive short responses from their customers. For instance “STOP” can be used as a keyword to unsubscribe to the SMS service in question. Many other features can be unlocked through the use of keywords.

Here are some keyword examples:

  • If you are selling electronics and it is the season of sales and offers, your customers can find what they are looking for by sending the pre-determined keywords. For instance, your message could illustrate “Special Offers” on “TV” “Music Systems” and so on. If the customer replies with “TV” you could send them the top offers in the next SMS for them to get a general idea about the type of offers in store.
  • Keywords can also be sent as method of reminding customers about abandoned shopping carts that they might have forgotten about. If your customer is registered with you, you could them a gentle reminder about the online cart. They can reply to opt out of receiving such a reminder or proceed to the website through the mentioned link.
  • Another way of encouraging customer involvement is via contests that can be played via SMS. Customers can be asked to answer simple questions or merely enter the contest by sending through the words “Enter”. This asks them for very little time, at the same time it establishes a two way communication between the seller and the buyer.

To know more about keywords and how they can benefit you, call SMS Solutions Australia today.

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SMS Marketing Campaign

Factors That Influence The Success of An SMS Marketing Campaign

Admin

Planning The Most Effective Campaign Is Only Achieved By Keeping The End Goal In Mind

Effective SMS marketing campaigns are being rapidly adopted by all types of businesses. They prove particularly helpful for retailers, restaurants, pubs, nightclubs and so on. However, they are not limited to promotion and marketing. They can also form an integral part of employee administration.

In our previous articles we examined the different ways of planning an effective SMS marketing campaign by focusing on key aspects that ensure positive and profitable outcomes. In this article, we will take a closer look at measuring the SMS campaign success.

Here is what success may look like:

  • Cross linking customers to social media pages and increasing traffic on the company website.
  • Informing customers about time sensitive deals and supporting impulse buying behaviour.
  • Service providers can save time and money by asking for appointment confirmations via an effective SMS campaign.
  • Invite the right amount of crowd to your restaurant, nightclub or bar on special occasions and in the light of special deals.

While these are the expected outcomes, you cannot always wait till the final outcome to judge the responsiveness and measure the SMS campaign success. That is exactly why we have compiled a small list of iterative observations that you can make as you go:

  • Always offer your customers an opt-out from receiving ongoing communications. The rate of opt-out can help you determine whether your content and targeting is effective.
  • Website analytics can help you to quantify the click through rates if you’ve been circulating website URLs through the text messages.
  • Alter your contact list based on messages that are not being delivered. These numbers have most likely been disconnected and create additional costs.
  • Conversion can also be observed by examining the number of visitors that made a purchase that was encouraged by the SMS campaign.

Our team of SMS marketing experts would be more than happy to give you more detailed information that is specific to your type of business. To know more about setting up a campaign, give us a call on 1800 823 859 for a free quote.

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SMS Marketing - Spring & Christmas Sale Frenzies

Coordinate Business and Operations During Peak Seasons

Admin

(Spring and Christmas sale frenzies)

As the final quarter of the year approaches, it can be a great opportunity to turn to more streamlined approaches to marketing and operations. The festive seasons are characterised by massive spikes in sales, especially when it comes to retail and hospitality businesses. SMS marketing is the perfect tool for communicating with prospective and return customers.

(more…)

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