It can be hard for the “little guy” to compete with the “big dogs” in the business world. Big companies have big budgets, with access to more resources and personnel. By virtue of their size, they can reach more people because they have pockets that are deep enough to spring for big, splashy campaigns. How’s a small business supposed to compete?
With SMS, that’s how. Text marketing can go a long way towards helping small business achieve the same market penetration as the monoliths. Here’s how.
What’s SMS?
Just in case there are some folks not clear on the concept, we pause for acronym identification. SMS stands for Short Message Service, which consists of text messages of no more than 160 characters (and usually the first 20 are saved for the sender’s handle). Twitter is a classic example of SMS.
It’s Easily Engaged
According to the article “Can SMS Marketing Help Your Small Business Level the Advertising Playing Field?” (spoiler alert: yes, yes it can), text messages have nearly a 100 percent open rate. That means the vast majority of people who get a text message end up opening it within minutes of receipt. People blow off phone calls and let them get shunted to voice mail. They don’t open emails and drop them straight into the virtual waste basket. Text messages, on the other hand, are short, sweet, and just the thing for people with short attention spans or who simply lack the desire to bother with a long, drawn-out conversation.
Your Messages Are Actually Welcome
The thing about an SMS marketing campaign that sets it apart from other forms of marketing is that the would-be recipients need to opt in. People sign up to get your SMS text messages, usually because the goods and services interest them, or you’re providing them with an incentive to do so. Therefore, there’s a minimal risk that they will simply blow off your texts since they asked to be included!
People Respond To Incentives
Speaking of having people sign up for SMS, it’s easy to get those names. It’s a simple matter of providing fliers on your premises, as well as having a sign-in link on your website or social media page. People enjoy feeling special like they’re part of an exclusive group, and by having your club that offers members-only discounts and promotions, you get people’s attention, and they become eager to sign up. After all, who doesn’t like a good deal, free stuff, or advance word on a cool event?
Consider a once or twice a week SMS blast where you offer a discount to users who click on a link that leads back to your site. Or fire off a quick yes/no survey about an upcoming event, product, or service that you’re considering. Engage people via SMS, and you’ll build loyalty.
It’s Wicked Cheap
Remember how expensive advertising was in the bad old pre-Internet days? Small surprise that it was an option normally reserved for the cash-rich big companies. The little guy was lucky to have the funds to buy a radio ad on a local station! But the number of people you can reach via SMS and Internet marketing as a whole is by far, dollar for dollar, THE best advertising investment you could ever make.
If you want more insights into online marketing as a whole, check out “What To Know Before Starting Online Marketing”.
