The market for Short Message Service i.e. SMS is booming. As per a recent report approximately 73% of US adults send text messages. The study showed that people in the U.S. increasingly prefer sms gateway over voice calls. Such and more statistics present marketers with enormous opportunities for bulk SMS marketing.

Mass text message marketing is unfortunately a highly abused marketing medium. To fully leverage the power of this effective marketing channel, it is important for businesses to follow certain guidelines. Read on to know more:

Bulk SMS Marketing: 6 SMS Marketing Best Practices

1. Get Permission: Begin by having users to opt in. It’s important to make sure the consumer has agreed to receive text messages from you via prior keyword opt-in or web opt-in. Getting permission is one of the safest options to build a valuable bulk SMS database. Make it easy for customers to join your SMS marketing list. And make certain they know how often to expect messages from you.

2. Use a simple code: It’s always a good idea to work with an easy-to-memorize short code. You don’t want it a pain for your customers to remember your code. Small businesses can find it a tad too expensive to acquire dedicated short codes. Sharing codes with non-competitors can help in such cases.

3. Keep the message direct: Avoid the temptation of including all the details of your great offer in just 140 characters. An effective SMS ad copy just lets the customer know “what’s in for them”. Most effective messages use simple plain language employing only well-known texting shortcuts to avoid ambiguity.

4. Keep the message relevant: The relevancy factor cannot be over-emphasized. Even if you come up with the most creative ad copy, it doesn’t matter if it’s not relevant to your customer. Segmentation and targeting come into picture here. Take into account major demographics and your target group while crafting your SMS message.

5. Keep it personal: SMS marketing presents a unique chance to build a long-lasting relationship with your customers via personalized messages. Using the subscriber’s first name in your SMS message is an impressive way to make your customers feel necessary, special and valuable.

6. Time it: And even if you form the most creative, relevant, exciting SMS message ever, it doesn’t matter if it’s not timed right. A text message sent during the day while people are busy may not get the same response as one sent at a more appropriate time. Are messages sent in early morning or late-night text effective? Timings depend on the characteristics/preferences of your target audience. Continual testing for timing is an ideal way to find the “right” time.

To Conclude:

Sending bulk SMS is perfect for harnessing the power of “local” market. Location-based marketing is a booming industry already. A Google study showed that close to 90% of searches are for local businesses. Mobile SMS marketing is a great way to connect personally with customers and offer them “instant” value, “locally”.

With SMS marketing it is important to see the “big picture”.

When businesses send bulk SMS online it may not always result in a sale. However, and very importantly, it is a part of the big plot. Bulk SMS marketing may be used for generating leads, public relations, or customer education. Remember – Never lose focus of your reason for sending out an SMS.