11 ways to solve your top SMS marketing challenges
Elise Bollenbacher
Brand Journalist
Over 160 marketing and loyalty leaders registered for our recent webinar, "Why You're Not Seeing ROI Out of Your SMS Marketing," featuring two top mobile marketing experts. Our goal? To help these leaders mitigate three main challenges often seen with SMS strategies: low subscriber acquisition, high opt-outs and low conversions from subscriber to customer. In case you missed it, here are some of the takeaways:
Low subscriber acquisition
Takeaway #1: Offer plenty of incentives and coupons
Words from the expert: “About 60 percent of mobile users are engaging in [SMS] program[s] for incentives and coupons.” - Lisa Szkatulski, Associate Director of Strategy, Vibes
Takeaway #2: Add a checkbox to your email sign-up form
Words from the expert: “Add a checkbox to your email sign-up form. [It's] a super simple way to acquire [SMS] subscribers, as you're acquiring them as an email subscriber." - Alison Vandenkieboom, Director of Client Success, Quikly
Takeaway #3: Convey a sense of urgency in the language you use to promote SMS sign-ups
Words from the expert: “Promotions conveying a sense of urgency typically see a 14 percent higher click-through rate and twice as high transaction or engagement rates..." - Alison Vandenkieboom, Director of Client Success, Quikly
High opt-outs
Takeaway #1: Limit how often you reach out to your subscribers
Words from the expert: "The most common reason that smartphone owners unsubscribe from mobile messaging is simply because brands send too many messages" - Lisa Szkatulski, Associate Director of Strategy, Vibes
Takeaway #2: Create a personalized experience for SMS subscribers
Words from the expert: "It's when the program experience feels vague and feels one-size-fits-all that the mobile program falls flat for the consumer." - Lisa Szkatulski, Associate Director of Strategy, Vibes
Takeaway #3: Speak with your audience, not at them
Words from the expert: "Using a conversational tone can help grow conversions by almost 400 percent." - Alison Vandenkieboom, Director of Client Success, Quikly
Takeaway #4: Don't lose focus on the existing customers in your SMS program
Words from the expert: "Increasing customer retention rates by 5 percent can increase profits by 25-95 percent..." - Alison Vandenkieboom, Director of Client Success, Quikly
Low conversions from subscriber to customer
Takeaway #1: Make the call-to-actions in your texts clear and concise
Words from the expert: "...you really need to get to the point of why and how they [the consumer] should click." - Lisa Szkatulski, Associate Director of Strategy, Vibes
Takeaway #2: Reward SMS subscribers with digital coupons
Words from the expert: "Seventy-eight percent of mobile users say digital coupons are more convenient than print." - Lisa Szkatulski, Associate Director of Strategy, Vibes
Takeaway #3: Leverage scarcity language in texts to drive purchases
"People are more likely to take advantage of something that might only be available for a limited time or to a certain group of people." - Alison Vandenkieboom, Director of Client Success, Quikly
Takeaway #4: Create unique SMS strategies for potential and existing customers
"People who have never purchased before have a different mindset than a seasoned brand vet that has purchased from you time and again." - Alison Vandenkieboom, Director of Client Success, Quikly
To learn more about these common challenges, as well as tips on how to overcome them, get access to the on-demand webinar!
Elise Bollenbacher
Elise Bollenbacher