10 Reasons SMS Marketing Is Good for Small Businesses

For most small businesses, creating a relationship with customers is critical. How well you reach them and how well you cultivate a relationship is closely tied to the financial health of your business. As a result, small businesses need an economical tool that accomplishes both goals.

SMS marketing is one of the most effective and affordable tools that small businesses can invest in. SMS marketing encompasses campaigns, promotions, news, updates, and more— all sent via text. This marketing method boasts the best rates in the industry and is practically essential for any company that wants to connect with customers.

Keep reading to learn ten reasons why SMS marketing is so effective and how it can help your company.

Why Small Businesses Should Invest In SMS Marketing

Small businesses need marketing methods that are effective, but not exorbitant; efficient without being impersonal; and both versatile and personable. SMS marketing meets all these needs and is easy to integrate into current communication models.

In essence, small business text marketing can lead to big returns, saving you time, money, and resources. And for small business, that makes all the difference.

SMS Marketing Is Effective

SMS marketing outperforms email and voice broadcasting in terms of open rates, response rates, and engagement rates. Studies show that 70% of users check their messages within five minutes of receipt and, of those, 98% engage with the texts. And 90% of those same people respond to their text message within 30 minutes. Even more impressive? The fact that these users aren’t limited to a specific demographic.

What this boils down to is that SMS is the most effective marketing tool, especially for small business. When you need the biggest bang for your buck, SMS marketing is indisputably the go-to method.

SMS Texts Feel More Personable

SMS marketing creates a more personable feel than other communication or marketing mediums, such as email. Your business is on the same level (or rather, in the same app) as a user’s friends and family.

You can further customize your SMS messages by including a user’s name or acknowledging important dates, such as birthdays or anniversaries. As a result, this creates a better relationship between your business and SMS subscribers.

With the right SMS marketing company or API, you can also schedule your texts to go out at certain times or on certain days. So if your research shows that your users are most active on weekends after 12:00 PM, you can contact them just before or during this time period.

SMS Is Versatile & Fits Every Industry

SMS marketing is versatile and can be used for a wide variety of purpose, which makes it suitable for all industries. SMS messages can be used for marketing and promotions, surveys and feedback, emergency notifications, payment reminders and updates, and more. It’s also useful for one-time passwords and password resets, delivery tracking, and making appointments or reservations.

This versatility is perfect for companies of all sizes, which is why SMS for small business is so effective. From the banking and medical industries to retail and restaurants, small businesses from every sector can benefit from SMS marketing.

SMS Marketing Works With Long & Short Codes

SMS marketing messages can be sent from either a long code or a short code. If you’re a small business, then it’s likely you’ll use an SMS long code for your SMS marketing. Long codes are perfect for low-volume, customized, and two-way communication, all of which are hallmarks of small businesses.

It’s possible that you may need an SMS short code, especially if your business is sending out bulk texts or has content that is especially time-sensitive. But if you don’t fall into either of these categories, then stick with a long code. Long codes are cheaper than short codes and just as effective.

As a bonus, long codes are often seen as more personable than short codes, since they reflect the average person’s phone number. This is especially true if your long codes has the same area code as the majority of your customers.

SMS Messages Cater To User Preferences

No one enjoys reading long paragraphs of text, which is why the 160-character limit on SMS messages actually works in your company’s favor. By forcing you to keep your message short and simple, this limit makes readers more likely to interact with texts.

SMS messages are also one of the most convenient ways to receive information. All of the content in your SMS is right at a person’s fingertips and instantly accessible; they won’t have to waste time scrolling through emails or opening voicemails.

SMS Places Power In Users’ Hands

Before you begin sending marketing messages to users, they have to subscribe to your SMS list. Users have the power to opt-in and opt-out at any time. This means that, if you’re sending them messages, it’s because they are actively interested in your company and want to receive texts.

This gives you an edge over small businesses who primarily rely on email marketing, since email marketing is less effective and less personal. People are known for ignoring their emails (seriously, how many unread emails do you have right now?), but are typically prompt about viewing and answering texts.

SMS Is Accessible & User-Friendly

Smartphones and other devices are continually providing more accessibility settings for users. This benefits your SMS marketing because it means accessibility is already built-in; there’s no baseline accessibility features that you need to add. Your marketing messages will be automatically made more accessible, whether this involves visual, physical or motor, or auditory accommodations.

SMS Marketing Is Less Intrusive

SMS marketing is the least intrusive marketing method currently available, which is part of the reason why it’s so effective and preferred by users. Other marketing methods are known for being intrusive and frustrating for users. Emails clutter up inboxes and are tedious to sort through, while calls and voicemails are disruptive during the day (especially during work hours).

All of those great statistics you read about earlier? Those are proof that users prefer SMS messages over every other type of business contact. And considering how busy people are, it doesn’t exactly come as a surprise.

SMS Best Practices Protect Users

SMS marketing best practices create built-in protections for users that make SMS a better communication medium for both customers and companies alike. These best practices (some of which are technically rules and regulations) reduce SMS spam and create a better texting experience.

These text marketing best practices include receiving permission from users prior to sending messages (opt-in requirements), stopping messages at the user’s request (opt-out requirements), and ‘safe harbor’ rules that dictate what content can be sent to consumers and when.

SMS Marketing Is More Affordable

SMS for small businesses is more affordable than other marketing methods, especially for businesses using a long code. Numbers for a long code can be as low as $1 per month, whereas short codes can cost thousands.

Small business SMS ads are also more affordable than traditional methods, such as placing ads on television or billboards. Ads received through text are also more likely to catch a user’s eye than one they’re driving past on the interstate — and users can actually refer back to them if they want, unlike billboards that rely on a user’s memory.

Esendex’s SMS Marketing API

SMS Notify! is an easy-to-use, programmable SMS API that allows small businesses to instantly connect with customers around the world, providing you with reliable and affordable SMS marketing.

Compatible with both long and short codes, our API includes features geared toward the success of small business, such as account monitoring, delivery reports, smart rate limiting, and more. And with our Tier 1 SMS network and 99.9% guaranteed uptime SLA, you can rest assured that your messages will always be delivered on time, every time. Our text message API also comes with a voice broadcasting feature as well to send mass voice calls to your customers.