Starting a new business can be a big undertaking. You’ve got to start building your brand from the group up, create brand awareness, and get your products in front of the right people. It can be hard to know where to start and what resources will help you get there.
Whether you’re still in the initial growing phase or starting to thrive as a small business — you’ve got to find what sets you apart from the crowd.
What is it about the company that makes customers love you? Is it your great customer service? Your community involvement? The personal experience you strive for?
For many small businesses, what sets you apart from the big name brands is all of that. You have the ability to connect on a more personal level, be involved in the things they care about and respond to their complaints in a timely manner.
But how do you get this message out to your customers in a cost-effective and efficient way?
The answer to this common problem is SMS messaging. It’s an extremely effective solution that will let you reach your customers no matter where they are on their mobile devices.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 5 ways SMS messages can help your small business grow. Here’s a quick look at the ways we’ll cover:
- It’s a cost-effect way to reach your customers
- It’s easy to use
- It will increase your customer engagement
- It can help provide better customer service
- It will help you gather feedback and improve processes
How SMS messages can help small business grow
If you’re looking for a way to grow your business by leveraging the benefits you already have, SMS messaging is the way to go. It provides a cost-effective, personal experience for your customers that allows for an interactive two-way conversation.
It’s very unlikely customers are receiving a personalized experience of that level from larger named brands. While they already had triggered messages and promotional SMS marketing in place, there is a world of opportunity for small businesses and SMS messaging.
1. Cost-effective way to reach your customers
One of the many reasons SMS messaging is a great solution for small businesses is because it can be a cost-effective way to reach your customers. The great thing is, that the cost savings doesn’t only come from a relatively low price to send messages, there is also time savings that come with it.
Cost-effective communication
SMS messages will provide you with more bang for your buck. It is one of the most cost-effective, direct marketing channels. Depending on your service provider, it could cost mere cents to send messages to your customers.
When you consider the impressive ROI of text message marketing, it’s easy to see how cost-efficient the platform really is.
Factor in time-saving
You know what they say — time is money. SMS messaging can help save you time and money by simplifying the process and automating your communication.
Here are a few ways you’ll save time with SMS messages:
- You want to stick to around 160-characters in your messages, so you won’t spend hours trying to decide what copy to include
- Once everything is ready to go, you can schedule ahead of time and move on to the next to-do on your list
- You can set predetermined triggers, such as a purchase or delivery, to indicate when messages should be sent out
A low-effort, high return practice will provide your small business with the results you want to see. Increasing the number of touchpoints you’re making with your customers and better engaging your subscribers.
2. Easy to use
A problem that many small businesses run into is headcount. Luckily, SMS messages don’t require you to have a marketing team that has a number of specialists spending their time in different areas.
Anyone in your company could pick up on the process of SMS messaging and start to develop and send messages on behalf of your brand. While it is recommended that your marketing or communications teams are the drivers of this tactic, it won’t have a big learning curve.
So whether your marketing team is two or ten — you can successfully implement SMS messaging into your marketing practices.
By investing in the right SMS messaging service, you’ll find that it can be a simple and rewarding process. All you need to do is spend a few hours a week on developing your strategy, developing content, and scheduling messages. After that, your campaigns can run on their own and start bringing in revenue.
3. Increase customer engagement
SMS messages are one of the most effective ways to reach your customers and increase engagement. People are always on their phones, so sending them a text message that they are going to see, you have a better chance of improving customer engagement.
Think about your own day-to-day. When you receive a text message, how long do you wait to check it? Most likely, you’re hurrying up to see what it was about within a minute or two (if you can even wait that long).
That means whether that text is from your grandma, best friend, or a brand you subscribe to, you’re seeing the message — and you’re not alone. Most people read text messages within 3 minutes of receiving them. So reaching your customers through this platform almost guarantees they will see and read your message.
Still on the fence? Here are a few SMS messaging statistics what might change your mind:
- SMS messages have an open rate of 98%
- They also have a response rate of over 200% higher than email, phone, or Facebook marketing
- 90% of SMS messages are read within 3 minutes
SMS messaging works. But if you’re still not convinced, we’ve got a few more things up our sleeve.
4. Provides better customer service
Customer service is very important in any business — but it’s imperative for small businesses. Providing a good experience to your customers will help your brand grow a positive reputation and build a more loyal customer base.
SMS messaging is a great platform for expanding your customer by creating a two-way communication channel. Not only is it providing a simple way to respond back to your brand, but it’s also reaching them in a place they’ve told you they want to interact in.
Reaching customers on their mobile devices can also add a personal touch to your brand communication. Just make sure when you are reaching out to appeal to their personal preferences and interact with them when they are most likely to engage — all things you can learn through advanced technology like AI and machine learning.
Here are a few examples of how you can use SMS messaging to improve your customer service experience:
- Ask customers about a recent purchase and request feedback
- Provide customers with information related to their recent purchase such as order confirmation or delivery
- Let customers know if there is a problem with their purchase such as delayed shipping or the item is back-ordered
- Use SMS as an avenue for customers to submit their questions or concerns
When you consider that Americans check their phones 52 times a day, it’s easy to see why this is a good place to provide customer service. The more you interact with your customers and solve any problems they are experiencing with your company or product, the more likely you are to turn them into brand promoters.
5. Gather feedback to improve processes
Speaking of providing a two-way experience with customers through SMS messaging, it’s a great way to receive feedback. If you aren’t learning from the feedback your customers are providing, it will be hard to continue to grow.
You need to learn from your customers who have used your products and services what works and what doesn’t. SMS is a great way to send polls and surveys and will yield higher response rates than many other avenues.
Examples of how you can use SMS messages to gather customer feedback:
- Send product surveys to understand what customers liked or disliked about your product
- Ask them to rate their experience with your company as a whole
- Send polls to see what your customers are interested in
- Ask specific questions you’re looking to gain information on such as their likelihood to purchase a potential new product or what they expect to see from a brand like yours
SMS messages offer a quick and easy way to gather feedback from your customers. It’s a good opportunity to hear their honest opinions directly from them and start a conversation. If you’re looking for new products or ways to promote your brand, SMS messages are a perfect solution.
SMS messaging: marketing communication small businesses need
Stand out from the crowd and create a unique experience through SMS messaging. You have an opportunity to use this platform to show your customers what makes you different and provide them with an experience they’ll never forget. As a low-risk investment, SMS messaging is the perfect way for small businesses to grow and expand their reach.
Photograph by Tim Mossholder