Customer acquisition is a constant struggle for e-commerce specialists. Finding new prospects and turning them into consumers of a brand remains an extremely difficult task. Virtual merchants are constantly looking for new channels to achieve this. One of the best ways to achieve this goal is SMS.

SMS marketing (or « short message system ») is a solution that any business should consider, as campaigns of this type have an average open rate of 98%. It can play an important role in customer acquisition for an online store, provided of course you use the right techniques. Contrary to popular belief, SMS still has a future, regardless of the sector of activity. However, we must not send them through either. Rules must be followed very scrupulously.

SMS: an effective way to promote yourself successfully

Promoting a business via SMS is a great way to increase the visibility of its brands and to attract the attention of your target audience. When using this method of communication to reach potential customers, it will be necessary to show that the brand is easily accessible at all times and that it is on the lookout for innovation.

To conduct SMS promotion campaigns, managers will need to pay attention to putting the brand’s values, building brand awareness , and engaging consumers with the company. As a result, by inviting the targeted people to participate by SMS, it will be much easier to manage the customer relationship afterwards.

The best way to use SMS marketing for promotion is to provide potential customers with a simple call to action (CTA). It is important to encourage them to inquire or consume the offer without much hesitation thanks to CTAs.

Also, while it may be tempting to send multiple text messages to potential customers to try to boost their engagement, sending too much of them may seem intrusive. It’s important to find the right SMS frequency that won’t make customers forget about the brand, but won’t bore them either. Most brands that use SMS marketing text their customers between two and four times a month, but it will always be best to survey recipients to find out how often they want to receive news from the company.

The benefits of SMS marketing

Many e-commerce companies that have already tried SMS marketing have realized what a good customer acquisition tool it is. Here are some of the reasons why it would be interesting to implement this technique:

• The constant increase in mobile usage : With more than 5 billion smartphone users worldwide, it is possible to maintain contact remotely more easily. The mobile phone therefore becomes a key channel for SMS marketing;
• The ability to reach  » classic » mobile phone users: Although most consumers today use smartphones, there are still people who prefer older models, with an array of buttons. With an SMS marketing campaign, it becomes possible to reach all these mobile phone users, whether or not they have an internet connection ;
• High open rate: As mentioned earlier, SMS marketing campaigns have a very high open rate , much higher than other channels, such as email;
• Improving the customer experience: The customer experience is a much more important criterion today than it was a few years ago. People want easy and convenient communication with brands, and there’s nothing like simply clicking on a CTA on your mobile phone;
• The competitive advantage over other e-merchants: Even though SMS marketing offers many opportunities for customer acquisition, many e-commerce companies are still hesitant to try this technique. This is a great opportunity to try a channel neglected by its competitors !

Running an SMS marketing campaign

One of the first things to learn about SMS marketing campaigns is bulk SMS. Once the creation of a bulk SMS account is created, it will be possible to connect with customers who are already in the database and work on their loyalty.

In addition, to acquire new customers with SMS marketing, it will be necessary to provide a motivation that will make them want to sign up for the SMS marketing service. To do this, it is recommended to send a special offer (a discount, for example) to which potential customers can reply only by SMS, with a keyword. Once they have responded to the SMS and redeemed their coupon, it will be a new prospect converted into a customer and a new number to save for further events.

It is important that the keywords used, also called « shortcodes », are simple and memorable. And for it to work, it’s best to include it as frequently as possible in the message.

Every marketer knows the most popular channels for customer acquisition, such as email, social media, and paid advertising. However, the power of SMS marketing is still ignored by many ecommerce businesses, which is a shame considering the role it plays in customer acquisition. It is enough to familiarize yourself with modern technology so as not to waste time sending multiple SMS as old-fashioned. Once all these steps are respected, it will be possible, not only to acquire new customers, but also to maintain the interest of those who have already consumed the company’s offers.