What Is SMS Marketing?
But first, for those unfamiliar, let’s break it down: what exactly is SMS marketing? SMS marketing refers to the act of sending promotional materials via text message. If you send a text message to your subscriber list saying, “BOGO only today in store! Come get your savings,” that’s SMS marketing. Primarily, SMS marketing is a tool you use to communicate offers and other information to existing customers who have permitted you to send them text messages. And that’s key — getting permission to send messages.
Your business can use SMS templates for ecommerce to create engaging campaigns that captivate customers while communicating time-sensitive information. They should also be concise and include a clear call-to-action, like a link to your website’s landing page. Once you’ve found some templates that align with your marketing goals, we recommend that you customize them to fit your brand’s personality and target audience.
SMS marketing is designed for mobile commerce
A recent study found that (46%) of people say they spend between 5-6 hours a day on their mobile devices in their personal time. This makes it critical for businesses to invest in mobile-friendly marketing. Fortunately, SMS messages make that easy since they’re designed to be read on mobile screens.
“SMS is great for sending hyper time-sensitive messages like flash deals and limited offers. Most people have their mobile phones within reach for most of their waking hours, and it’s tough to resist the ding of a new text message. With SMS, you can reach people within seconds.”
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High open rates can lead to more engagement.
Not only are people opening SMS messages, they’re also engaging with them. “The biggest benefit our clients realize is the consistency of open rates. The message is getting through — and it’s leading to strong click-through rates, conversion rates, channel intimacy, and attributed revenue numbers to deliver impactful return on ad spend (ROAS).”
Additionally, according to a personalization study from Periscope by McKinsey, SMS messages received high engagement levels with shoppers across the globe. In particular was the US, where it was the channel most likely to elicit an ‘open and read’ action. “SMS can help you reach a highly engaged audience — and that can translate to more repeat purchases and higher customer lifetime value.”
Connect with shoppers using their preferred communication method.
SMS also helps you connect with shoppers in the way they want to communicate. People like to be in-the-know, and they want to feel like they matter to brands. When your business uses text messaging to keep consumers informed about offers, events, and other news that matters to them, they feel cared for and part of the process.
“With recent data and privacy changes, reaching consumers on email and paid advertising is becoming increasingly difficult. SMS delivers what consumers want, personalized, interactive 1:1 messaging between them and your brand.”
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How can eCommerce Sites Use Text Messaging Software?
Text messages may be short but they are certainly powerful. Reaching out to mobile users via SMS can create a seamless experience for the userwhich will translate into more conversions. Below are 5 ways to use text messaging for your eCommerce business:
Help clients check order status.Use Ecommerce SMS notifications for delivery, shipping, or order confirmation to reduce the number of calls to customer service and improve the relationship with your clients.
Follow-up with undecided customers. A friendly SMS follow-up may encourage them to complete the purchase. Shopify revealed that 67.45% of online shopping carts are abandoned. Many prospects say that they would complete a purchase if the store sent a follow-up.
Offer various perks to your customers. Send text messages with discount codes, vouchers, exclusive pricing, and limited deals. Don’t forget to use custom fields to personalize your messages and increase response rates.
Inform customers of new inventory. Most retailers send email notifications when new inventory comes in. You can send a text message when an item is back in stock to encourage flash sales.
Send SMS reminders for payments and deliveries. Use TextMagic to send useful text alerts to clients. With our SMS software, you can remind customers to complete payments or let them know when an item is ready for shipment or pick-up.
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Key Benefits of Ecommerce Texting
When you’re sending texts to customers, you are delivering a powerful message straight to the client’s pocket. If you want fast results, opt for text messaging. Here are the key benefits of using text messages for your ecommerce business:
- Create a database of customers. Retail SMS marketing strategies make it easy to capture and engage new customers. Use keywords, long-codes, incentives, and exclusive deals to encourage opt-ins. Make sure you add SMS subscribe forms on your site to capture more leads.
- Instant updates. Waiting for a delivery to come can be very exciting. As a business owner, you can heighten this experience by sending text alerts with delivery information – customers will appreciate it.
- Cut down costs. Reduce work hours and slash queue times at call centers by offering help for common issues via text. Text messages are also cheaper than printed adverts or digital marketing solutions.
- Reduce cart abandonment rates. One of the biggest problems of eCommerce owners is the high cart abandonment rate. Send friendly text reminders and follow-ups to undecided customers.
- Boost sales. Most U.S. buyers can’t say no when coming across a great deal. As a matter of fact, 95% of all purchasing decisions are made subconsciously. Sending discounts and offers via the TextMagic mass texting feature will significantly boost your sales.
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Some SMS Templates
New Customer Welcome
Thank new subscribers with a friendly message and a special discount on their first purchase. If a customer has opted in to receive SMS messages from you, that’s excellent news. They have given a highly valuable piece of information, their personal phone number, and permission to use it. Why not thank them with a friendly welcome message and throw in a discount to sweeten the deal?
Hi [First_Name], thanks for signing up to receive updates from [Store_Name]! Save 10% on your first order with the code FIRST10: [Store_Link]
Order Confirmation Template
Because this is often the first message you send to a customer, we recommend you include your company’s name. Connecting with a customer right after they have made a purchase is an effective way to help them remember your brand and encourage them to make future purchases.
Did you know that it’s 5x harder to win a new customer than retain a current one? Reengage old customers and remind them how great your brand is. Send an SMS every time a customer goes a set amount of time without buying a product to keep them active.
Include information about new products, a link to your online store, or a discount code to encourage the sale.
[Store_Name]: Hi [First_Name], thanks for your order! View details and more: [Order_Status]
Shipping Confirmation Template
Send this message to inform customers that their shipment is on the way. You can also send messages to update your customers if their shipment is delayed.
Hi [First_Name], your order has just shipped! You can track your order here: [Tracking_Link]
Delivery Confirmation Template
Use these delivery message templates to alert your customers that their shipment will be delivered soon. You can also inform your customers of an unsuccessful delivery date and update them on what to do next.
Hi [First_Name], your order from [Store_Name] is out for delivery and will arrive soon!
Hi [First_Name], your order has been delivered. You can view your order here: [Tracking_Link]
Survey/Customer Satisfaction Template
Your customer’s opinions are valuable, so try and get feedback as much as you can. After every purchase, why not send customers a personal thank you SMS? While you’re there, ask for feedback on their last purchase.Not all customers will bother to go to your website or an external site to write a review. However, SMS can be a great way to get some valuable feedback about your e-commerce store. Remember to make it super easy for customers to give their opinion via SMS.
Gathering feedback is an essential part of improving the customer experience. Many customers don’t remember to leave a review on your website, so a text message survey can make it easy for you to ask your customers for their opinions. Hi [First_Name], thanks for shopping with [Store_Name]. We value your feedback, and we’d love if you could complete a quick survey about your experience: [Survey_Link]
E-commerce loyalty program SMS
SMS is a great channel to inspire your customers to enroll in a loyalty program. Combine a tempting offer and an easy sign-up process to encourage potential VIP’s to join the program.
Such an offer will only be relevant to high-value customers, so create a contact list that specifically targets customers who have spent a certain amount of money on your site, or who have made over a certain number of individual purchases.
Anniversary or birthday SMS
Show your customers you care about them and appreciate their business. When you gather client data during registration or first purchase, ask for their date of birth. Then, create an SMS campaign to align with each customer’s birthday. A highly personalized promotion like this will show your customers that your brand goes the extra mile to make them feel special. Take this one step further and offer rewards to celebrate other milestones such as the anniversary of their first purchase.
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