Amplify Your Business: The Many Benefits of SMS Marketing Messages in 2024 and Beyond

“Everyone is always on their phones!”

It’s become a common complaint levied by folks from every generation. Technology has made the world smaller and given us access to more information than ever. The world is literally at your fingertips and fits in your back pocket. (Try telling that to someone from the 1980s!)

For better or for worse, mobile devices are here to stay. They’re indispensable parts of modern life, powering on-demand access to information and communication.

More pertinently, they’re how billions of people receive daily text messages. In fact, there are more mobile phone subscriptions than people worldwide. And a massive potential audience is just one of the many reasons to consider text message marketing.

The Bite-Sized List of SMS Marketing Perks

I’ll start with the “at-a-glance” facts and work my way inward to reveal the details.

So, what are the benefits of SMS marketing?

Well, modern short message service (SMS) has come a long way since the days of pagers and flip phones. Today, you can track your messages and gather indispensable customer data. You can use automated text message marketing services to schedule and dispatch CRM-enabled personalized messages. With a robust SMS marketing platform, you can even engage customers across your entire digital marketing spectrum.

But I’m getting ahead of myself!

Let me start with a basic list.

Today, I’ll show you why SMS marketing is a digital marketer’s best friend. Of its multitudinous benefits, its most prominent are its:

• Affordable, efficient messaging
• Inherent trustworthiness
• Open-ended format and inherent flexibility
• Remarkable conversion rates and engagement
• Unparalleled ability to reach customers

(Notably, email marketing shares many of the same benefits, albeit to a somewhat lesser extent.)

1. Encourage Shoppers and Save Money

I’ll start at the top and work my way down!

To kick things off, I must mention the affordability of this marketing channel.

Like emails, text message marketing costs literal pennies per message. That’s a massive bonus for everyone, especially small business owners with limited marketing budgets. However, unlike email marketing, SMS marketing campaigns require minimal R&D.

A Powerful Marketing Tool With Minimal Requirements

Most of its staying power comes from its simplicity.

Despite the ever-evolving world, SMS messages use the same framework. They still have the same 160-character limit and lack support for images. (You can send images and attachments, but those convert your SMS messages to MMS (multimedia message service) content, which requires mobile data.) That simplicity is one of the key benefits of SMS marketing, powering much-appreciated appointment reminders.

At the same time, these messages match most customers’ attention spans. They’re small, bite-sized pieces of a puzzle, and the result is that you (hopefully) build deeper connections with your target audience.

2. Use a Trustworthy Communication Method

Of course, a low cost isn’t enough to justify spending.

So, consider this: SMS marketing is inherently trustworthy.

It makes sense, too. Most people use their phones to chat with friends and family. They hold meaningful conversations daily, and your marketing messages end up nestled between chats with coworkers and loved ones. Unlike email inboxes, mobile devices have no spam folder. Text message marketing is also more convenient than phone calls, allowing customers to engage when they feel ready.

Put those facts together, and you have a uniquely personal customer experience.

However, trust won’t work if you can only deliver time-sensitive information and appointment updates. Fortunately, SMS marketing has many uses.

3. Engage More Customers With Flexible Messaging

There are countless ways to leverage SMS marketing campaigns.

Yes, those inbuilt push notifications make SMS marketing a powerful tool, but there are more ways to encourage recipients to act. Those 160 characters can direct a cell phone to your website’s conversion-boosting landing page or remind customers of your other marketing channels. Text marketing can deliver exclusive discounts and inbound drip marketing efforts.

Deliver Personal Services With Direct Communication

Promotional messages are just the surface veneer of any SMS marketing platform.

Remember what I said about access? Every SMS message is a direct, tangible link to your customers’ mobile devices. Each SMS campaign is an opportunity for two-way immediate engagement. That real-time response is why many savvy marketers incorporate SMS marketing into their conversational marketing tactics.

4. Get Monumental Metric Returns

But what about the numbers?

Well, I have great news. SMS marketing consistently outperforms other marketing channels, even email! It garners more sales, increases conversion rates, and trounces other forms of digital marketing.

If you need more proof, consider these figures:

• 95% of promotional text messages are opened and read in the first three minutes, making them invaluable vessels for limited deals and events.
• High-yielding SMS marketing campaigns have earned 36% click-through rates for ecommerce brands. The marketing channel has similarly stellar customer engagement rates.
• Most consumers prefer text messages, especially when compared to phone calls and direct mail.
• SMS messaging earns a 90% average open rate, surpassing email’s 15–20% standard.

5. Enjoy Unrivaled Reach

Finally, I want to circle back to the beginning.

Engagement and brand loyalty are wonderful, but you still need an audience for your paid ads. Performance is great, but it won’t pay for itself if your marketing strategies have limited reach. Even the most powerful marketing tools fail against severely limited audiences.

Fortunately, text messaging circumvents that problem.

As of 2024, there are 8.9 billion active mobile subscriptions. Notably, there are only 7.9 billion people on the planet. Already, your text messages have a promising start. Now, add the unparalleled accessibility of SMS marketing messaging, and you have a recipe for success.

Perfect Your Marketing Message

There’s still more to learn; these are just a few reasons to love SMS marketing. Promotional text messaging is a near-limitless marketing channel, and it’s literally at your customers’ fingertips.

And don’t forget your other channels, like search engine optimization!

You can try juggling it alone, or you can get an endless supply of high-quality marketing messages from on-demand professionals. Schedule a free strategy session and see how The Email Marketers can amplify your next marketing campaign!