Don’t Fall for These Misconceptions about Text Message Marketing

• In SMS Marketing
• November 27, 2015

By Vahagn Aydinyan

SMS marketing is a growing niche in the advertising industry and for good reason. But like all good things, it has its share of naysayers. Some critics doubt its effectiveness in an age of endless information while others cite privacy issues. One of the most common (and most unfounded) rumours is that SMS marketing is more expensive than more traditional methods.

Fortunately, the pessimists are wrong. If you’re considering upgrading your own advertising strategy, take care not to fall for these common SMS marketing misconceptions:

It can’t be integrated with other software/channels

Not true. Text message marketing campaigns are easy to integrate with various other tech channels, including sales and analytics software.

To give just one example, restaurant marketers can integrate SMS marketing software into their restaurant sales system, allowing them to track offline advertising sales when customers visit. This allows business owners like you to keep a record of each time a customer uses a coupon in your restaurant.

Text messages are being treated as spam

Related: Four reasons why interactive SMS Marketing will boost your business

Some critics of text message marketing claim that it’s a waste of time, as people treat text messages as a spam. In Canada and the US, that isn’t the case. Regulations require SMS marketers to get an opt-in verification from customers before contacting them. To give an example of how far governments will go to prevent spamming, Papa John’s was hit with a $250 million lawsuit for sending unwanted messages.

But from the moment a customer opts-in, spam becomes a thing of the past. Text messages are also shown to have a 98 percent open rate, so your message has a good chance of being read.

It’s not possible to track conversions and ROI

On the contrary, many advertisers love SMS marketing software specifically because it offers real-time analytics. It’s easy to track who opens your messages and who doesn’t, which messages are converting into sales, and how many people are opting-in to receive materials.

SMS marketing campaigns are fully trackable whether you’re following URLs, online sales or even offline sales. What’s more, you can easily record polling and survey data to better get to know your customers.

It’s too expensive for my small business

Some people have an automatic aversion to innovative practices and cutting-edge technologies. It’s new, so it must be expensive. Right?

Actually, text message marketing is one of the least costly sectors within the advertising industry. Low overhead means that small businesses across Canada can engage both potential and existing customers without taking on financial risk. Businesses benefiting from this kind of advertising include auto-garages, laundries, pizzerias, handymen and basically any business serving local customers.

SMS marketing in Canada is affordable because all you need to do is upload the contact list, record your message, and send it out. Contrast this to television, radio or print advertising, where a low-end billboard costs up to $1,500 per month and a 30-second spot on local TV can run between $200 and $1,000. Lower overhead costs allow SMS marketing to maximize return-on-investment (ROI) for lower-volume businesses.

Capture the attention you need for a successful ad campaign with our SMS Marketing Platform. Immediately engage your customers through text messaging campaigns such us coupons, votes, surveys with no apps or browsing involved.