SMS stands for "Short Messaging Service". An SMS link is a website URL that is hyperlinked and included in an SMS message.
Using SMS links in your marketing efforts can help you achieve your goals by encouraging your audience to take the action you want them to take.
Learn more about how to use SMS links for marketing.
What is SMS marketing?
SMS marketing is a form of marketing that businesses use to send promotions to customers via text message. In other words, SMS marketing is the same as text marketing.
Like email marketing, SMS marketing is opt-in, meaning that customers have to sign up. However, unlike email marketing, SMS messages are much shorter and are more likely to be engaged with more quickly than email.
Is SMS advertising effective?
SMS marketing, like any other marketing, is effective when you craft your messages carefully and send them to the right customers. However, if you send it too indiscriminately, it will naturally backfire.
Is SMS advertising effective enough to be worth your time? We think so. Cell phones have become nearly ubiquitous, with 98% of adults owning one. Surveys of business owners have shown that customers are five times more likely to reply to an SMS message than an email.
That's not to say that SMS marketing should replace email - long-form text emails will always have their place - but SMS messages are a great complement to a larger strategy, especially if you're segmenting your customers based on things like buying behavior or location.
How text message marketing works
In terms of impact, text message marketing is the most popular tool used by marketers, and SMS is the channel with the highest open and response rates. There are a few reasons for this.
First, texts are sent over cellular networks (no Wi-Fi required) and are available to all cell phone users.
Second, texts need to be short (90 characters) and concise, so they're easy to understand and more likely to be noticed than other types of messages.
Third, texts should be prominent - text messages usually appear as a notification on the phone's home screen, which can attract immediate attention.
To do SMS marketing effectively, you should use an SMS API provider or a service that offers a platform. The provider will allow you to track the performance of your campaigns and send texts to an unlimited number of customers at the same time.
How to make the most of SMS links
When creating a plan for your SMS campaign, you need to think about your desired outcomes in advance. If you want to increase efficiency and improve results for any of the following, consider using short links in your SMS.
1. Ask people to opt-in
Opt-in is a system that prohibits you from collecting personal data from customers until they give you permission to do so. When an organization, such as a business, sends out emails for advertising, they require the recipient's consent before they can send them.
Even if a customer has already signed up for your website and is using your services, you are legally prohibited from sending them marketing content, especially SMS, if they have not consented to receive it. Marketing without consent does nothing to build trust. Asking for permission before sending marketing texts shows how much you care about your buyers' privacy.
2. Compose quality text content
If you're not confident in writing text messages, you may want to delegate this task to someone who is already skilled in creating promotional content. However, if you're a solopreneur or individual, here are some tips for writing quality SMS copy.
1) Identify yourself. You can do this by using your caller ID or by starting the message with your business name.
2) Keep it simple. Be concise and impactful with what you want to convey, and don't use complicated terms or abbreviations that make the text hard to understand.
3) Be specific. If you're announcing a sale or promotion, be sure to specify the exact category of product you're discounting and the amount of the discount. If you're announcing an event, be sure to include details like time, date, and location. You can also include images or link URLs in your SMS if you have limited real estate.
3. Create exclusive SMS promotions
Make sure that the texts you send to consumers are promoting offers that aren't available in other marketing mediums, otherwise you're just spamming them with repetitive messages.
If your competitors or other mediums have already sent similar offers to your customers, they'll consider repeated texts to be spam.
Let your customers know that if they opt-in to receive SMS, they'll receive special offers over those who don't. Not only will they opt-in to receive your messages, but they'll also be more likely to read them, increasing your chances of conversions and sales.
4. Use SMS links to encourage customers to join your loyalty program
Building trust in your brand will increase your customer lifetime value (CLV) and help you grow your business. SMS links are essential for encouraging them to join your loyalty program.
Send a personalized message to your customer's mobile number inviting them to sign up. Include a shortened link to the signup page (to keep the character count low).
If the customer doesn't click the first time, you can set up a workflow outlining the exciting benefits of your program. Each text can include an SMS link. With link tracking (the best URL shortener tool), you can gather important information about your campaign that you can use to improve it.
Most marketers send SMSes with the long, unshortened URLs. Without a shortened URL, you won't know how many people clicked on the link, and you won't be able to see what time of day they received the text and what time of day they clicked.
5. The time of day you send your SMS matters
You need to time what you want to communicate to your customers well. For example, if you're planning a big sale, send that information to your consumers the evening before. Also, avoid sending disruptive or annoying texts to your customers late in the evening or too early in the morning. So, if you're planning an evening event, you can announce it that morning. But don't wake everyone up at 6am.
Also, keep in mind that sending out regular information and announcements that provide value to your consumers can turn into spam if you're not careful, which is why you need to consider the best time to contact them. According to marketing experts, each industry has an acceptable frequency for sending SMS messages. You can contact your SMS service provider to help you make the right choice.
6. Check your campaign results
After running an SMS messaging campaign, it's a good idea to set up some metrics to monitor the impact or results of your campaign. You need to make sure you're getting a reasonable return on investment. Pay attention to click-through rates, open rates, and other statistics that can help you improve the overall results of your campaign.
Compare the results of different messages and how they contribute to achieving your goals (this is known as A/B testing). If you notice a pattern that shows good results, try to include the same elements in all future texts.
Using streamlined SMS links with Vivoldi
To maximize the performance of your marketing campaigns, you need to be constantly looking for ways to improve. Shortening the SMS links that you include in the text messages you send to your customers is a great way to make your strategy more mobile-friendly.
Vivoldi is the best and most recognized link shortening tool in the industry. Did you know that it's a great tool for creating, using, and tracking SMS links? Whether your customers are using iOS or Android devices, Vivoldi's all-in-one link and QR code creation platform has you covered. You can even use advanced link tracking features to collect aggregated data points to improve your campaigns. Find the right plan for your brand and get started with Vivoldi for free!
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