Texting has become a popular way for people to interact with one another. In fact, for Millennials, it is quickly surpassing phone calls as the main way to communicate with friends and family, and older generations are similarly adopting texting as a main method of contact. Text message marketing has increasingly become a popular way to try to likewise communicate with consumers. Many businesses feel as though consumers may not really want to interact with businesses through SMS. However, many studies demonstrate the opposite: consumers want to use texting.
Average Number of Business Texts
In America, far fewer businesses interact with consumers through text message marketing. A recent SAP survey found that in the Asia-Pacific market, roughly 22 percent of weekly texts came from businesses, while in the U.S. only about 12 percent were, even though Americans tended to text more. Although this could read as American consumers having less inclination to text, it actually demonstrates the different ways companies in Asia use mobile marketing compared to those in America.
The Demand for SMS Marketing
The above SAP study also found that 70 percent of users welcomed SMS interaction with brands. This shows that consumers are ready to start using texting for interaction with businesses. Around 64 percent also feel that businesses should interact with them more than they currently do, and 62 percent would like to use SMS as a way to communicate with organizations. A significant number of consumers would like to communicate with companies through text, and they would be willing to provide their numbers to receive deals and exclusive information. There is also a demand for customer service to be available through text messaging.
Consumers want to interact with businesses through text message marketing, but often do not because they do not realize that they have the possibility to do so. This often leads to fewer than seven percent of consumers to choose SMS as a way to connect with brands. This number could be higher with the right promotion to raise awareness.
What This Means for Businesses
These studies and more demonstrate a demand from the consumer for businesses to offer text messaging as a way to communicate with brands. This could be for offers and deals or for customer service. Although there is a demand for this type of interaction, many businesses still hesitate to jump on board and offer a text message marketing program, or they may offer it but not adequately communicate the program with consumers. Companies that create a strong text message marketing campaign have the opportunity to stand out from the competition. Additionally, texting is a cost-effective marketing solution that can fit into almost any marketing budget, offering one way for small businesses to try to level the playing field with their larger competition.
Not only is text marketing something with which consumers really do engage, it is also a powerful marketing channel with a high level of engagement, open rate, and more. By implementing a texting program, you can take advantage of the many lucrative benefits while also providing something that the consumer wants. It works well as a part of a larger marketing campaign that includes email and social media, or you can choose to use it as a stand-alone marketing channel. Either way, your company still has the potential to see a boost in business from using it.
Contact us to learn more about how you can create a strong SMS marketing program to cater to the wishes of your customers.