If you are considering adding SMS to your marketing mix but aren't sure if you can afford it, think again. Many SMS marketing platforms offer affordable options for any size company. However, not all platforms are equal. Consider these tips for choosing an SMS marketing platform.
User Experience
A platform should offer a straightforward user experience for creating, scheduling, publishing and managing SMS campaigns. Most companies provide free demonstrations, so it is best to schedule one to see if the SMS marketing platform easily guides you through the processes, the navigation is intuitive, and the overall experience is positive and not confusing.
Compliance Management
While using SMS for consumer engagement is legal, several regulations, such as CCPA, GDPR, and TCPA, have been passed to protect consumers' privacy. Look for a platform that is inherent to follow guidelines imposed by the laws, regulations, and government entities. For instance, check to see if the system adheres to the double opt-in confirmation process that requires the mobile subscriber to confirm their opt-in into a recurring SMS program.
Automated Messaging
Automated messaging helps you work efficiently therefore saving time. With automated messaging capabilities, you can set up autoresponders, triggered messages based on consumers' actions or behaviors, recurring alerts, and more.
List Growth Tools
Successful SMS marketing begins with ensuring your call-to-actions are highly visible. In other words, get it in front of as many people as possible to increase subscriber rates. Marketers should integrate calls to action into marketing channels, including email, social media, and websites. Choose an SMS marketing platform that offers list growth tools, such as alerts, popups, and widgets, as another tactic to gain subscribers.
Personalization and Segmentation
Personalized content is a powerful tool for engaging and retaining consumers, building trust and loyalty, and remaining relevant. Not to mention consumers expect it. So any SMS platform you choose should offer personalization and segmentation. Through personalization, you can use consumer data collected from sources, such as forms, email or SMS opt-ins, and activities (online or in-store visits, purchases, redemptions) to create highly relevant content that resonates with consumers.
Segmentation allows you to target the right people rather than send generic content to your entire audience. Using segmentation increases engagement, resulting in more effective campaigns and overall profitability.
Reporting and Analytics
It's vital to track the performance of SMS campaigns. Your mobile marketing platform should supply reports on the number of opt-ins and opt-outs, quick response code scans, redemptions, click-to-calls, mobile page visits, downloads, or other statistics needed to determine a campaign's success.
Application Programming Interface (API)
While enterprise-sized businesses predominantly use APIs, more medium-sized companies are licensing APIs to integrate third-party applications into their existing systems. Ask to review API documentation, licensing agreements, and pricing and discuss client support.
Now that you have the tips for choosing an SMS marketing platform, it's time to choose the best one that fits your business needs. Businesses have used Mobilozophy's SMS marketing platform for over 14 years to deliver text marketing quickly and efficiently. If you'd like to discover more about how SMS marketing can help your business and get a live tour of our platform, schedule a convenient date and time here.