Universally, it has been established SMS marketing is one of the marketing strategies with the highest open and response rates. Most people are always with their phones and it takes them less than three minutes to read and respond to an SMS; thus, it is an effective channel to put your business in the face of your customers.
In Nigeria, bulk SMS is the best way to get through to your potential customers because not everyone owns a smartphone and can operate one effectively. Even the click-through rates of emails are low compared to the rest of the world, most people won’t check their emails unless it is a very important mail like a job interview mail.
Also, other forms of digital marketing like social media marketing might not give a high return on investment (ROI) because a majority of the older population believes most online businesses are scams, so most put their trust in the traditional form of marketing i.e. SMS marketing. They give more credibility to SMS.
To establish your business’s credibility and acquire more potential leads in Nigeria, you need to adopt an SMS marketing strategy into your marketing plan, and if you have, here are 7 ways to engage and retain your customer; therefore, more ROI.
1. Use a Tested SMS Platform
The success of your SMS marketing strategy majorly depends on the platform or software you use. With the fast-rising increase in Bulk SMS service providers, you shouldn’t use a platform with high rates of downtime and a low rate of message delivery. Choose a Bulk SMS platform that has stood the test of time in business.
On choosing platforms, Nigeria Bulk SMS is the best bulk SMS service provider you will find around. It is the best platform to buy bulk SMS in Nigeria. The service provides a seamless and hitch-free experience with 24/7 customer support. Also, it provides a way to get around recipients on Do-Not-Disturb mode.
The SMS platform has a user-friendly interface where you can easily create your bulk SMS account, buy bulk SMS units and start enjoying its immense benefits.
2. Adopt Automation
Automation makes lots of strenuous tasks easier and allows you to have some flexibility in your business. It saves you more time which you can spend attending to other important duties. The majority of businesses are using at least one marketing automation platform; why shouldn’t you hop on the train?
Nigeria Bulk SMS allows you to adopt automation into your marketing strategy. With the scheduling feature on the platform, you can decide when you want to send out your messages without you necessarily being there. The platform will send it on your behalf without any error.
On your part, this means your business can run hitch-free in your absence. You don’t have to hire any other person to send your messages at a particular time; therefore, less overhead costs, more revenue, and more time for other important duties. Use a platform that saves you time.
3. Make It Short & Simple
There’s a limit of 160 characters on SMS; therefore, you have to work with that in mind. Make the message short, simple, and sweet. Go straight to the point and make sure the message is centered around a single topic. Use URL a shortener whenever you need to include a web link so that will save you more characters.
4. Use a Call-To-Action (CTA)
Determine the goal of the message beforehand: do you want the recipient to visit your website, use a coupon code, or reply to the message? Those are call-to-actions, whatever you want the recipient to do after reading the message.
Include it in the body of the text, don’t assume the reader knows what to do. Use a clear CTA and explain what your customer should do.
5. Send Messages at the Right Time
You have to find the optimal time to send messages to your customers. You wouldn’t want your message to be the one to wake your customers in the morning or send in the night when they are asleep. You need a balance and this depends on the niche your business is. Find your target audience and determine the right time to get through to them so they can give you their maximum engagement.
Also, you can A/B test the time you send messages and see which has the highest engagement.
6. Don’t Send Too Many Messages
At the start of the SMS journey with your customer, you should specify the frequency of the messages. It shows professionalism and credibility. And make sure you don’t flout the set rule, if need be, make sure you explain to the recipient, probably you are probably running a massive discount sale you don’t want your customer to miss out on.
A high frequency of messages leads to a high number of people requesting to stop receiving your messages and this is bad for your business. Therefore, make sure you set the number of times they will receive you in their inbox, and don’t overcrowd them with messages. Although your business might need to send many messages, it’s understandable, just make sure it’s in moderation.
7. Personalize Your Messages
Personalization is now way easier with the Text Merge feature on the Nigeria Bulk SMS platform. You can include first names or whatever peculiar feature your customer has in the body of your text. Why do you need to personalize your messages? Personalized messages lead to a higher open rate because the name draws the recipient’s attention; therefore, making him engage more and look forward to receiving more of your messages.
Besides, it makes your customers feel special and probably wonder how you found their names. On their part, it shows the brand has them in mind. Also, you could send personalized birthday messages and anniversary messages showing how long they’ve been with your brand.
In conclusion, SMS marketing is the best mobile marketing strategy with the highest ROI. Position your marketing strategy uniquely to milk all the benefits SMS marketing has to offer and incorporate these seven great strategies to engage and retain your customers.
How to Retain Customers with Bulk SMS Service in Nigeria
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