Udemezue John
Introduction.
Now we live in the digital age where information is paramount, various businesses have deployed various digital marketing strategies such as email marketing, and social media marketing, but only a few do SMS Marketing.
Marketing your small business can take up a ton of time and resources. As an independent retailer, it can be difficult to gain traction through your marketing efforts due to social media algorithm updates and huge email blasts that happen now and then, why not declutter your marketing effort a bit and turn to SMS marketing.
What is SMS Marketing?
Short message service (SMS) marketing is a form of marketing that businesses use to send promotions to customers via text messages. In other words, SMS marketing is the same thing as text message marketing.
How Does SMS Marketing Work?
SMS marketing is a promotional strategy in which promotional or transactional messages are sent from “shortcodes,” as opposed to full telephone numbers to the phone numbers of prospective customers.
This means your message will appear as a text message from whatever shortcode your provider used.
Benefits Of Using SMS Marketing.
SMS shortcode comes with excellent benefits apart from being able to cash out on it. There are other unique kinds of stuff to be gained from its use.
1. SMS Marketing allows 5 to 6 digit numbers designed to enable your clients to remember how you can be reached.
2. SMS Marketing can place a promotional element on TV ads and other printed ads.
3. They are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, even when the office or competitors are closed.
4. SMS Marketing are a vast marketing tool as they get potential customers to take action immediately by sending the SMS – with no restrictions such as opening hours.
5. SMS marketing can be used globally via mobile phone devices to target all different markets, reducing marketing costs as the same number can be used worldwide.
6. Shortcodes are a very effective and cheap method of marketing or communicating special promotions to your loyalty club members.
How To Setup an SMS Shortcode For Your Business.
Setting up an SMS shortcode is very easy; in fact, all you need to get started is something you can always find. This section will walk you through the procedures needed to set up your own shortcode business.
1. Define a Purpose.
The first step to creating an SMS shortcode is defining the purpose of being used.
There are various reasons businesses choose to set up an SMS shortcode; most times, it is set up to raise funds for a charity or a campaign or even allow people to participate in a competition or an event.
Don’t just set up SMS shortcodes for stupid reasons; make it count for the right reason, and watch the engagement flow.
2. Choose an SMS Marketing Hosting Provider.
Remember, when setting up a website, you need two essential things to come together, including a web hosting provider and a domain name.
The same goes for when seeking to create an SMS shortcode; you need one essential thing in place, which is an SMS Shortcode hosting provider.
An SMS shortcode hosting provider gives you access to all the needed infrastructure to help you set up your Shortcode service.
There are tons of SMS shortcode service providers out there; I will list a few legit ones in the section below.
1. CloudTalk
CloudTalk is a user-friendly cloud-based phone software for sales and support teams. It is used by startups, scale-ups, SMEs or eCommerce to enhance customer expertise and team performance.
To achieve this, CloudTalk provides more than 50 advanced calling features.
1000+ happy customers use Cloudtalk from companies such as DHL, Electronic Star and many others.
Cloudtalk comes with a lot of exciting features such as;
1. Call Queuing.
2. Call Recording.
3. Voicemail.
4. International Numbers.
5. Short Numbers.
6. Fax To Email.
7. Call Masking
8. Desktop Notifications.
9. Real-time dashboard and reporting.
10. And Many more.
Pricing starts at $20 per month
TRY IT NOW – cloudtalk.io
2. Simple Texting.
Simple Texting is an SMS startup created to help businesses with hosted SMS solutions.
Simple text messaging software correlates to all the major wireless carriers and makes it achievable to send campaigns with just some clicks of the mouse or taps of the trackpad.
Simple Texting comes with a lot of unique features, such that allows you to do so much in just a single platform; some of these platforms include; Shortcodes, Automated Birthday Texts, Group Text From the Phone, Image Attachments, Push Notifications, Extended Messaging, Tiny Links, Polling Subscribers, Text To Vote, Text To Win, MailChimp and Zapier Integrations, See Your Win, Templates and Duplicates, SMS Keywords, 2-ways Messaging and Autoresponders.
Simple texting has many features in one platform, most of which are not listed here; click the link below to try out simple texting now.
TRY IT NOW- SimpleTexting.com
3. Bandwidth.
Bandwidth is another SMS hosting platform created to help businesses solve and manage their SMS solutions.
Bandwith was created in 1999, and ever since its creation, they have served various customers across the globe, such as Google voice, Zoom and Microsft.
Bandwidth comes with many exciting features, including SMS API, Shortcode services, Toll-Free API, SMS surveys, call tracking, Text, alert notifications, and Two-factor authentication.
TRY IT NOW- Bandwidth.com
4. SlickText.
Slicktext is an SMS service provider launched in the year 2012. It has powered SMS services for over 70K businesses worldwide.
Slicktext comes with a lot of excellent features such as; SMs shortcodes, Text to Join, Auto-Replies, Text to Win Contests, Text to Vote & SMS Surveys, Repeating Messages, Drip Campaigns, Shopify Integration, Email Capture and integrations, Facebook Integration, Loyalty Rewards, Personalization, Built-In Link Shortening, Store Unlimited Contacts and Detailed analytics.
TRY IT NOW- SlickText.com
4. Wire2Air.
Wire2Air is a US-based provider of Text messaging services and SMS marketing solutions created in 2002.
It allows a business to leverage its services to build web-based text messaging and SMS marketing solutions.
It comes with many excellent features: Advanced SMS APIs, drip text messages, Text Menu, Timed auto-response messages, dynamic field, Polls, sweepstakes, Text alerts, Text to instant win, mobile coupons, Text survey, and many more.
TRY IT NOW- Wire2Air.com
5. Supremeshortcodes.
Supremeshortcodes is a Nigerian based shortcode provider that allows Nigerian businesses to deploy their SMS MArkeservices in minutes and not hours.
Supremeshortcodes has many excellent features that allow you to set up a shortcode service in no distant time. You can click the link below to get started.
TRY IT NOW- Supremeshortcodes.com
6. Shortcode Nigeria.
Shortcode is a Nigerian based SMS marketing software. Shortcode was founded in August 2007. Shortcode Nigeria is presently operating in 3 major countries in Africa with a customer base of over 50K and still counting.
Shortcode Nigeria provides businesses with SMS based solutions such as; Short Code SMS, IVR, USSD, Bulk SMS, VTU, Voice SMS, Caller Tunes, and Long Codes.
TRY IT NOW- ShortcodeNigeria.com
7. GoMobile.
GoMobile is a Nigerian based SMS marketing provider. GoMobile provides businesses with SMS Shortcodes and Bulk SMS infrastructure.
GoMobile is only available in Nigeria, so if you plan to run an SMS-based business here in Nigeria, look no more; GoMobile is here to get your business up.
TRY IT NOW- GoMobile.com.ng
8. Tatango.
Tatango is a US-Based SMS marketing software that was created to help businesses with SMS related solutions such as; Messaging Workflows, Subscriber Segmenting, Subscriber Analytics, Subscriber Profiles, Tatango Developer API, Messaging Automation, Messaging Analytics, Mobile Messaging API, Administrative Controls and Tatango Integrations with various other software such as Mailchimp, and many other email marketing software.
TRY IT NOW- Tatango.com
3. Build Leads To Your SMS Marketing Funnel
Now that you have successfully set up your SMS Marketing, the next thing is to get a lot of mobile phone users to engage with it, and one way to do this is by promoting it as much as possible; mind you, this business model operates with high leverage, so the more people engage your shortcodes, the more money you make.
Have you been able to set up your SMS short code number? Here are easy and advanced mediums to promote your shortcode to the desired audience.
1. Own a Website.
A website can help you promote your SMS shortcode; all you need do is to create a banner that demystifies information about the shortcode usage and upload it on your website; whenever you have a visitor that is interested in your business, they can be compelled to engage with your SMS shortcode.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how you can set up a website; click the link to the article below.
2. Search Engine Optimization.
Another avenue to promote the use of your SMS shortcode is via search engine optimisation, and this can be achieved by utilising contents via your blog or the blogs of top influencers in your industry stating what the campaign of your SMS shortcode is about whenever people search out content related to that campaign or offer then they are presented with the needed information.
I wrote a guide to help you get started with search engine optimisation; click the link below.
3. Facebook.
Facebook is another great platform where you can engage your audience; it is home to over 2 billion people and has one of the most decisive engagements for an online forum on earth.
There are so many ways to promote the usage of your SMS shortcode on Facebook, and one of those ways includes Paid Facebook advertising which has been proven to be potent by far; you can also try out the use of Facebook groups and the likes.
To cut a long story short, I wrote a comprehensive guide on getting started on Facebook; click the link below to get started.
4. Instagram.
Instagram can serve as a great promotional tool for your shortcode campaign. Instagram ads and influence can create engagement on how your SMS shortcode can be engaged.
Instagram can do a lot to help you bring in conversion because it is a photo-sharing platform. For example, information about how the shortcodes should be used can be integrated into a graphic post and uploaded on Instagram for all to see.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to get you started on Instagram; click the link below to read the article.
5. Pinterest.
Pinterest is another photo-sharing website that can help you promote your SMS shortcodes for people to see and engage with it.
All you need as a Pinterest account to get started with, You can also leverage a third-party software called Tailwinds Tribe to reach out to more audiences; better still, Pinterest has a paid ads functionality embedded in it.
I wrote an article to help you get started with Pinterest; click the link below to get started.
6. Paid TV or Radio Ads.
Paid Radio and TV ads are another popular means of reaching out to more people to engage with your shortcodes.
Shortcode usage is usually restricted to a particular region, which makes it more valid to place your shortcode ads on TV and Radio to reach out to a more local audience who can better relate to your campaign.
To better understand how ads are displayed on TV and Radio in your location, you should consult the local TV and radio authority.
Conclusion.
SMS Marketing remains one of the oldest and most potent forms of marketing at this time.
To build a sustainable business, your business should take good advantage of various other forms of marketing.
This is why I wrote a comprehensive guide on the best digital marketing strategy that every business should subscribe to; click the link below to read.
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