The Best SMS Marketing Template for businesses

Businesses that fail to plan, plan to fail. It is no longer news that a lot of thought goes into starting and running a business. As much as one needs the business idea and the capital to execute it, one also needs people to patronize the idea. Starting a business and keeping quiet about it is the surest way to cripple and kill the business before it even takes off. It has been said time after time that people are money; the money you need for your business to grow is in the pockets of people. How do you get people to exchange their money for your idea, service or product? The first step is telling about the product, idea or service.

Marketing has been and would always be one of the pillars of a business; it is in simple terms the introduction of a business, product or service to the market. Marketing also covers publicity and advertising. Since time immemorial, marketing has been executed in many different ways; door-to-door marketing, the use of microphones to announce a product in the streets or even in the marketplace, but with technology gaining more ground, the approach is steadily changing, marketing is on its way to becoming a less stressful affair.

Why SMS Marketing is Important for Business

Mobile phones are a very popular device, at least 80% of Nigerians have access to one, this explains why marketing is taking advantage of mobile phones and other digital devices. 

SMS marketing can be explained as the act of marketing products or services, using SMS as the major marketing tool. This method is being adopted by most businesses, not just because it is quite easy to execute, but also because it is cheaper, and it yields greater results. Because SMS has a 98% read rate, a sales ad sent via this medium is guaranteed to be seen, this can also ease the feedback process, as your audience can communicate with you easily as well, using SMS.

Considering the amount of money, time and effort that go into marketing, it is not out of place for businesses to seek alternatives. Seeing that marketing is an important aspect of business that should not be ignored, it is only wise to search for better ways to do it. Below are a few reasons SMS marketing is important for businesses.

• Cost-Effective; who doesn’t love to save a little more! SMS marketing, unlike other forms of marketing, is very cost-effective. A lot of money goes into launching a marketing campaign, by engaging in SMS marketing, that budget can be cut in half, and the extra money reassigned to other aspects of the business that is suffering.
• Time-saving; marketing takes a lot of time to execute, from product launch to lead conversion. This process can be simplified using SMS. With automated text messaging, businesses can save a lot of time that goes into transportation during follow-ups on leads, this time can be invested in other things. 
• Lesser Manpower; with SMS marketing, you will need to pay a lesser amount of marketers, as a few would cover more grounds, using SMS. This also helps a business to save money.
• Personalized Communication; SMS marketing allows businesses to communicate with leads on a personal level. Messages can be tailored to fit the needs of certain leads or customers, this would help keep the customers satisfied. 
• Consistent Communication; using SMS as a marketing tool ensures consistent and constant communication between businesses and their customers. As the human attention span continues to reduce, SMS is a great way to register your business in the minds of your customers, this will help cancel out any noise your competition is making. 
• Public Relations; SMS helps you stay in contact with your business audience. SMS can serve as a public relations tool to check on your customers. This would let them know that you are thinking about them and that you value them. 
• Feedback: the importance of feedback in marketing cannot be overstated. With feedback comes improvement. SMS can be used as a feedback mechanism for your business. You can use it as a means to collect reviews about your business, products or services, the feedback collected would then inform the decisions that your business makes regarding products and services. This would ultimately lead to customer retention and brand loyalty. 

SMS marketing is an important tool that businesses should invest in, as its positive effects are clear. With the number of businesses leaning towards it, one can say that it is tested and trusted. 

The Best SMS Marketing Templates for a Business

In theory, SMS marketing is the best idea, but the result of this method is tied to the execution. How does one use SMS marketing to achieve maximum sales results? Below are a few templates that your business can adopt.

*Product Launch; you can use SMS to announce the launch of a new product, service, or even a new branch. This way, your customers are kept up to date with the happenings in your company/ organization. Example;

Hello (Name)

Our (Name of Product) is finally out! Rush! Grab yours now before it sells out. To opt-out, text STOP to 122.

Hello (Name),

(name of the Business) now has a new branch in your area! Our services are now more accessible to you! Buy all our products this week at 7% off. Send Stop to 122 to opt-out.

Product Update: SMS can also be used to announce updates on already existing products. Most product updates are a direct effect of customer feedback. Example

Hello (name), 

 You asked for it, it is finally here! You can get our new and improved (name of the product) at any of our stores, from (date). text STOP to opt-out.

Special Offers: people love to receive special offers. This can be a great marketing strategy, to reactivate customers that have not patronized your business for a while, sending out exciting special offers would prompt them to check out your business. Example

Hi (name),

(Name of the business) is offering you the opportunity to get 2 (name of the product) for the price of 1, offer lasts till (date).

Promotions: holiday promotions are the best. Most people look forward to the holiday seasons, as such seasons are packed with promotional sales. Your business can use this season as an opportunity to invite more people to your location, thus increasing your chances of making sales. Examples of promotional SMS are as follows

Hooray! 

It's the season again. (name of the business) wishes to celebrate with you this season by giving you a 15% discount on all your purchases. Offer lasts till (date). 

Hello (name)

Are you in search of meaningful gifts for your friends and loved ones this season? (name of the business) has got you covered. Visit any of our stores to buy from our versatile gift collection. We are offering a 20% discount on all products from (date) to (date). hurry while the offer lasts.

Feedback Survey: feedback is an important aspect of marketing, as feedback drives updates and improvement. Organizations or companies that do not ask for or receive feedback from their customers go out of business because they are blatantly ignoring the needs of their customers. Below are a few feedback SMS samples

Dear customer,

Thanks for ordering a wear from our store, did you find our delivery process quick and easy? Reply with YES or NO

Hi (name),

Thank you for patronizing us, can you take a moment to leave a review about your experience, click here (URL).

Rewards; reward your loyal customers. There should be a reward or a bonus for loyalty. Pick a number of your loyal customers and offer them a gift, it could be in the form of a discount or something free. Example 

Dear (name) 

Thank you for sticking with us for (number of years), here is a little token to say thanks. Click here (URL) to get your gift.

Hello (name)

Thank you for your patronage this last year, we are offering you a 50% discount on all our products click this link to claim your prize (URL).

Public Relations: send out birthday messages and season greetings to your customers, this would keep your business in their thoughts. Example

Happy Birthday (name)

We here at (name of the business) wish you many happy returns. To help you celebrate, here is a 20% discount off (name of the product) use discount code (code) at (URL).

Ho ho ho!

Merry Christmas and a happy new year from (name of the business) thank you for your patronage, we hope for a better business relationship in the coming year. 

For more SMS marketing templates, you can check Sample Matriculation SMS and The Best Holiday SMS Campaign Ideas for Businesses. Are you interested in exploring SMS Marketing but have no idea how to begin, visit our website @SmartSMSSolutions.com

SmartSMSSolutions is a communication company aimed at improving the information flow between our client businesses and their customers, using simple communication tools, such as SMS, Email, and Voice calls. To learn more about our services, visit our website SmartSMSSolutions.com to create a free account and get started, or call 08035515868.