The strongest channels in performance are email and SMS because these subscribers expressed interest in your brand. On average, email brings anywhere from 20-25% of the eComm marketing mix — we don’t need to tell you the significance of this channel’s success.
With SMS being a newer offering, the ROI can be higher. Research from Airship shows that SMS open rates are as high as 98%, compared to just 20% of all emails. And, on average, it takes 90 seconds for someone to respond to a text and 90 minutes to respond to an email.
The benefits of using SMS marketing are tangible — but this doesn’t mean you should forego email marketing for its character-limited cousin. SMS shouldn’t be overused but rather combined in your email marketing automation workflow because SMS can pack an extra punch for your emails.
Email is so widely used that customers expect it. However, a well-timed SMS is an effective marketing tactic because it’s not so usual. Add an incentive in the mix, and you’ve got a message that’s hard to ignore.
There are many ways you can use the two channels to support one another: if you’ve sent something time-sensitive via SMS, make sure you’re supporting that message by sending more complete information in an email in case the customer needs it.
Email is the perfect channel for building relationships (read, lots of personalization options). Leverage SMS, in addition to your email program, to secure commitment and further engagement.
Abandoned Cart Flow
Adding an SMS touchpoint to your abandoned cart series is a great way to remind subscribers to purchase because you are reaching them on a channel they don’t expect. Consider two versions of the SMS, one for openers and one for non-openers.
Post Purchase Flow
Complete your purchaser’s experience with a comprehensive post-buying flow. Leverage SMS to support your message. Whether your enticing a second purchase, motivating loyalty sign-ups, teaching c
onsumer care or asking for a review — sending a text can inspire action.
Welcome Flow
A subscriber who just opted-in are at their peak potential for conversion so make your welcome series even stronger with SMS weaved into your onboarding communications. Explore differentiating messages on if they have purchased.
Campaign Booster
One of the ways to save an email campaign and improve its performance is to resend it to non-openers and then launch the SMS campaign to those customers who ignored the email channel.
Birthday Campaign
Birthday Campaigns are always a pleasant surprise. A text message from brand you love is even better!
Re-engage dormant customers
SMS Software allows brands to slice and dice their audience based on engagement. Getting a lost customer to reengage via email is much harder than SMS. Start the conversation with a text message then win them over with a special email offer.
If you would like a revised approach to your email and SMS marketing mix, feel free to drop us a line and we can talk a customized strategy to your brand.
Originally authored on bluemoondigital.co by Jasmine Bienvenue, Senior Strategist SMS and Email.