Email vs. SMS: How to convey information to subscribers?

The research company Radicati Group claims that 4.1 billion email addresses are registered in the world , which allows e-mail marketing to stay alive.

Let's look at the mailing list question from the other side. How often do netizens check email? The Digital Future Center claims that more experienced users are not the most active fans of electronic mailboxes and check their mail no more than twice a day. And the only reason is that with the experience of using the Internet comes the skill of distributing information flows. In addition, any specialist in time management advises checking mail as little as possible.

As a result, by the time you check Inbox, we have a whole bunch of unread messages, both personal and promotional mailings. And not all of them will be open. That is why the average openness rates for mailing services (including ours) vary at the level of 20-30%.

The standard tips for increasing the openness of the newsletter are catchy message topics, A / B testing of sending time and content, and personalization. But there is another way out - SMS marketing.

At the end of 2014, the number of registered mobile numbers exceeded the number of the world's population . The reports of the International Telecommunication Union at the UN indicate that a third of the world's population has constant access to mobile networks. Moreover, most of the numbers fall on the inhabitants of the former USSR - 1.7 per capita.

75% of the population of Europe actively use mobile communications. In Asia, this figure is 32%, and in North and South America - 61%.
And now attention: the openness of SMS messages is on average 95%! Regardless of age or industry, SMS will still be read more often than mailings. Research among companies using SMS marketing shows the effectiveness of such a communication channel at the level of up to 20%. Agree, not everyone can boast of such a percentage of conversions in the newsletters. And in SMS-kah - easy.

Why SMS marketing?

SMS-ki, as a marketing channel, are of two types: transactional and promotional. Transactional include all notifications about the actions of subscribers: purchase, transfer of funds, account replenishment, order delivery, etc. Look through your Inbox, you must have received many such messages.

Transactional messages are characteristic of banks, online stores or online services. They make up 70% of all SMS mailings.

The remaining 30% is a promotion: messages about promotions, sales, discounts, new arrivals, changes in the service ... So far, such SMS mailings have not yet gained great popularity.
In any case, if the text of the SMS does not contradict the law, messages will be sent instantly. And read almost immediately. In terms of information, this is the fastest communication channel at the moment. Faster - just call directly, which is not always an option.

The only drawback is that there are no more text canvases that marketers love so much. The message should be as short as possible. Ideally, to accommodate 1 message (160 characters in Latin, 70 characters in Cyrillic), if not, then no more than 6 SMS.

Spam or not spam? That is the question

Since the fall of 2013, mobile operators have been more closely monitoring the content of sent messages. It is allowed to send newsletters only to those subscribers who have agreed to receive notifications. In this case, the subscriber may ask the telecom operator to block the receipt of messages from any company or another subscriber. Do not forget that the name of the sender of SMS messages is subject to registration.

Where to get the base?

SMS spam will not pass. In the best case, nobody will simply respond to such a newsletter. At worst, you will have to pay a fine of several hundred thousand rubles. That is why you need contacts that have agreed to receive notifications from you. There are several ways to build a legal base:

First, if you have an offline point of sale, you can introduce a simple loyalty program for customers using cards. Using the completed customer profiles you will receive all the necessary information for the newsletters.
Secondly, you can still collect the contact database using the subscription form on the site . Use lead magnets: offer a discount in exchange for a phone number or any other bonuses. It all depends on your imagination and the specifics of the product.
Thirdly, the client will automatically get into your database after the purchase . More sales - more newsletter base - more repeat shopping opportunities.

Collecting a contact database for SMS mailing is no more difficult than for email marketing. The main thing is a systematic approach and clearly defined goals.

What's next?

After the base is assembled, it remains only to start mailing. And here are some tips to increase their effectiveness:

• Do not try to put a lot of information in 1 message. 1 idea / action / event = 1 SMS.
• Personalize the newsletter, add information about the name of the recipient, the product that he bought or the amount that needs to be paid.
• Do not part. 1-2 promo SMS per month is quite enough so that the client does not forget about you, but you did not have time to bother him either.
• Leave your contacts (website, address, name, phone number) in the message so that the recipient knows where to contact him if the information interests him.
• Use the sender’s own name to build company recognition and customer loyalty.

Try it, test it. Perhaps SMS marketing is exactly what will help bring sales to a new level for you!

Irina Chugay, marketer SendPulse